Getting Started with Muse (Meta's AI Agent): A One-Page Guide
Muse is Meta's new consumer AI agent — separate from the Meta AI app, with its own iOS/Android apps and website. It can browse the web, shop online, fill out forms, plan trips, send emails, schedule events, and connect to third-party services like Google and Spotify. Meta built it to require no technical background, and it's genuinely easy to pick up.
1. Sign Up
- You need a Meta account (no Facebook/Instagram required).
- On the web, logging in with your phone number is enough — Muse can auto-link your existing accounts.
- You'll be prompted to name your agent and pick an avatar. Purely cosmetic, but Meta really wants you to do it.
2. Lock Down Your Settings First
Before diving in, visit Settings:
- Data Controls → turn off "help improve our AI models" if you don't want Meta training on your interactions.
- Permissions → controls how often Muse asks before acting. Default is "ask for some actions" (Muse decides what's low-risk). Consider switching to "always ask" at first — you can loosen it later once you trust its judgment.
3. Connect Apps and Payment Carefully
- The Connectors tab shows which third-party apps Muse can access (Spotify, OpenTable, etc.). Start with lower-stakes services.
- Muse can reportedly connect to any service with a public API, even if it's not pre-listed (e.g., Notion), by walking you through manual setup.
- Some users create a separate dedicated email account just for their agent, keeping it isolated from a primary inbox.
- To let Muse make purchases, link a card in the Wallet section. Card numbers are handled via Stripe, so Muse doesn't see your full card details, and it's designed to confirm before buying — though Meta itself warns it "may take unexpected actions."
4. What You Can Actually Use It For
- Organizing saved content: Ask Muse to scan your Facebook/Instagram saves and turn them into structured, searchable lists — e.g., a recipe book pulled from saved videos, or a city-by-city list of restaurants you bookmarked.
- Trip planning: Give it your travel dates and preferences (like nonstop-only flights); it can suggest routes, flag multi-city ticket options, and set up ongoing price tracking.
- The "Ideas" tab: Surfaces suggestions tailored to your habits and interests over time — worth checking periodically.
5. Stay Cautious
AI agents have occasionally gone off-script on seemingly simple tasks. Meta says it has multiple safeguards, but nothing is foolproof. Keep an eye on what Muse is doing on your behalf, especially early on, and adjust permissions as you build trust in it.