Apple Messages has received its first AI integration in the form of Poke. The third-party AI agent will now operate directly within the Messages app, leveraging Apple's iMessage for Business architecture. The same rolled out a few years ago, similar to RCS for business on Android.
Poke Now Integrates Directly Into iMessage
The announcement arrived from Poke's official X handle, where the brand shared the AI agent's availability on Apple Messages alongside a video that demonstrates how it works. In the video, Poke is being asked to do a myriad of things, including booking a table in a restaurant and setting reminders from voice notes.
With this, Apple iPhones can now converse with Poke just as they would with a standard contact. The AI is designed to process conversational prompts, execute specific tasks and leverage other third-party integrations to fulfil user requests directly in iMessage. The platform claims it eliminates "Digital busywork".
Those interested in checking out the chatbot can initiate a conversation after following a few instructions. That said, despite the exciting launch, early adopters faced issues with the chatbot.
For starters, initial test prompts went unanswered as users flocked to the same on Poke's original announcement post. However, we can confirm, as of writing this, that the issue has been fixed and the agent is reachable and responding again.
With agents like Poke finally leveraging Apple's iMessage for Business architecture, we can hopefully expect more such integrations in the future. For those unaware and don't own an iPhone, the bot is also available on WhatsApp and Telegram. Instructions to set it up on those platforms can be found on Poke's official website.
Apple is betting big on AI this year, with most of its WWDC2 26 announcements rumoured to be on AI. With revamped Siri coming soon, and an iOS 27 announcement on the horizon, it should be interesting to see how things shape up for Apple, which has had a terrible last few years in terms of AI.
