What Poke Is and Why Apple Approved It First
Poke is an AI agent for Apple’s Messages app that lets users manage email, reminders, web tasks, and image generation directly inside an iMessage conversation, signaling Apple’s first formal opening of Messages Business Chat to third-party AI assistants. Developed by The Interaction Company of California, Poke became the first AI agent approved to operate on the Messages for Business platform after months of compliance work, including clear AI labeling, live human support, and design alignment with Apple’s rules. This AI agent Messages integration launched publicly in March and has already handled more than 100 million messages, according to the company. The timing is striking: with WWDC approaching and iOS 27 rumored to expand third-party AI utilities, Apple’s approval of Poke looks less like a one-off experiment and more like an early move in a broader Apple AI integration strategy centered on messaging.
What the Poke App Can Do Inside Apple Messages
Inside iMessage, the Poke app Apple integration turns a chat thread into a control center for everyday tasks. Users can ask Poke to respond to emails, propose times for dinner or events, and then set reminders so plans do not get lost. The AI agent can run web searches, generate and edit images, and create QR codes or YouTube video summaries in transcript form. It reaches beyond text, too: Poke can control Philips Hue lights and Sonos speakers, check in for domestic flights, track flight deals, and connect to services like Oura Ring, Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, GitHub, Strava, and Navan. Light actions and manual prompts are free, while more intensive requests require payment after a chat-based negotiation, according to Poke’s FAQ. Access starts with an account tied to a phone number or Telegram, and then continues directly in the Messages Business Chat interface.
A New Kind of Competition for Siri Inside Apple’s Ecosystem
Poke’s arrival on Messages Business Chat creates a new kind of competition for Siri inside Apple’s own ecosystem. Poke overlaps with several Siri roles: it can schedule reminders, manage events, perform web lookups, and control smart home devices, but it does so in a conversational text interface that lives where people already chat. That makes Poke feel less like a separate app and more like a new AI brain embedded in messaging. Apple has already brought ChatGPT integration to iPhone, and now this AI agent Messages approach adds yet another option for users who want help planning or automating tasks. The Interaction Company’s co-founder Marvin von Hagen said Apple “charge[s] us per user on the platform and actually make money with this,” suggesting Apple is comfortable earning platform revenue even when a third-party AI takes over tasks that Siri could perform.
Signals of a Larger Apple AI Agent Strategy Ahead of WWDC
The approval of Poke ahead of WWDC points toward a wider Apple AI integration plan that treats Messages as a key gateway. Messages for Business was originally meant for companies to reach customers, but turning it into an AI agent channel suggests Apple is testing how far it can go with conversational automation without redesigning iOS from scratch. Apple’s App Store ecosystem generated more than USD 1.4 trillion (approx. RM6.44 trillion) in developer billings and sales in 2025, with apps that include consumer-facing AI features growing faster than those without. According to The AI Insider, 40 of the top 100 apps already included AI capabilities. With rumors that iOS 27 will improve support for third-party AI utilities, Poke looks like the first visible piece of a model where users can pick AI agents that rival Siri in specific domains, from travel and health tracking to smart home control.
