ChatGPT can now text on a Mac owner's behalf, and OpenAI stays quiet on data

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OpenAI activated a feature on Thursday that hands ChatGPT the keys to Apple Messages on the Mac.

The AI assistant can read, search, draft, and send iMessage, SMS, and RCS texts on behalf of the user.

ChatGPT reads, drafts, and sends texts inside Messages

When connected, ChatGPT loads a user’s Messages inbox to sort, analyze, and edit texts.

It can dig up old information and draft replies or delete messages on command. ChatGPT can also summarize conversations and answer questions about them.

A promotional clip shows someone asking the assistant to propose follow-ups based on texts that received the day before.

The plug-in is also integrated with Codex and ChatGPT Work, so the same message handling reaches into a professional account.

OpenAI advises users to watch what the assistant is doing and warns against switching on persistent approval.

The setting “removes your final chance to review a message before ChatGPT sends it as you,” the company said via its website.

OpenAI stays vague on data as Apple ties fray

Apple has kept Messages closed off as a key part of its brand.

OpenAI said the plug-in runs locally on the Mac and “doesn’t create an index of all someone’s messages.” The AI company did not clarify what that covers.

In June of 2026, as Cryptopolitan reported, OpenAI rolled out Lockdown Mode across ChatGPT tiers. The optional setting cuts off web browsing and agent capabilities to reduce prompt-injection attacks that may expose sensitive information.

According to a May report, OpenAI had hired outside attorneys to look into a lawsuit against Apple over their Siri-ChatGPT deal, which the AI company blamed for not bringing in the paying users it had expected.

The plug-in builds ChatGPT control directly into Apple’s own Messages app. In January 2026, Apple dropped OpenAI in favor of Google’s Gemini.

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