Manus Returns Post-Meta With Version 2.0, Confirms China Market Preparations Underway

THE ESSENTIALS

Manus 2.0 introduces Cue, a personal agent app that gives each AI assistant its own email, phone number, wallet and computer for autonomous task execution
The self-developed Cascade agent framework reduces token consumption by 23.2% and task completion time by 28.2% compared to previous systems
Manus confirmed domestic China market products are being prepared and a local team is being assembled, with ongoing partnerships with Chinese model vendors
Studio workstation now supports video editing and game development with human-in-the-loop modification capabilities
The launch comes just 10 days after Meta's Muse personal agent topped the US App Store, positioning the former acquisition as a direct competitor

Manus 2.0 Marks Independent Return

Manus, the AI agent company founded by Chinese entrepreneur Xiao Hong, has released version 2.0 — its first major product update since announcing the resumption of independent operations on September 1 following its spinoff from Meta. The release bundles three significant updates: a new personal agent application called Cue, an upgraded desktop workstation renamed Manus Studio, and a next-generation agent framework called Cascade.

The timing carries competitive significance. Manus 2.0 arrives just 10 days after Meta's own personal agent, Muse, reached the top of the US App Store free chart. The former acquirer and acquired are now direct competitors in the personal AI agent space.

Cue Gives Agents Personal Identity

Cue is a standalone mobile and desktop application that shares infrastructure with Manus but targets personal use cases. Each agent within Cue receives its own email address, phone number, digital wallet and dedicated computing environment. This allows agents to send messages, make payments within user-set budgets, answer calls with transcription summaries, and execute tasks independently.

Users can assign different responsibilities to multiple agents and organize them into group chats for collaborative workflows. Cue also extends to offline services — the company demonstrated scenarios such as scanning QR codes at restaurants for agent-assisted ordering and queuing. Cue is currently in early access via invitation code.

Cascade Framework and Studio Upgrades

Underpinning the new products is Cascade, Manus's latest self-developed agent framework that dynamically invokes specialized capabilities only when needed. In internal testing, Cascade reduced token consumption by 23.2%, shortened task completion time by 28.2%, and lowered operating costs by 32% compared to the previous system.

Manus Studio expands beyond documents and spreadsheets to include video editing and game development. The video editor provides a timeline interface where users can directly swap music, replace generated images with their own footage, and adjust animations before exporting or handing back to the AI for further iteration. Automation capabilities have also expanded from scheduled triggers to event-driven workflows activated by emails, calendar events, or Notion updates.

China Market Entry in Preparation

Although this release targets overseas users, Manus explicitly confirmed that products for the Chinese domestic market are being prepared and a local team is being assembled. The company stated that cooperation with domestic model vendors and ecosystem partners is continuing to advance.

This makes Manus one of the few Chinese-founded AI agent companies to publicly commit to a domestic market entry strategy while simultaneously competing internationally. The integration of local models and services will likely shape how the product adapts to Chinese user expectations and regulatory requirements.