Do I need a separate phone number for Claude to text?

No. autoMessage sends through the Apple ID already signed in on your Mac, so every message comes from the number your contacts already have saved. That is the main difference from SMS API services like Twilio, which require a new number.

Which versions of Claude work with iMessage?

Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Claude on the web all support MCP connectors, so all three can use autoMessage. Claude Desktop and Claude Code connect with a one-line local install; Claude on the web connects to the hosted MCP server with no install at all.

Does Claude send messages without asking me first?

Only if you want it to. You choose the approval flow. Claude can draft every message and queue it for your review before anything leaves your Mac, or you can grant full autonomy for routine workflows. Drafts stay cancellable until the moment they send.

Does my Mac have to stay on?

Yes. Your Mac is what actually talks to Messages.app, so it needs to be awake and signed in for sends to deliver. autoMessage keeps your Mac from sleeping while it is running, and the dashboard shows connector status so you always know whether you are online.

Guide

Can Claude send iMessages?

Yes — with an MCP server. Claude has no built-in access to your messages, but the Model Context Protocol lets you hand it real tools. autoMessage is an MCP server for iMessage: connect it once and Claude can read your threads, draft replies, and send texts from your own Mac and your own phone number.

How do you connect Claude to iMessage?

Install the autoMessage Mac connector, then add the MCP server to Claude with a single command. The connector reads and sends through Messages.app on your Mac; the MCP server is what Claude talks to. Total setup is about five minutes, and no code is required beyond pasting one line.

1. Install the Mac connector. A small menu bar app. It needs Full Disk Access so it can read your local Messages database, and it signs in with your autoMessage account.
2. Grab your API key. One click in the dashboard. Rotate it any time.
3. Add the MCP server to Claude. For Claude Code, one command. For Claude Desktop, a small JSON block. For Claude on the web, paste the hosted server URL into Settings → Connectors — nothing to install.

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

Exact steps for every client are in the MCP server docs.

What can Claude do with your iMessage?

Once connected, Claude gets thirteen tools covering the full read-and-send surface. In practice that means Claude can answer questions about your conversation history and take action on it in the same breath.

Read and summarize. "Summarize every unread thread and flag anything urgent."
Draft in your voice. "Reply to Jane confirming 2pm — queue it, don't send."
Follow up at scale. "Text everyone who hasn't replied in five days."
Search history. "When did I last talk to Marcus about the lease?"
Manage contacts. "Add Jane Appleseed, +1 415 555 1234."

Does this work with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Claude on the web?

All three. MCP is a client-agnostic standard, so the same server works everywhere without separate integrations. The only difference is how you connect it.

Claude Code: One claude mcp add command.
Claude Desktop: A short JSON block in the config file, then restart.
Claude on the web: Paste the hosted server URL into Settings → Connectors. No install.
Anything else: Cursor, Codex, Cline, ChatGPT, n8n — same server. Or skip MCP entirely and call the REST API.

Is it safe to give Claude access to your messages?

Your messages stay on hardware you own. The Mac connector runs on your machine under your Apple ID, and you hold the API key that authorizes access — revocable in one click. You also pick how much autonomy Claude gets: review-everything, or send-on-its-own for workflows you trust. See the security page for the full model.

Common questions

Can Claude send iMessages?: Yes. Claude cannot text on its own, but connecting the autoMessage MCP server gives Claude tools to read and send iMessages from your own Mac and your own phone number. Messages arrive as blue-bubble iMessages from you — not from a shortcode or a second number.
Do I need a separate phone number for Claude to text?: No. autoMessage sends through the Apple ID already signed in on your Mac, so every message comes from the number your contacts already have saved. That is the main difference from SMS API services like Twilio, which require a new number.
Which versions of Claude work with iMessage?: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Claude on the web all support MCP connectors, so all three can use autoMessage. Claude Desktop and Claude Code connect with a one-line local install; Claude on the web connects to the hosted MCP server with no install at all.
Does Claude send messages without asking me first?: Only if you want it to. You choose the approval flow. Claude can draft every message and queue it for your review before anything leaves your Mac, or you can grant full autonomy for routine workflows. Drafts stay cancellable until the moment they send.
Does my Mac have to stay on?: Yes. Your Mac is what actually talks to Messages.app, so it needs to be awake and signed in for sends to deliver. autoMessage keeps your Mac from sleeping while it is running, and the dashboard shows connector status so you always know whether you are online.

Let Claude text from your number

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