Guide

What is an MCP server?

An MCP server is a program that gives AI assistants tools — real actions they can take in the world, described in a standard format called the Model Context Protocol. autoMessage ships an MCP server for iMessage: it lets Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, or any MCP-compatible client read and send iMessages from your own Mac and your own phone number.

The problem MCP solves

Out of the box, an AI assistant can only talk. It can draft the perfect follow-up text, but it can't send it; it can summarize a conversation, but it can't see yours. Before MCP, giving an AI real capabilities meant writing custom integration code for every combination of AI app and tool. MCP — an open standard introduced by Anthropic in 2024 and since adopted across the industry — replaces all of that with one protocol. A tool describes itself once, as an MCP server; every MCP client can then use it.

How it works

1. 1. The server declares its tools.An MCP server publishes a list of actions with typed inputs — for iMessage: send a message, read a conversation, search history, schedule a draft.
2. 2. The client connects.Claude Desktop, Cursor, ChatGPT Desktop, and other MCP clients read that list and make the tools available to the model — usually after a one-line config entry.
3. 3. The AI calls tools mid-conversation.You say "follow up with everyone who didn't reply this week." The model reads your threads, drafts each message, and sends — through the server, with whatever approval flow you've chosen.

Why an MCP server for iMessage matters

Texting is where real conversations happen — and iMessage has no official API. The autoMessage MCP server bridges that gap: it runs against your own Mac and Apple ID, so the AI texts as you, from the number your contacts already know. Because it's hosted, your iMessage works from any MCP client on any machine — not just the Mac that's signed in. One config line replaces what used to be hundreds of lines of fragile scripting glue:

claude mcp add automessage \
  --scope user \
  -- env AUTOMESSAGE_API_KEY=$KEY \
     npx -y @stockmandigital/automessage-mcp

Full install instructions for every client are in the MCP server docs.

What people build with it

• An assistant that drafts replies to every unanswered thread each morning, in your voice, for one-tap approval.
• Follow-up automation that reads your CRM, texts the right people at the right cadence, and logs the outcome.
• Agents that coordinate scheduling over text — proposing times, reading replies, confirming.
• Notification bridges: a workflow that texts you (or your team) when something needs a human.

Common questions

Which AI apps support MCP?

Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT Desktop, Cline, Codex, n8n, and a fast-growing list of agent frameworks. One server, every client — no custom integrations.

Is it safe to give an AI access to my messages?

You control the access. The autoMessage MCP server authenticates with your personal API key, which you can regenerate at any time from the dashboard, and you choose the approval flow — from "draft everything for my review" to full autonomy.

Do I need to be a developer to use it?

No. If you can paste one command or a small config block, you can connect your iMessage to the AI apps you already use. The docs show the exact steps per client.