Guides ChatGPT published aug 31, 2026
In this guide, you will learn how to connect iMessage to ChatGPT Work. You will learn the connection's capabilities, limitations and some quick ways to make it work better.
You will connect ChatGPT to Messages, ask it to check your unread conversations, and text the recap to yourself. You will also learn what it can read, where it works, and how to keep each conversation behind an approval.
For now, the iMessage plugin only works in the desktop app. To use it from your phone, tap Remote in the ChatGPT iOS app and pair it with your Mac. Your Mac still does the work, but you can control the task from your phone.
You can also ask ChatGPT to create a noon routine that checks project progress and important Slack @mentions, then texts the recap to your self-chat. In the video, we set up that routine as one daily alert so the most important work lands in a channel that is hard to miss.
Use a dedicated self-chat for automated recaps. Keep every other recipient behind per-send approval, and run the routine once yourself before relying on it.
Open the ChatGPT desktop app on your Mac. Click Plugins, search for Messages, install the official plugin, then allow Automation, Contacts, and Full Disk Access.
Automation lets ChatGPT send an approved message through Messages. Contacts lets it find people by name. Full Disk Access lets it search the Messages stored on your Mac.
The plugin only runs in the ChatGPT desktop app on an Apple-silicon Mac. You can use it in ChatGPT Work or Codex, but not in a regular chat. The official Apple Messages documentation (https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/plugins?surface=app#app-use-apple-messages-from-codex) has the full compatibility list.
Pro tip: There are additional safety filters built in after this step. You must opt each conversation in before ChatGPT can read it.
We tested the plugin from a separate macOS work profile and work Apple Account. If you do not want to connect your personal Messages history, this gives ChatGPT a smaller set of conversations and contacts to work with.
Start a chat in ChatGPT Work or Codex. Make sure your own phone number is saved in Contacts, then try:
Check my unread iMessages and let me know what I need to catch up on. Then text myself the recap.Click the plus button beside the prompt, attach the Messages plugin, and run the task. The slash shortcut did not show the plugin in our test, but the plus button worked.
ChatGPT will ask for read access to each unread conversation. Use for this query to approve a one-off read. You can also approve a conversation for the rest of the current ChatGPT session or allow it globally.
Keep the task on Ask for approval or Approve for me so ChatGPT can show the send confirmation. Full access may stop that panel from appearing.
Use the smallest scope that works. Full Disk Access exposes the message history stored on that Mac, so avoid global access for personal or sensitive conversations.
ChatGPT will search the conversations you approve and write the recap. Check the recipient and message before you approve the send.
You should receive a text from ChatGPT summarizing your inbox. Open Messages and check your self-chat. Make sure the names, requests, and deadlines match the original conversations.
In our test, ChatGPT found two unread chats, pulled out the call and deadline we needed to catch up on, and texted the recap to Myself (Billy).
You can also narrow the request to one person or topic. For example, ask it to find the restaurant someone mentioned in an older conversation.
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