iMessage Supports First Third-Party AI Agent With Poke Approval

Apple has officially approved Poke as the first third-party AI agent allowed on its Messages for Business platform. Built by Palo Alto startup The Interaction Company of California, Poke operates as a proactive conversational assistant directly inside the native iMessage app.

Unlike traditional chatbots that wait for user input, Poke monitors connected accounts—including Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, Notion, Slack, and GitHub—to prompt users with actionable notifications. The agent might surface a flight check-in, summarize YouTube transcripts, or suggest rescheduling a meeting based on calendar conflicts. It can also generate images and control smart-home devices like Philips Hue and Sonos.

Technical Integration

Poke leverages the existing Messages for Business framework to present as a verified business contact. This integration allows the agent to use standard Apple UI elements, including list pickers, buttons, and Apple Pay support for transactions.

To meet Apple’s compliance standards, the developers customized the agent’s interface, replacing standard inline links with native link previews and adopting Apple’s specific style guide for interactive components. Per platform privacy rules, Poke must clearly identify itself as an AI and provide a pathway to human support. The agent cannot access personal data like phone numbers unless explicitly shared by the user for a specific action.

Market Impact

Since its public launch in March 2026, Poke has relayed around 100 million messages across supported channels, which include SMS, Telegram, and WhatsApp in limited regions. Following the iMessage approval, users reported significant reply delays, indicating a surge in volume.

Poke monetizes via a per-user charge. Because it operates within Messages for Business, the integration creates a potential revenue stream for Apple through services or transactions the agent facilitates.

For developers evaluating what AI agents are and how they work, Apple’s willingness to approve a third-party startup on iMessage signals a potential shift away from a strictly walled-off, Siri-only approach to consumer AI. The approval, arriving just days before WWDC 2026, sets a precedent for how conversational agents might function as native elements within the iOS ecosystem.