Critics question if these chat integrations are commodity products
New market map: AI assistants in iMessage 📱
The next major interface for consumer AI? Text messages.
People don’t want to open an app every time they need help - they want a contact they can text like a friend.
My roundup of the assistants + infra providers below 👇
Many users praised the market map on AI assistants in iMessage for its clever framing and highlighted the platform's accessibility plus future potential, while a few criticized specific tools as low-quality or questioned Apple's own AI lag.
Why iMessage and not plain SMS?
1) Deliverability. SMS from unknown numbers gets carrier-filtered or marked as spam.
2) Capabilities. iMessage gives typing indicators, read receipts, link previews, and more.
3) Trust. Blue bubble = a person, green bubble = a marketing blast.
New market map: AI assistants in iMessage 📱
The next major interface for consumer AI? Text messages.
People don’t want to open an app every time they need help - they want a contact they can text like a friend.
My roundup of the assistants + infra providers below 👇
Companies mentioned:
AI assistants - @interaction, @heyollieai, Folk (@nozomioai), @meetlucasai, @orchid_hq, @tomo, @zocomputer, @getlindy, @joinsauna
Infra providers - @thelinqapp, @Cherthq, @blooio_messages, @sendbluehq, @AgentPhoneHQ
Historically, it's been hard for AI companies to build on iMessage. Apple has no public API.
Infra providers solved this by running fleets of real Apple devices on real phone numbers.
Now, Apple is opening a front door. Last week, Poke became the first AI agent approved on Apple Messages for Business - more to come here 👀
@venturetwins @venturetwins 8 of 9 are happy @thelinqapp customers and the remaining one is porting over 📈📈📈
@interaction @heyollieai @nozomioai @meetlucasai @orchid_hq @tomo @zocomputer @getlindy @joinsauna @thelinqapp @Cherthq @blooio_messages @sendbluehq @AgentPhoneHQ More broadly - it's becoming pretty clear that we need to give AI agents / assistants anything a human in the same role would have.
(e.g. phone numbers, credit cards, email addresses)
If you're working on something here at the app or infra layer, please reach out!
Companies mentioned:
AI assistants - @interaction, @heyollieai, Folk (@nozomioai), @meetlucasai, @orchid_hq, @tomo, @zocomputer, @getlindy, @joinsauna
Infra providers - @thelinqapp, @Cherthq, @blooio_messages, @sendbluehq, @AgentPhoneHQ
Historically, it's been hard for AI companies to build on iMessage. Apple has no public API.
Infra providers solved this by running fleets of real Apple devices on real phone numbers.
Now, Apple is opening a front door. Last week, Poke became the first AI agent approved on Apple Messages for Business - more to come here 👀
Why iMessage and not plain SMS?
1) Deliverability. SMS from unknown numbers gets carrier-filtered or marked as spam.
2) Capabilities. iMessage gives typing indicators, read receipts, link previews, and more.
3) Trust. Blue bubble = a person, green bubble = a marketing blast.
@venturetwins @omooretweets doesn’t this mean these are roughly commodity products?
New market map: AI assistants in iMessage 📱
The next major interface for consumer AI? Text messages.
People don’t want to open an app every time they need help - they want a contact they can text like a friend.
My roundup of the assistants + infra providers below 👇
@signulll @omooretweets The assistants themselves or infra companies?
Most of these assistants are positioned quite differently - e.g. personal vs. work - and have different target audiences
@venturetwins @omooretweets doesn’t this mean these are roughly commodity products?
@venturetwins imessage is AWESOME.
it's so easily accessible for anyone! there's probably another level agent communication can go to, will see what that is, but i'm so excited for the future!
@venturetwins @interaction @heyollieai @nozomioai @meetlucasai @orchid_hq @tomo @zocomputer @getlindy @joinsauna @thelinqapp @Cherthq @blooio_messages @sendbluehq @AgentPhoneHQ try texting +1 (407) 242-5197 :)
@venturetwins @omooretweets the former for sure.
i think the underlying essence of these products is roughly the same. & they all face the same problem which is that there is a blank text box for the user & nothing else.
@signulll @omooretweets The assistants themselves or infra companies?
Most of these assistants are positioned quite differently - e.g. personal vs. work - and have different target audiences
@venturetwins Thanks for the epic market map!
@photon_hq is a provider of infra as well. We’re open source & venture-backed. Officially collaborating with Vercel, Hermes Agent and more, and there are amazing agents building on us. We believe native messaging interface is the future of UI :)
@venturetwins hey i know them! our customers are amazing, so much awesome stuff being built in this ecosystem 📈
@venturetwins @omooretweets Missing @photon_hq for infra :-)
@venturetwins @patsullyyy Don’t forget Sifta as one of the leading iMessage apps!
@venturetwins Love the graphic on this! 😍
@venturetwins add http://textkaia.com too :)
@venturetwins 🥀🥀🥀
Slashy has had an iMessage assistant for longer than almost all these companies (except Poke who pioneered it)
@nizzyabi 💯
@elliott__potter @venturetwins @thelinqapp does @thelinqapp have zero data retention?
@GaddipatiHarsha @venturetwins slashy needs an abg cmo
Critics question if these chat integrations are commodity products
New market map: AI assistants in iMessage 📱
The next major interface for consumer AI? Text messages.
People don’t want to open an app every time they need help - they want a contact they can text like a friend.
My roundup of the assistants + infra providers below 👇