---
summary: "Legacy iMessage support via imsg (JSON-RPC over stdio). New setups should use BlueBubbles."
read_when:
  - Setting up iMessage support
  - Debugging iMessage send/receive
title: "iMessage"
---

# iMessage (legacy: imsg)

<Warning>
For new iMessage deployments, use <a href="/channels/bluebubbles">BlueBubbles</a>.

The `imsg` integration is legacy and may be removed in a future release.
</Warning>

Status: legacy external CLI integration. Gateway spawns `imsg rpc` and communicates over JSON-RPC on stdio (no separate daemon/port).

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="BlueBubbles (recommended)" icon="message-circle" href="/channels/bluebubbles">
    Preferred iMessage path for new setups.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Pairing" icon="link" href="/channels/pairing">
    iMessage DMs default to pairing mode.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Configuration reference" icon="settings" href="/gateway/configuration-reference#imessage">
    Full iMessage field reference.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Quick setup

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Local Mac (fast path)">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Install and verify imsg">

```bash
brew install steipete/tap/imsg
imsg rpc --help
```

      </Step>

      <Step title="Configure OpenClaw">

```json5
{
  channels: {
    imessage: {
      enabled: true,
      cliPath: "/usr/local/bin/imsg",
      dbPath: "/Users/<you>/Library/Messages/chat.db",
    },
  },
}
```

      </Step>

      <Step title="Start gateway">

```bash
openclaw gateway
```

      </Step>

      <Step title="Approve first DM pairing (default dmPolicy)">

```bash
openclaw pairing list imessage
openclaw pairing approve imessage <CODE>
```

        Pairing requests expire after 1 hour.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Remote Mac over SSH">
    OpenClaw only requires a stdio-compatible `cliPath`, so you can point `cliPath` at a wrapper script that SSHes to a remote Mac and runs `imsg`.

```bash
#!/usr/bin/env bash
exec ssh -T gateway-host imsg "$@"
```

    Recommended config when attachments are enabled:

```json5
{
  channels: {
    imessage: {
      enabled: true,
      cliPath: "~/.openclaw/scripts/imsg-ssh",
      remoteHost: "user@gateway-host", // used for SCP attachment fetches
      includeAttachments: true,
      // Optional: override allowed attachment roots.
      // Defaults include /Users/*/Library/Messages/Attachments
      attachmentRoots: ["/Users/*/Library/Messages/Attachments"],
      remoteAttachmentRoots: ["/Users/*/Library/Messages/Attachments"],
    },
  },
}
```

    If `remoteHost` is not set, OpenClaw attempts to auto-detect it by parsing the SSH wrapper script.
    `remoteHost` must be `host` or `user@host` (no spaces or SSH options).
    OpenClaw uses strict host-key checking for SCP, so the relay host key must already exist in `~/.ssh/known_hosts`.
    Attachment paths are validated against allowed roots (`attachmentRoots` / `remoteAttachmentRoots`).

  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Requirements and permissions (macOS)

- Messages must be signed in on the Mac running `imsg`.
- Full Disk Access is required for the process context running OpenClaw/`imsg` (Messages DB access).
- Automation permission is required to send messages through Messages.app.

<Tip>
Permissions are granted per process context. If gateway runs headless (LaunchAgent/SSH), run a one-time interactive command in that same context to trigger prompts:

```bash
imsg chats --limit 1
# or
imsg send <handle> "test"
```

</Tip>

## Access control and routing

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="DM policy">
    `channels.imessage.dmPolicy` controls direct messages:

    - `pairing` (default)
    - `allowlist`
    - `open` (requires `allowFrom` to include `"*"`)
    - `disabled`

    Allowlist field: `channels.imessage.allowFrom`.

    Allowlist entries can be handles or chat targets (`chat_id:*`, `chat_guid:*`, `chat_identifier:*`).

  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Group policy + mentions">
    `channels.imessage.groupPolicy` controls group handling:

    - `allowlist` (default when configured)
    - `open`
    - `disabled`

    Group sender allowlist: `channels.imessage.groupAllowFrom`.

    Runtime fallback: if `groupAllowFrom` is unset, iMessage group sender checks fall back to `allowFrom` when available.
    Runtime note: if `channels.imessage` is completely missing, runtime falls back to `groupPolicy="allowlist"` and logs a warning (even if `channels.defaults.groupPolicy` is set).

    Mention gating for groups:

    - iMessage has no native mention metadata
    - mention detection uses regex patterns (`agents.list[].groupChat.mentionPatterns`, fallback `messages.groupChat.mentionPatterns`)
    - with no configured patterns, mention gating cannot be enforced

    Control commands from authorized senders can bypass mention gating in groups.

  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Sessions and deterministic replies">
    - DMs use direct routing; groups use group routing.
    - With default `session.dmScope=main`, iMessage DMs collapse into the agent main session.
    - Group sessions are isolated (`agent:<agentId>:imessage:group:<chat_id>`).
    - Replies route back to iMessage using originating channel/target metadata.

    Group-ish thread behavior:

    Some multi-participant iMessage threads can arrive with `is_group=false`.
    If that `chat_id` is explicitly configured under `channels.imessage.groups`, OpenClaw treats it as group traffic (group gating + group session isolation).

  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## ACP conversation bindings

Legacy iMessage chats can also be bound to ACP sessions.

Fast operator flow:

- Run `/acp spawn codex --bind here` inside the DM or allowed group chat.
- Future messages in that same iMessage conversation route to the spawned ACP session.
- `/new` and `/reset` reset the same bound ACP session in place.
- `/acp close` closes the ACP session and removes the binding.

Configured persistent bindings are supported through top-level `bindings[]` entries with `type: "acp"` and `match.channel: "imessage"`.

`match.peer.id` can use:

- normalized DM handle such as `+15555550123` or `user@example.com`
- `chat_id:<id>` (recommended for stable group bindings)
- `chat_guid:<guid>`
- `chat_identifier:<identifier>`

Example:

```json5
{
  agents: {
    list: [
      {
        id: "codex",
        runtime: {
          type: "acp",
          acp: { agent: "codex", backend: "acpx", mode: "persistent" },
        },
      },
    ],
  },
  bindings: [
    {
      type: "acp",
      agentId: "codex",
      match: {
        channel: "imessage",
        accountId: "default",
        peer: { kind: "group", id: "chat_id:123" },
      },
      acp: { label: "codex-group" },
    },
  ],
}
```

See [ACP Agents](/tools/acp-agents) for shared ACP binding behavior.

## Deployment patterns

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Dedicated bot macOS user (separate iMessage identity)">
    Use a dedicated Apple ID and macOS user so bot traffic is isolated from your personal Messages profile.

    Typical flow:

    1. Create/sign in a dedicated macOS user.
    2. Sign into Messages with the bot Apple ID in that user.
    3. Install `imsg` in that user.
    4. Create SSH wrapper so OpenClaw can run `imsg` in that user context.
    5. Point `channels.imessage.accounts.<id>.cliPath` and `.dbPath` to that user profile.

    First run may require GUI approvals (Automation + Full Disk Access) in that bot user session.

  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Remote Mac over Tailscale (example)">
    Common topology:

    - gateway runs on Linux/VM
    - iMessage + `imsg` runs on a Mac in your tailnet
    - `cliPath` wrapper uses SSH to run `imsg`
    - `remoteHost` enables SCP attachment fetches

    Example:

```json5
{
  channels: {
    imessage: {
      enabled: true,
      cliPath: "~/.openclaw/scripts/imsg-ssh",
      remoteHost: "bot@mac-mini.tailnet-1234.ts.net",
      includeAttachments: true,
      dbPath: "/Users/bot/Library/Messages/chat.db",
    },
  },
}
```

```bash
#!/usr/bin/env bash
exec ssh -T bot@mac-mini.tailnet-1234.ts.net imsg "$@"
```

    Use SSH keys so both SSH and SCP are non-interactive.
    Ensure the host key is trusted first (for example `ssh bot@mac-mini.tailnet-1234.ts.net`) so `known_hosts` is populated.

  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Multi-account pattern">
    iMessage supports per-account config under `channels.imessage.accounts`.

    Each account can override fields such as `cliPath`, `dbPath`, `allowFrom`, `groupPolicy`, `mediaMaxMb`, history settings, and attachment root allowlists.

  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Media, chunking, and delivery targets

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Attachments and media">
    - inbound attachment ingestion is optional: `channels.imessage.includeAttachments`
    - remote attachment paths can be fetched via SCP when `remoteHost` is set
    - attachment paths must match allowed roots:
      - `channels.imessage.attachmentRoots` (local)
      - `channels.imessage.remoteAttachmentRoots` (remote SCP mode)
      - default root pattern: `/Users/*/Library/Messages/Attachments`
    - SCP uses strict host-key checking (`StrictHostKeyChecking=yes`)
    - outbound media size uses `channels.imessage.mediaMaxMb` (default 16 MB)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Outbound chunking">
    - text chunk limit: `channels.imessage.textChunkLimit` (default 4000)
    - chunk mode: `channels.imessage.chunkMode`
      - `length` (default)
      - `newline` (paragraph-first splitting)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Addressing formats">
    Preferred explicit targets:

    - `chat_id:123` (recommended for stable routing)
    - `chat_guid:...`
    - `chat_identifier:...`

    Handle targets are also supported:

    - `imessage:+1555...`
    - `sms:+1555...`
    - `user@example.com`

```bash
imsg chats --limit 20
```

  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Config writes

iMessage allows channel-initiated config writes by default (for `/config set|unset` when `commands.config: true`).

Disable:

```json5
{
  channels: {
    imessage: {
      configWrites: false,
    },
  },
}
```

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="imsg not found or RPC unsupported">
    Validate the binary and RPC support:

```bash
imsg rpc --help
openclaw channels status --probe
```

    If probe reports RPC unsupported, update `imsg`.

  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="DMs are ignored">
    Check:

    - `channels.imessage.dmPolicy`
    - `channels.imessage.allowFrom`
    - pairing approvals (`openclaw pairing list imessage`)

  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Group messages are ignored">
    Check:

    - `channels.imessage.groupPolicy`
    - `channels.imessage.groupAllowFrom`
    - `channels.imessage.groups` allowlist behavior
    - mention pattern configuration (`agents.list[].groupChat.mentionPatterns`)

  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Remote attachments fail">
    Check:

    - `channels.imessage.remoteHost`
    - `channels.imessage.remoteAttachmentRoots`
    - SSH/SCP key auth from the gateway host
    - host key exists in `~/.ssh/known_hosts` on the gateway host
    - remote path readability on the Mac running Messages

  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="macOS permission prompts were missed">
    Re-run in an interactive GUI terminal in the same user/session context and approve prompts:

```bash
imsg chats --limit 1
imsg send <handle> "test"
```

    Confirm Full Disk Access + Automation are granted for the process context that runs OpenClaw/`imsg`.

  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Configuration reference pointers

- [Configuration reference - iMessage](/gateway/configuration-reference#imessage)
- [Gateway configuration](/gateway/configuration)
- [Pairing](/channels/pairing)
- [BlueBubbles](/channels/bluebubbles)

## Related

- [Channels Overview](/channels) — all supported channels
- [Pairing](/channels/pairing) — DM authentication and pairing flow
- [Groups](/channels/groups) — group chat behavior and mention gating
- [Channel Routing](/channels/channel-routing) — session routing for messages
- [Security](/gateway/security) — access model and hardening
