With iMessage support, Poke expands to a new platform, extending its text-based AI interactions to everyday users.

Apple approves Poke as the first third-party AI agent to connect to Apple Messages for Business, signaling a shift toward proactive AI assistant capabilities within iMessage.

Poke now handles tasks like daily scheduling, calendar management, health metric tracking, smart home control, and photo editing via text messages, and has exchanged over 100 million messages across SMS, Telegram, and WhatsApp.

The partnership could unlock a new distribution channel for developers and a potential recurring revenue stream for Apple from per-user charges, though terms remain undisclosed.

TechCrunch reported on the development and notes the service launched in March.

Marvin von Hagen of The Interaction Company says Apple is turning this into a profitable business model through the partnership.

There have been delays or outages reported around the service, with unclear causes—whether due to demand or approval processes.

Availability follows the public launch earlier this year, with Apple charging per user on Messages for Business, a detail confirmed by TechCrunch interviews.

Apple discloses a usage-based billing model for third-party AI agents, with free light tasks and paid, more intensive requests post-negotiation.

Founders view the per-user fee as a potential new revenue stream for Apple and a distribution cost for AI startups, noting pricing is reportedly lower than competitors after regulatory changes.

The article includes reader prompts and affiliate links and cites the Poke announcement and a 9to5Mac reference for context.

Poke will participate in a revenue-sharing model, paying Apple channel fees based on user numbers, establishing a new distribution cost standard for AI agents.