Poke Becomes First AI Agent Approved for Apple Messages for Business
Poke, a startup focused on making AI agents as easy to use as texting a friend, has become the first AI agent approved to operate on Apple’s Messages for Business platform. The move brings Poke directly into Apple’s iMessage-style business messaging experience, giving users a new way to interact with an AI assistant through simple text conversations.
Apple Messages for Business has traditionally been used by companies such as airlines, retailers, hotels, and service providers. It allows customers to message businesses for support, bookings, product questions, order updates, and other common tasks without making a phone call. The platform supports both automated systems and human support agents, but until now, it had not been opened to standalone AI agents.
Poke’s approval marks a notable shift in how AI assistants may become part of everyday messaging. Instead of asking users to download a separate app or learn complex tools, Poke works through familiar messaging platforms. Users can simply send a message and ask the AI agent to help with daily tasks.
Launched in March, Poke was created for everyday users rather than developers or technical professionals. The service is designed to remove the friction often associated with advanced AI tools. Instead of requiring command-line prompts or complicated workflows, Poke responds conversationally through text.
The AI assistant can help with a wide range of everyday activities, including daily planning, calendar management, health and fitness tracking, smart home controls, photo editing, and general organization. The company says the service has already handled around 100 million messages since launch, showing strong interest in text-based AI assistants.
Before this expansion, Poke was available through SMS, Telegram, and WhatsApp in selected markets. With Apple’s approval, the startup can now offer its AI agent through Messages for Business, making iMessage support part of its growing platform strategy.
The timing is especially interesting as Apple is expected to place a major focus on artificial intelligence at its upcoming developer conference. Industry expectations point to new AI-focused features for Siri, developer tools, and possibly broader support for AI-powered experiences across Apple’s ecosystem.
However, Poke’s launch on Messages for Business is not the same as appearing as a regular app in the App Store. Apple’s business messaging platform is designed for direct communication between users and companies inside the Messages interface. In this case, Poke is using that structure to let people interact with an AI agent in the same way they might message a business for help.
That approach makes sense for an AI service like Poke. Users ask questions, make requests, and receive responses through a natural messaging flow. For many people, texting is already one of the most comfortable ways to communicate, which could make AI agents feel more approachable and useful.
The launch also introduces a new business opportunity for Apple. According to Marvin von Hagen, co-founder of The Interaction Company of California, the Palo Alto startup behind Poke, the company will pay Apple on a per-user basis for access to the platform. While exact pricing has not been disclosed, von Hagen said the cost is significantly lower than fees charged by some competing messaging platforms after regulatory changes affected third-party AI agent access.
Von Hagen believes Apple may increasingly view messaging as one of the most practical ways to deliver AI services. If AI agents become widely used inside Messages for Business, Apple could benefit from a new revenue stream while offering users more capable digital experiences within its existing ecosystem.
Getting approved for Apple Messages for Business was not instant. Poke had to complete a review process to show that live support could be provided when necessary and that users would clearly understand they were interacting with an AI agent. The company also submitted supporting information from its messaging providers and adjusted its interface to match Apple’s requirements.
For example, Poke’s iMessage experience now follows Apple’s style guidelines for buttons, interface elements, and link previews. Instead of displaying plain inline links as it may on other platforms, the Messages for Business version is adapted to Apple’s preferred user experience.
Von Hagen said the approval process took several months, and other companies hoping to bring AI agents to the same platform should expect a similar timeline. He suggested that being first was not only about speed, but also about trust and brand positioning. Poke aims to present itself as a reliable, high-quality AI assistant rather than a growth-at-all-costs consumer product.
The company is now beginning to invite existing users to try the iMessage experience. Users will be able to choose whether they want to move to Apple’s messaging platform or continue using Poke through other supported services.
Poke’s arrival on Apple Messages for Business could be an early sign of how AI agents will become more integrated into everyday communication. Rather than living only in standalone apps, AI assistants may increasingly appear inside the messaging tools people already use daily.
For Apple users, that could mean a future where planning a schedule, editing a photo, checking health goals, or managing smart home devices is as simple as sending a text. For the AI industry, Poke’s approval shows that messaging platforms may become one of the most important battlegrounds for consumer AI adoption.
