imessage-cli

Read, send, and manage iMessage and SMS threads from the terminal.

3|1|Updated May 19, 2026

Search Tags:#automation #messaging #macos #sms #contacts #imessage

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/adbertram/cli-tools --skill imessage-cli

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: imessage-cli
Source: https://github.com/adbertram/cli-tools/tree/main/_repo/skills/imessage-cli
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/adbertram/cli-tools --skill imessage-cli

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This skill solves the challenge of interacting with macOS iMessage and SMS services programmatically, allowing for automated message retrieval, contact lookups, and text sending without manual GUI interaction.

Core Features & Use Cases

Message Management: List, view, and send iMessage or SMS messages directly from the terminal.
Contact & Conversation Access: Retrieve contact details and browse conversation threads with filtering capabilities.
Use Case: An agent can monitor recent messages from a specific contact or send automated status updates to a team member via text message.

Quick Start

Use the imessage-cli skill to list the ten most recent messages from the contact with phone number +15551234567 and display the output as a table.

Frequently Asked Questions about imessage-cli

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

How do I send iMessage or SMS texts from the macOS terminal?▼

Programmatic access to macOS iMessage and SMS services allows you to read, send, and manage communication threads via the terminal, supporting automated notification and retrieval workflows without manual GUI interaction.

What macOS permissions are required to automate text message retrieval?▼

Valid macOS Automation and Full Disk Access permissions are required to interface with the system Messages application and access local user messaging data for automated retrieval workflows.

Can I retrieve contact details and list conversation threads via a command line interface?▼

Yes, using a CLI tool that programmatically accesses local macOS user messaging data allows you to retrieve contact details and browse conversation threads with filtering capabilities.

Does programmatic iMessage automation work for monitoring incoming messages from specific contacts?▼

Yes, an agent can monitor recent messages from a specific contact by programmatically listing and viewing recent messages retrieved from local macOS user messaging data.

What are the limitations of accessing macOS SMS data through a CLI?▼

Limitations include operating strictly within the scope of local macOS user messaging data and requiring valid macOS Automation and Full Disk Access permissions to interface with the system Messages application.