Poke, an innovative startup that simplifies the use of AI agents to a mere text message exchange, has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first AI agent officially approved to operate on Apple’s Messages for Business platform. Previously, this platform was exclusively available to established partners such as airlines, retailers, and hotel chains, providing a standardized interface for business messaging that supported both automated chat systems and live agents. Until now, it had not extended its access to AI agents.
Launched in March, Poke stands out as one of the pioneering AI agents designed for widespread accessibility, targeting everyday users who may lack the technical expertise or desire to engage with command-line tools or more intricate agentic systems like OpenClaw. Currently, Poke facilitates a range of common activities, including daily planning, calendar management, health and fitness tracking, smart home control, and photo editing, all through intuitive text message interactions. The company has reported to TechCrunch that it has already processed approximately 100 million messages.
The AI service currently functions across SMS, Telegram, and, in select regions, WhatsApp. With its recent approval, Poke will now expand its reach to include iMessage among its supported platforms.
The company enthusiastically announced its new integration, stating that Poke is now officially approved by Apple to operate on Apple Messages as the first and sole AI agent available on the platform.
This news regarding Poke’s integration with Apple’s Messages for Business platform emerges just days before Apple’s highly anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday. At WWDC, Apple is expected to unveil an AI-optimized version of Siri, alongside other new AI tools and services tailored for app developers. There have also been rumors circulating about Apple potentially opening its App Store to AI agents.
However, Poke's approval falls under a different category. Apple’s Messages for Business platform is not designed to offer consumer-facing mobile applications, but rather to enable consumers to directly interact with businesses through the iMessage interface. This functionality allows users to contact businesses for information, support, appointment scheduling, and more, without the need for traditional phone calls.
Given the nature of its interactions, this platform presents a logical environment for AI agents like Poke to operate. Poke’s users engage with the AI agent by posing questions or making requests, to which it responds via text, mirroring typical business communications.
This development also introduces a new business model for Apple. Marvin von Hagen, co-founder of The Interaction Company of California, the Palo Alto-based startup behind Poke, confirmed that his company will compensate Apple on a per-user basis. While specific pricing details remain confidential, von Hagen indicated that the fees are significantly lower than those imposed by Meta AI, which increased its charges following EU regulations requiring it to permit third-party AI agents on WhatsApp.
“I think that Apple is just noticing this is the best way to offer AI, and…actually, good for them, because they charge us. They charge us per user on the platform and actually make money with this, especially if it becomes really big,” von Hagen remarked, expressing his belief that Apple’s support for AI agents will continue to expand over time.
Securing Apple’s approval was a rigorous process, requiring the company to verify its capability to provide live support when necessary and to ensure its AI agent was clearly identified as such. Poke also submitted testimonials from its messaging providers and meticulously customized its user interface to comply with Apple’s stringent guidelines.
For instance, Poke on iMessage is now required to display link previews instead of inline links, as was previously the case. Furthermore, it adheres to Apple’s comprehensive style guide for elements such as buttons and other interface components.
“This took a couple of months to adhere to all of these standards, and it will take anyone else who wants to build on this — it will also take them a couple of months to get through this approval process,” von Hagen stated, attributing Poke’s first-mover status significantly to trust.
“It was also just important that we were very aligned in terms of the positioning of the company,” he added, elaborating on how many contemporary consumer products prioritize numerical growth through potentially questionable strategies. “We care about quality, we care to have a brand that signals trust,” von Hagen emphasized.
It remains uncertain whether Apple will make any announcements related to AI agents on its Messages for Business platform at WWDC next week, and von Hagen has no insight into Apple’s future plans. Nevertheless, Poke is currently extending invitations to its existing user base, offering them the option to transition to the iMessage experience if they choose.
Apple was not immediately available for comment regarding this development.
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