OpenClaw imsg

Overview

imsg is a Swift command-line tool for macOS 14 and later that reads, watches and sends iMessage and SMS through the Messages app on a Mac you control. It is MIT-licensed and developed at github.com/openclaw/imsg. Version 0.19.1 shipped on 2026-10-22. The OpenClaw agent gateway uses it as its iMessage channel by running imsg rpc as a child process.

Key features

• Reads chats, history and attachments straight from the local Messages database, with NDJSON output
• imsg watch streams new messages, edits, unsends and tapbacks, and resumes from a message ID cursor
• Sends text, files and the six standard tapbacks to direct and group chats through Messages automation
• JSON-RPC 2.0 over stdin and stdout for long-running agents, with typed retry-safety results for failed sends
• An optional helper injected into Messages adds threaded replies, effects, formatting, edit and unsend, polls, stickers, typing indicators, read receipts and group management. It needs System Integrity Protection (SIP) disabled, and the docs warn that macOS 26 may block it
• SMS through Text Message Forwarding from a paired iPhone
• A read-only Linux build for a Messages database copied from a Mac

Pricing

The software is free under the MIT license, and no paid tiers are listed. You need a Mac on macOS 14 or later signed in to iMessage, plus an iPhone with Text Message Forwarding for SMS.

How it compares to Linq

Linq is a managed service: it provisions dedicated lines, offers a REST API with signed webhooks and SDKs, and charges from $260 a month for Pro, with a free Hobby tier for up to 20 contacts. imsg runs on your own Mac and Apple ID, has no HTTP API or webhooks (it works through the command line and stdio JSON-RPC), and cannot choose which of your numbers sends a message. Linq states SOC 2 Type II; with imsg, uptime and compliance depend on whoever runs the Mac.

Best for

Developers who want an AI agent, including OpenClaw, to read and send iMessage from their own Mac at no software cost.

Sources

• imsg.sh
• imsg.sh/send.html
• imsg.sh/advanced-imcore.html
• imsg.sh/bridge.html
• imsg.sh/rpc.html
• imsg.sh/groups.html
• imsg.sh/watch.html
• imsg.sh/json.html
• imsg.sh/attachments.html
• imsg.sh/linux.html
• github.com/openclaw/imsg
• github.com/openclaw/imsg/blob/main/LICENSE
• github.com/openclaw/imsg/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md
• docs.openclaw.ai/channels/imessage