Is there an official iMessage API?

No. Apple has never published a public iMessage API. Every iMessage automation product works by running macOS — either on hardware the vendor hosts, or on a Mac you own.

How many iMessages can you send per day before Apple flags you?

Apple publishes no official limits, but the industry-observed ceiling is roughly 50 new conversations per day per Apple ID, with a burst throttle reported around 200 messages per hour. Exceeding these consistently is the most reliable predictor of an Apple ID flag.

Is iMessage automation against Apple’s terms?

Apple’s terms prohibit spam and bulk unsolicited messaging. Automation used for one-to-one conversation — drafting replies, scheduling follow-ups, connecting an AI assistant to your own account — operates in the same space as any Mac app that reads and sends messages on your behalf. Respecting Apple’s observed rate limits and messaging people who want to hear from you is what keeps an account healthy.

Guide

What is iMessage automation?

iMessage automation is software that sends and receives Apple iMessages programmatically — so texts can come from a CRM, a workflow, or an AI assistant instead of thumbs on a keyboard. autoMessage is an iMessage automation platform that runs on your own Mac and connects your account to AI tools like Claude, Cursor, and ChatGPT through an MCP server, plus a REST API and web dashboard.

Why iMessage is different from SMS

SMS has official carrier APIs (Twilio and friends). iMessage has none — Apple has never published a public API. iMessage only exists inside Apple's ecosystem: blue bubbles, read receipts, tapbacks, high-resolution media, and encryption, delivered through Apple's Messages app on Apple hardware. That's precisely why it converts better — iMessage is where real conversations happen, and messages from a real Apple ID look and feel personal — and why automating it requires a Mac somewhere in the loop.

The two architectures

1. Hosted Mac farms

The vendor racks Mac minis in a data center, provisions Apple IDs and phone numbers, and sells you a "line." This is how Tuco, Sendblue, Linq Blue, and Project Blue work. It's turnkey but expensive — $149 to $1,000+ per line per month — and the messages come from a stranger's Apple ID in a data center, not from you.

2. Your own Mac (BYOD)

The software runs on a Mac you already own, using your own Apple ID and number. Messages are genuinely from you; contacts see the same thread they've always had with you. This is how autoMessage works — the Mac app syncs your conversations to a cloud dashboard and exposes them to AI tools and an API, for the price of software instead of hardware rental.

What about rate limits?

Apple publishes no official numbers, but years of industry observation converge on a soft ceiling of roughly 50 new conversations per Apple ID per day, a burst throttle reported near 200 messages per hour, and sensitivity to template-blast patterns (many identical messages, low reply rates). Every serious vendor respects these. autoMessage surfaces them as deliverability health guidance — soft warnings before you approach the observed limits — rather than silently capping you, because on your own Apple ID the tradeoff is yours to make.

What AI agents change

The first generation of iMessage automation was campaign blasts and CRM drips. The current generation is conversational: an AI assistant that reads a thread with full context, drafts the reply in your voice, schedules the follow-up, and updates your CRM — across tools like Claude, Cursor, and ChatGPT. The bridge that makes this possible is the Model Context Protocol (MCP): autoMessage exposes your iMessage account as MCP tools, so any AI client you already use can read and send on your behalf — with you in the approval loop as much or as little as you want.

Common questions

Is there an official iMessage API?: No. Apple has never published one. Every iMessage automation product — hosted or BYOD — works by running macOS somewhere and driving the Messages app.
How many iMessages can I send per day?: The industry-observed safe zone: under ~50 new conversations per day, under ~200 messages per hour, and a healthy reply rate. Existing conversations are far more forgiving than cold outreach.
Is iMessage automation against Apple's terms?: Spam and bulk unsolicited messaging are. One-to-one conversation with automation assistance — drafting, scheduling, AI replies on your own account — is the same space as any Mac app that works with your messages. Message people who want to hear from you and respect the observed limits; that's what keeps an Apple ID healthy.

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