Overview
- OpenAI rolled out the Apple Messages plugin for the ChatGPT desktop app on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, enabling the assistant to read, search, summarise, draft and send iMessage, SMS and RCS conversations stored on a Mac.
- The feature works only in ChatGPT Work and Codex modes on Apple silicon Macs and does not operate in regular ChatGPT chats or on iPhone at this time.
- Installing the plugin requires multiple macOS permissions including Full Disk Access, contacts and automation access, and OpenAI says the plugin runs on-device and does not create a full index of messages.
- By default ChatGPT asks for user approval before sending each message, but users can enable persistent approval that removes the per-send check and OpenAI warns this reduces human oversight; OpenAI also documents a known bug where full-access tasks can prevent send confirmations and suggests changing approval settings as a workaround.
- Privacy commentators and journalists flagged consent risks for people on the receiving end of messages and noted the launch increases scrutiny of OpenAI’s relationship with Apple after Apple sued OpenAI in July, while managed workspaces retain administrative controls to disable the plugin.