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iphone-sms-read

Reads iPhone SMS and iMessage history from the local macOS Messages database.

366|90|Updated Aug 22, 2026
Search Tags:#macos#read-only#sms#imessage#chat.db#message search#verification code
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/bam-bam-2/solo-skills --skill iphone-sms-read-bam-bam-2
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: iphone-sms-read
Source: https://github.com/bam-bam-2/solo-skills/tree/main/skills/iphone-sms-read
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/bam-bam-2/solo-skills --skill iphone-sms-read-bam-bam-2

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires pytypedstream.

What problem does it solve? When you need to check an iPhone text message, find a verification code, or search past conversations while working on a Mac, manually opening the Messages app and scrolling is slow. This Skill lets an agent query the local Messages database directly and return only the relevant messages. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Recent Messages & Chats: List the latest messages or conversation partners with counts via the imsg command over an SSH loopback session. - Full-Text Search: Search message bodies by keyword or filter by a specific contact, with options like --days, --me, and --them. - Verification Code Extraction: Automatically pull OTP and authentication codes from recent texts, filtering out years, phone numbers, and promotional messages. - Use Case: During a login flow that requires SMS verification, ask the agent for the latest authentication code and it extracts just the 4-6 digit code from the most recent messages without exposing unrelated conversation content. ## Quick Start Check my recent iPhone text messages and tell me the verification code that just arrived.

Frequently Asked Questions about iphone-sms-read

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I read iPhone text messages from the command line on macOS?▼

Use the imsg CLI tool, which queries the local Messages database at ~/Library/Messages/chat.db in read-only mode. Commands like imsg recent, imsg chats, imsg read, and imsg search return recent messages, conversation partners, and keyword matches.

How to extract SMS verification codes automatically on Mac?▼

Run imsg code with options like -n 5 --days 3 to scan recent messages for OTP patterns. The extractor prioritizes bracketed numbers and explicit authentication code patterns while excluding years, phone numbers, and promotional messages.

Why does reading chat.db fail with unable to open database file?▼

The Messages database is protected by macOS TCC, so sandboxed processes cannot open it. Run the command through an SSH loopback session (ssh localhost) because sshd already holds Full Disk Access permission.

Can this tool send SMS or iMessage replies?▼

No, it is strictly read-only and always opens chat.db with mode=ro to avoid lock conflicts with the Messages app. Sending messages is not supported; a separate skill handles KakaoTalk sending.

Does iPhone message reading work without a Mac?▼

No, it requires macOS with iPhone text message forwarding enabled so SMS, RCS, and iMessage sync into the local Messages database. It does not work on Windows, Linux, or directly on the iPhone.

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