source: techcrunch ai: apple approves poke as the first ai agent on its messages for business platform
level: business
poke, a startup that makes ai agents work through simple text messages, is now the first ai agent approved for apple's messages for business. this platform was previously only for partnered businesses like airlines and retailers, offering a standard interface for automated chats and live agents. poke launched in march and has already handled about 100 million messages across sms, telegram, and whatsapp. it will now add imessage support, letting users ask for help with planning, calendars, health tracking, smart home control, and photo editing just by texting.
the approval comes just before apple's worldwide developers conference, where new ai features are expected. however, this is not about a consumer app but about letting businesses interact with customers through imessage. poke's co-founder marvin von hagen says his company will pay apple per user, at a rate lower than what meta charges for similar access on whatsapp. he believes apple sees this as a way to offer ai while making money, especially if it scales. the approval process took months and required proving live support capability, clear ai identification, and interface adjustments like using apple's style guide for buttons and link previews.
von hagen says trust and alignment with apple's positioning were key to being first. poke focused on quality and a trustworthy brand rather than growth tactics. existing poke users are now getting invites to switch to the imessage experience. it is unclear if apple will announce more about ai agents on the platform at its upcoming event, but the move signals a new business model and a step toward integrating ai agents into everyday messaging.
why it matters: this shows how ai agents can reach mainstream users through familiar messaging apps, creating new distribution and monetization paths for ai services.
source: techcrunch ai: apple approves poke as the first ai agent on its messages for business platform