MiniMax Rebuilds Code 2.0 on Pi Agent, Slashing Latency by 90%

MiniMax Code shipped version 2.0, a full rebuild of its desktop coding agent. The release centers on four new user-facing capabilities built on a rewritten internal architecture that replaces the old engine with the open-source Pi Agent framework. The result is a faster, more stable agent that now works from your phone, renders in a built-in browser, and accepts your own model API keys.

What the Pi Agent rebuild actually changes

Pi Agent, created by Mario Zechner, is a deliberately minimal open-source framework. It runs on four core tools: read, write, edit, and bash. Its TypeScript SDK handles extensibility, and its system prompt stays short by design. The project has over 46,000 GitHub stars and has become a reference for teams that want a lean, controllable agent loop without commercial tooling overhead. By building on it, MiniMax inherits that reliability while layering its own desktop UX and model infrastructure on top.

The rebuild produced measurable gains. According to the official changelog, the 2.0 core cut p95/p99 first-token latency by over 90%. It also reduced unexpected interruptions during long-running tasks, improved how conversation state and tool-call data persist across sessions, and trimmed runtime dependencies for better performance on low-memory machines.

Four features shipping now

• Remote Control: Connect to your desktop agent from your phone to check progress, send instructions, and approve permission requests mid-task. Terminal output, code changes, and test results are all visible without a full mobile app.
• Built-in Browser: Open web pages and HTML artifacts directly in the app sidebar to preview results and debug pages without leaving the task. You can edit code, docs, or config files in the preview panel and save without switching apps.
• Coding and Work Modes: Coding mode surfaces Git branches, worktree tools, and terminal output by default. Work mode strips away technical scaffolding so non-technical collaborators or managers see task progress and deliverables instead of implementation details.
• BYOK (Bring Your Own Key): Add a custom provider using a base URL, API key, and model name, or use your MiniMax API key directly. Once configured, the model appears in the picker and is available for any task.

BYOK and provider flexibility

Pi documents support for 15+ providers: Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Azure, Bedrock, Mistral, Groq, Cerebras, xAI, Hugging Face, Kimi For Coding, MiniMax, OpenRouter, Ollama, and more. MiniMax Code inheriting this provider-agnostic design means users can point the agent at Claude, GPT, Gemini, or a locally hosted model via base URL. For teams with existing model contracts or compliance requirements around approved providers, that flexibility matters.

For users who stay on MiniMax's own models, the pricing is competitive. MiniMax-M3 on the standard tier costs $0.30 per million input tokens and $1.20 per million output tokens. Quota restores on rolling 5-hour windows rather than weekly resets, so earlier usage expires gradually as you work.

Who each mode targets

• Coding mode is for active development sessions: Git branch management, worktree isolation, terminal visibility, and code review diffs are all surfaced by default.
• Work mode is for longer-horizon tasks like research, document generation, or multi-step office work, where the technical scaffolding is noise rather than signal.

Remote Control addresses a specific friction point in agentic workflows: you start a complex job, step away from your desk, and have no clean way to check in, approve a permission request, or redirect the agent. The phone interface solves that without requiring a standalone mobile app.

Download and pricing

MiniMax Code 2.0 is available now for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows 64-bit. The update is free. Download or update at agent.minimax.io. The app runs on a credit-based system with a free tier and paid plans. BYOK configuration is available directly in settings under any supported provider.