About This Guide: This tutorial walks you through connecting OpenClaw to iMessage on your Mac, enabling you to chat with your personal AI agent using Apple's native messaging app — the same blue bubbles you use with family and friends. Requirements: macOS 13 Ventura or later, an Apple ID with iMessage enabled, and OpenClaw installed.
For Apple users, the dream has always been a personal AI that lives natively in your ecosystem — responding in iMessage just like a trusted contact, accessible from iPhone, iPad, Mac, and even Apple Watch. In 2026, OpenClaw makes this a reality.
OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent framework that supports iMessage as a first-class messaging channel. Once configured, you can send a text to your Mac from your iPhone — "Draft a reply to this email," "Add milk to my grocery list," or "Run a web search for the best flights to Tokyo" — and receive a response in the same blue-bubble thread, all powered by Claude, GPT-4, or your preferred AI model running on your local machine.
Unlike WhatsApp or Telegram bots that route through third-party servers, iMessage integration uses Apple's native Messages app database on macOS — meaning your conversations stay within Apple's encrypted ecosystem. This guide covers everything from enabling the correct macOS permissions to advanced configuration tips for a seamless Apple-native AI experience.
How OpenClaw iMessage Integration Works
OpenClaw's iMessage channel works by polling the Messages SQLite database (located at ~/Library/Messages/chat.db) for new messages addressed to the agent. When detected, it processes the request through your configured AI model, then sends the reply using AppleScript to trigger the Messages app — all within seconds.
Important: Mac Must Stay Awake
Unlike a cloud service, iMessage integration requires your Mac to be powered on and awake. If you close your MacBook lid, the agent stops responding. For 24/7 availability, use an always-on Mac mini, Mac Studio, or run OpenClaw on a Mac with Energy Saver set to "Prevent your Mac from automatically sleeping." Alternatively, use Telegram or Discord channels that work on any always-on server.
Prerequisites
Required
- • macOS 13 Ventura or macOS 14 Sonoma (macOS 15 Sequoia also works)
- • Apple ID signed into iMessage on your Mac
- • iMessage enabled in Messages → Preferences
- • Node.js v22 or newer installed
- • OpenClaw installed via:
npm i -g openclaw
Permissions Needed
- • Full Disk Access for Terminal (to read chat.db)
- • Accessibility Access for Terminal (for AppleScript)
- • Automation for Terminal → Messages
- • Messages must be open and running in background
Step 1: Install OpenClaw on macOS
If you haven't installed OpenClaw yet, use the official one-liner installer — it handles Node.js, Homebrew, and all dependencies automatically:
# Option A: One-liner installer (recommended)
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
# Option B: npm global install (if Node.js 22+ already installed)
npm i -g openclaw
# Verify installation
openclaw --version
After installation, run the onboarding wizard. When asked to select a messaging channel, choose iMessage:
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
# The wizard will prompt:
# > Select messaging channel: iMessage ← choose this
# > Your AI provider: Claude / GPT-4 / Gemini
# > Paste your API key
# > Agent name (e.g., "Aria", "Jarvis", "Claw")
Step 2: Grant macOS Permissions (Critical)
This is the most important step. Without these permissions, OpenClaw cannot read incoming messages or send replies. Follow each step carefully:
A Full Disk Access for Terminal
- 1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access
- 2. Click the + button and add Terminal (or your terminal app: iTerm2, Warp, etc.)
- 3. Toggle the switch to enable Full Disk Access
- 4. Restart Terminal for the permission to take effect
Full Disk Access is required for OpenClaw to read ~/Library/Messages/chat.db — the database where all iMessages are stored locally.
B Accessibility Access for Terminal
- 1. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility
- 2. Add Terminal and enable the toggle
- 3. This allows AppleScript to control the Messages app for sending replies
C Automation: Terminal → Messages
macOS will prompt you automatically when OpenClaw first tries to send a reply. Click Allow when the dialog appears: "Terminal wants to control Messages."
You can also pre-grant this in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation → find Terminal → enable Messages.
Step 3: Configure the iMessage Channel
After onboarding, edit the OpenClaw configuration to fine-tune your iMessage channel settings:
# Open the OpenClaw config file
openclaw config edit
# Or manually edit:
nano ~/.openclaw/config.json
Key iMessage configuration options:
{
"channels": {
"imessage": {
"enabled": true,
"pollInterval": 2000, // Check for new messages every 2 seconds
"allowedSenders": [ // Optional: whitelist specific phone numbers
"+15551234567",
"[email protected]"
],
"replyFromAddress": "[email protected]",
"dbPath": "~/Library/Messages/chat.db"
}
}
}
Security: Use allowedSenders
Always configure allowedSenders to whitelist only your own phone number and Apple ID. This prevents anyone who accidentally messages your agent's Apple ID from triggering actions or reading your agent's capabilities.
Step 4: Test Your iMessage AI Agent
Start OpenClaw and test the connection:
# Start the OpenClaw gateway
openclaw gateway
# In another terminal, watch the logs:
openclaw logs -f
Now pick up your iPhone and send a message from your own Apple ID to the same Mac Apple ID (this is a DM to yourself through iMessage). The agent should respond within 3–5 seconds.
Test Message Ideas:
Pro Tips: Get the Most from iMessage + OpenClaw
💡 Use a Dedicated Apple ID for Your Agent
Create a separate Apple ID (e.g., [email protected]) specifically for your OpenClaw agent. This keeps your personal iMessage conversations separate from agent interactions, and makes it easy to add the agent as a contact with a clear name like "AI Assistant."
💡 Combine with SMS (Green Bubbles)
OpenClaw's iMessage channel also intercepts SMS messages delivered to your Mac (if your iPhone is on the same Apple ID with SMS forwarding enabled). This means Android-user friends or international SMS can also reach your AI agent — though responses will be sent as SMS.
💡 Install Skills for Apple-Specific Tasks
OpenClaw's ClawhHub skill directory has Apple-specific skills: Apple Calendar integration, Apple Reminders, iCloud Drive file operations, Contacts search, and Health data reading (via HealthKit on connected iPhone). Install them with: openclaw skills install apple-calendar
💡 Keep VPN On for Reliable API Calls
OpenClaw on a Mac makes frequent API calls to AI providers. Some ISPs throttle HTTPS traffic to AI API endpoints (especially Anthropic and OpenAI). Running VPN07 ensures these calls go through unthrottled 1000Mbps channels — meaning faster AI responses in your iMessages, typically under 3 seconds for Claude responses.
Troubleshooting iMessage Issues
Agent doesn't respond to messages
Check 1: Is OpenClaw gateway running? Run openclaw gateway status
Check 2: Does Terminal have Full Disk Access? Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access
Check 3: Is the message being sent from an allowed sender? Check your allowedSenders config.
"chat.db: permission denied" error
Fix: Restart your terminal application after granting Full Disk Access. macOS requires a full terminal restart for the permission to apply — it won't work in an already-open window.
Replies being sent as green bubbles instead of blue
Cause: iMessage failed and fell back to SMS. Fix: Ensure both your iPhone and Mac are signed into the same Apple ID in Messages preferences. Check your Mac's internet connection — poor connectivity causes iMessage to fall back to SMS.
iMessage vs. Telegram vs. WhatsApp: Which to Choose?
iMessage
Telegram
Our recommendation: Use iMessage if you're an Apple-first user who values the native experience. Use Telegram if you want the most reliable, server-friendly deployment. You can even enable multiple channels simultaneously in OpenClaw — configure both iMessage and Telegram, and your agent responds on whichever platform you message it from.
Faster AI Replies in iMessage with VPN07
1000Mbps bandwidth for instant OpenClaw responses
The speed of your OpenClaw iMessage responses depends on network latency to AI APIs. VPN07 routes your Mac's traffic through 1000Mbps dedicated bandwidth with servers in 70+ countries, delivering API response times under 200ms from anywhere in the world. At just $1.5/month with a 30-day money-back guarantee, it's the essential networking upgrade for any OpenClaw Mac deployment. Trusted by professionals for 10 years and counting.
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