ChatGPT for Mac can now read, search and send your iMessages. OpenAI rolled out an Apple Messages plugin on Thursday that gives the chatbot access to the Messages app — drafting replies, summarising long threads and pulling details from older conversations, with approval required before anything goes out.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the move raises privacy questions for Apple, which is already suing OpenAI over trade secrets. OpenAI asked a judge to dismiss the suit earlier this month.
What the ChatGPT for Mac iMessage plugin does
The plugin works with real message threads, so there is no more copying and pasting a conversation into the chat window. OpenAI suggests prompts such as checking your calendar and replying with times you are free for dinner, suggesting follow-ups from yesterday’s messages, or finding birthdays in @ messages and adding them to a calendar.
We’ve added native integration with iMessage, so ChatGPT can now send & read messages for you! It can also analyze your messages!
Ari Weinstein, OpenAI
The plugin runs locally, using macOS’s own AppleScript and Accessibility tools to drive the Messages app, OpenAI told Bloomberg. It covers iMessage, SMS and RCS, and currently works only on Apple Silicon Macs. Setup means granting Full Disk Access and permission to read contact names.
What happens to your messages
OpenAI says the plugin keeps no index of your messages. It follows this month’s Computer History feature, which tracks clicks and keystrokes on the same app.
Sending still requires your approval by default, and you can edit a draft before it goes out — OpenAI advises against enabling persistent approval, which removes that final check. The plugin’s permission flow sits inside the standalone ChatGPT app, separate from Apple’s own safeguards: Siri’s ChatGPT integration stays off until switched on, and asks before sharing anything.
The plugin is included on all ChatGPT plans, works inside ChatGPT Work and Codex, and can be switched off by workspace administrators. It is available wherever the ChatGPT Mac app is — the UAE included. Intel Macs sit this one out.
How do you set up the ChatGPT for Mac iMessage plugin?
Open the ChatGPT desktop app on a Mac, go to Plugins > Public and install Apple Messages, then grant Full Disk Access and permission to read contact names in System Settings. It currently runs only on Apple Silicon Macs.
Can ChatGPT send an iMessage without asking?
No. Every message needs your approval by default, and you can edit the draft before it goes out. OpenAI warns against enabling persistent approval, which removes that final check.
Does OpenAI read all your messages?
The plugin runs locally on your Mac, and OpenAI says it does not build an index of your messages. The company has not detailed exactly how that works in practice.
