OpenAI released a new plugin on August 20, 2026, allowing ChatGPT on Mac to read, search, draft, and send Apple iMessages after explicit user authorization [1, 2, 3]. The integration requires users to grant ChatGPT access to their Messages history, enable Full Disk Access in the Mac system settings, and authorize access to contacts and automation tools before using the feature [1, 3].
Currently, the iMessage plugin is available only to ChatGPT Work and Codex users on Mac [2, 3]. The feature lets users search past messages, get summaries of chats, recall missed conversations, and draft replies. OpenAI’s head of developer experience, Romain Huet, said users can "ask it who you talk to most, what you talk about, or what you forgot to follow up on!" [2].
The launch has prompted significant privacy concerns and backlash from users anxious about AI texting on their behalf. Some social media users warned, "If I find out that AI has been texting me on your behalf, I will never speak to you again," and another said, "If anyone AI emails or texts me I hope you know youre effectively dead to me." [2]. Apple, known for its strict privacy protections, has not commented on the ChatGPT iMessage plugin [1, 3].
In July 2026, Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI accusing it of trade secret theft and of hiring Apple employees to gain confidential information [1, 3]. Earlier in August, OpenAI launched a "Computer History" feature that lets ChatGPT learn from user actions on apps and websites, but this option remains off by default [2].
The new iMessage integration marks OpenAI’s growing push to blend AI with core user communication tools. Users interested in accessing the plugin must have ChatGPT Work or Codex accounts and explicitly enable all required permissions to activate the feature [2, 3].
