Apple has approved Poke, a third-party AI agent, for use in the iPhone's Messages app, enabling an AI chatbot within iMessage for the first time via the Messages for Business framework.
Apple approved the third-party AI service Poke for use in its iPhone Messages app. This integration allows users to chat with Poke directly in iMessage to perform various tasks. Some users report issues with response times, likely due to high demand.
# Apple’s Messages app on iPhone now has a third-party AI agent - 9to5Mac
Source: [https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/04/apples-messages-app-on-iphone-now-has-a-third-party-ai-agent/](https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/04/apples-messages-app-on-iphone-now-has-a-third-party-ai-agent/)
Third\-party AI service[Poke](https://poke.com/)was just approved for use in Apple’s Messages app on iPhone, bringing an AI agent directly into iMessage for the first time\. Here are the details\.
## Poke is now available in Apple’s Messages app via Business workaround
Years ago, Apple launched[Messages for Business](https://www.apple.com/ios/business-chat/)as a way for iPhone users to contact businesses inside the native iMessage interface\.
Now, that technology appears to have enabled the first third\-party AI agent inside Messages\.
[Poke](https://poke.com/)has been approved by Apple, letting you chat with the service in the iPhone’s Messages app and have it take action on your requests\.
Here’s a glimpse at what it looks like, via Poke’s[announcement post](https://x.com/interaction/status/2062575428213285352?s=61&t=a-bloX1n-TZ50ofqhetO1A):
You can message Poke on your iPhone following the instructions[on Poke’s website](https://poke.com/)\. And a variety of examples of what Poke can do, including third\-party integrations,[can be found here](https://poke.com/recipes)\.
Currently, the service appears to be experiencing issues\. I sent a message a few minutes ago and have yet to receive a reply, and saw similar reports on social media\.
Hopefully that’s just a sign of overwhelming demand, rather than evidence that Apple has already revoked its initial approval\.
Have you tried using Poke in the Messages app? How’s it working for you? Let us know in the comments\.
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Poke, an AI agent startup by The Interaction Company of California, has become the first third-party AI agent approved to operate on Apple's Messages for Business platform, enabling iMessage-based interactions and introducing a per-user revenue model for Apple. The announcement comes just before Apple's WWDC 2026, where further AI and Siri updates are expected.
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