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Perplexity has added REA, or Reverse Engineer Anything, to Computer, giving its AI agent a built-in skill for inspecting an app without access to its original source code and building a working version.
The integration brings an open-source toolkit by developer morluto into Computer through the /reverse-engineer command. Tasks using that command are free through October 31, up to 10,000 credits per user. CEO Aravind Srinivas described the allowance as a bootstrapping credit balance for users to reverse-engineer an app of their choice.
“We’re giving up to 10000 credits as a bootstrapping credit balance for any one to use them to reverse engineer any app of their choice! Have fun!”
Perplexity also published five applications built with the skill, covering design, spreadsheets, photo editing, contract review, and audio editing. The demos are available to try for a limited time.
How REA Helps an Agent Reconstruct Software
REA gives coding agents tools to investigate how existing software works before writing an implementation. Instead of relying only on a screenshot or a description of a feature, an agent can inspect the program, trace relevant code, and use runtime observations to understand its behavior.
The standalone toolkit connects agents to analysis tools through the Model Context Protocol, or MCP. Depending on the target, it can return native assembly and decompiled pseudocode, map modules and dependencies in JavaScript and Electron applications, or inspect website scripts and network activity. The agent uses those findings to explain a feature, write a version of it, and test the result.
For native binaries (compiled executables and libraries), REA can work with analysis software such as Hopper, Ghidra, or IDA. Static JavaScript inspection does not require a native analysis engine. These are capabilities of the underlying toolkit; Computer packages REA as a skill users can invoke directly.
Developers who want REA in their own coding environment can get the MIT-licensed code on GitHub. Its setup command, npx rea-agents@latest setup, registers the MCP server and matching workflow instructions with supported agents, after the user reviews and approves the changes.
Five Apps Show the Skill in Use
Perplexity's examples recreate functions from established software in separate demo applications:
- A Figma-style editor supports layers, auto-layout, sign-in, cross-device sync, and multiplayer editing.
- A LibreOffice Calc-style demo lets users edit cells and write formulas, with charts that update as values change.
- A Photopea-style application offers layer-based editing, masks, color adjustments, and editable text.
- A Harvey-style demo can search contracts, compare versions, and flag clauses against user-defined rules, with source citations.
- An Audacity-style application lets users trim and mix tracks, adjust volume, add fades, and export WAV audio.
The release follows Perplexity's open-sourcing of SPACE, the sandbox platform behind Computer's tasks. SPACE supplies isolated environments for agent-generated code; REA supplies tools and instructions for investigating the software an agent is asked to understand or rebuild.
Users can start a task in Computer with /reverse-engineer to try the new skill under the promotional allowance, which runs through October 31, 2026.
