Apple lets AI startup Poke into its business messaging platform

Apple has opened its Messages for Business platform to a third-party AI agent for the first time. Palo Alto-based startup Poke announced it received official approval to integrate into Apple's business messaging channel — the same channel used by big companies for customer service, but never before accessible to a standalone AI assistant. Unlike the personal-number bots of the past, Poke gets official branding and can be reached directly via iMessage on the iPhone.

Poke is a text-based AI assistant aimed at making smart agents accessible to anyone via SMS-like conversation. It handles manual requests, but also proactively monitors your calendar and email to send reminders — you can reply with simple text to manage schedules, track health, or edit photos. More importantly, the partnership establishes a new pricing model: Poke will pay Apple a per-user channel fee. The exact amount is undisclosed, but it's reportedly lower than what Meta charges for WhatsApp business messaging. If this per-user fee catches on across the AI agent ecosystem, it could become a significant new revenue stream for Apple — and a major distribution cost for startups.

The approval comes just ahead of WWDC 2026, where Apple is widely expected to unveil a revamped Siri and open the App Store to third-party AI agents. Poke, a 10-person team valued at $300 million, recently closed a $10 million funding round (bringing total funding to $25 million) backed by Spark Capital and General Catalyst.