Apple approves Poke as an AI agent inside Messages for Business

Poke is a useful consumer-agent signal ahead of Apple's WWDC cycle. TechCrunch reported that the Palo Alto startup, built by The Interaction Company of California, is the first AI agent Apple has approved for Messages for Business. Poke already works over SMS, Telegram, and some WhatsApp markets, and says it has relayed about 100M messages. Apple approval required live-support fallback, clear AI-agent identification, testimony from messaging providers, and UI changes such as Apple-style buttons and link previews. The immediate story is modest: this is not a general App Store opening for agents. The broader signal is stronger: Apple may prefer controlled messaging surfaces where AI agents are clearly labeled, billed per user, and constrained by business-support rules.

Key details: June 4, 2026, Poke, Apple Messages for Business, The Interaction Company of California, 100M messages relayed, SMS, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Apple Messages support.

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