OpenAI introduces a new integration for Apple Messages.
OpenAI has unveiled a plugin designed for use with the Apple Messages application, which may bring up privacy and security issues, as highlighted by recent reports. Currently, this feature is accessible only to users of ChatGPT Work and Codex on Mac. It enables users to browse through messages and even create and send replies via the chatbot on their desktop. In an illustration shared by OpenAI, a user instructed ChatGPT to find discussions they had missed the previous day in the Messages app, subsequently utilizing the chatbot to craft and send a reply.
This feature requires user consent. Reports indicate that users must complete a few steps to enable the plugin. Initially, users will need to permit ChatGPT to access their Mac’s on-device Messages history when prompted during installation. They will also need to modify their privacy settings to grant ChatGPT Full Disk Access and provide access to their contact list and automation tools. Thus, the plugin cannot be installed inadvertently.
It remains uncertain whether OpenAI collaborated with Apple in the plugin’s development, given Apple’s history of limiting third-party access to its services without explicit consent. For example, in 2024, Apple consistently revoked the Beeper Mini chat app’s access to iMessage until the developers acknowledged the need for permission to restore the integration. Additionally, it’s notable that Apple and OpenAI have recently had a rocky relationship, with Apple suing OpenAI in July over allegations of trade secret theft, claiming that OpenAI lured away employees to obtain confidential information.
