Agent skill · writing content · nousresearch
imessage
Send and receive iMessages/SMS via the imsg CLI on macOS.
Why this skill is useful
Adds specific commands and workflows for sending and receiving iMessages/SMS that the AI wouldn't reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
Requires brew installed locally. About 1k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 226,679 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
iMessage Use imsg to read and send iMessage/SMS via macOS Messages.app. Prerequisites macOS with Messages.app signed in Install: brew install steipete/tap/imsg Grant Full Disk Access for terminal (System Settings → Privacy → Full Disk Access) Grant Automation permission for Messages.app when prompted When to Use User asks to send an iMessage or text message Reading iMessage conversation history Checking recent Messages.app chats Sending to phone numbers or Apple IDs When NOT to Use Telegram/Discord/Slack/WhatsApp messages → use the appropriate gateway channel Group chat management (adding/removing members) → not supported Bulk/mass messaging → always confirm with user first Quick Reference List Chats View History Send Messages Watch for New Messages Service Options --service imessage — Force iMessage (requires recipient has iMessage) --service sms — Force SMS (green bubble) --service auto — Let Messages.app decide (default) Rules 1. Always confirm recipient and message content before sending 2. Never send to unknown numbers without explicit user approval 3. Verify file paths exist before attaching 4. Don't spam — rate-limit yourself Example Workflow User: "Text mom that I'll be late"
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills nousresearch/imessage