NVIDIA App 11.0.9 adds a local MCP server for AI agents. Here is how to switch it off

NVIDIA App version 11.0.9.565 includes a local Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lets AI agents on your PC control the app. NVIDIA lists it in its release highlights. On 16 October 2026, VideoCardz reported that the feature “appears to be enabled automatically after updating”, without users turning it on. This is a catch-up of that report.

How to check and turn it off

VideoCardz gives the path: open NVIDIA App, then Settings, then Features, scroll to Connect Agents & Apps, and switch off “Allow AI agents to control NVIDIA App.” The toggle turns from green to gray. NVIDIA’s release notes name the section slightly differently, “Settings > Features > AI Agents and App Connections”, so look for either label.

NVIDIA’s own connection reference describes this as an “MCP master toggle”. It says that if the toggle is disabled, launching the bridge program “does not enable or start the persistent server.” You can switch it back on from the same menu.

What the server does

In NVIDIA’s words, the server “lets a compatible AI agent control the NVIDIA App using natural-language requests”, naming Hermes, OpenClaw and Perplexity as examples. NVIDIA’s published agent skill gives the default endpoint as http://127.0.0.1:13508/mcp, a loopback address on your own machine. A stdio bridge is the other way to connect.

The general tools reference and VideoCardz’s table describe tools that:

• list detected games and apps, and launch one;
• apply Balanced, Performance, Recommended or Quality optimization presets, or revert them;
• read installed driver status, available updates and release notes;
• read and set Battery Boost and Whisper Mode on supported laptops;
• start or stop recording and instant replay, save clips, take screenshots, and show or hide the performance overlay.

Should you worry

Loopback matters. The server does not open your PC to the internet, and VideoCardz notes it “does not mean NVIDIA automatically connects an external AI service to the computer.” It does mean any software on the same machine that speaks MCP can use these tools while the switch is on. VideoCardz adds that an agent backed by a cloud model could send what it reads from the app to that provider, depending on how the agent works.

NVIDIA’s release notes describe the feature but do not say it is on by default, or why. VideoCardz says it found the option enabled, and that other users reported the same. We have not tested a fresh install ourselves, so treat the default as VideoCardz’s finding.

The practical answer is simple. If you use a local agent with NVIDIA App, keep it on and know what it can reach. If you do not, turn it off. Either way, check the toggle after each NVIDIA App update.