io.github.anipotts/imessage-mcp

Official

by anipotts · TypeScript

iMessage MCP

25 tools for searching, analyzing, and exploring your iMessage history on macOS.

Search, analyze, and explore iMessage conversation history on macOS.

Topics

aianalyticsclaudeimessagellmmacosmcpmcp-servermessagingmodel-context-protocolimessage-analyticsapplechatbotclaude-codepersonal-dataprivacysmssqlitetextingtypescript

README.md25 KBView on GitHub

imessage-mcp

26 tools for locally exploring your iMessage history with AI.

if this helped you, star it. it helps others find it.

An MCP server that gives AI assistants read-only access to your local iMessage database. Nothing is written, modified, or uploaded. Your messages stay on your Mac; the AI only sees what you ask about.

Read-only access to 2 local files (chat.db + AddressBook). Zero network requests. Nothing is written, uploaded, or shared. All 26 tools are annotated readOnlyHint: true — your MCP client can auto-approve every call without prompts.

Install

bash

npm install -g imessage-mcp

Or run without installing:

bash

npx imessage-mcp doctor

Smithery: One-click install via the Smithery registry — search for imessage-mcp.

Add to your AI client

bash

# Claude Code (one command)
claude mcp add imessage -- npx -y imessage-mcp

bash

# Claude Desktop — add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "imessage": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "imessage-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

See Setup for Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, Codex CLI, Cline, JetBrains, and Zed.

Claude Code Plugin

For slash commands and agents:

bash

claude plugin add anipotts/imessage-mcp

Prerequisites

macOS (iMessage is macOS-only)
Node.js 18+ (node --version)
Database access for your host application — macOS protects chat.db with its Application Data permission. Grant access in: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access and enable the app running the MCP server (your terminal, Claude Desktop, or Cursor). GUI apps like Claude Desktop and Cursor may already have this permission.
Messages in iCloud enabled on your Mac (if you use multiple devices) — see iCloud Sync & Multiple Devices

Privacy & Security

imessage-mcp reads your local iMessage database in read-only mode. No data leaves your machine. Nothing is written, modified, uploaded, or shared.

Path	Access	Purpose
`~/Library/Messages/chat.db`	Read-only	Your iMessage database
`~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/`	Read-only	Contact name resolution

No other files are accessed. No external APIs are called.

code

chat.db --> [imessage-mcp] --> stdio/http --> [Your MCP Client] --> AI Provider
  ^                                              ^
  Your Mac only                         Already authorized by you

What Can You Ask?

Once connected, ask your AI assistant anything about your messages in plain language:

"Give me my 2024 iMessage Wrapped"
"Do I always text first with [name]?"
"What's my longest texting streak?"
"Who reacts to my messages the most?"
"What was the first text I ever sent my partner?"
"What was I texting about on this day last year?"
"Do I double-text [name] a lot?"
"Who have I lost touch with?"

<details> <summary>More examples</summary>

"Show me the longest silence between me and [name]"
"How many messages have I sent this year?"
"Show my conversation with Mom"
"What time of day am I most active texting?"
"Show me messages people unsent"
"What are the most popular group chats?"

</details> <picture> <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anipotts/imessage-mcp/main/assets/wrapped-dark.png"> <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: light)" srcset="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anipotts/imessage-mcp/main/assets/wrapped-light.png"> <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anipotts/imessage-mcp/main/assets/wrapped-dark.png" alt="iMessage Wrapped — year-in-review summary" width="100%"> </picture>

Tools

26 tools across 10 categories. All read-only. All annotated with readOnlyHint: true.

Tool	Description
`search_messages`	Full-text search with filters: query, contact, date range, direction, group chat, attachments
`yearly_wrapped`	Spotify Wrapped for iMessage — full year summary
`who_initiates`	Who starts conversations? Initiation ratio per contact
`streaks`	Consecutive-day messaging streaks
`get_reactions`	Tapback distribution, top reactors, most-reacted messages
`on_this_day`	Messages from this date in past years

<details> <summary>All 26 tools</summary>

Tool	Description
`search_messages`	Full-text search with filters: query, contact, date range, direction, group chat, attachments
`get_conversation`	Conversation thread with cursor-based pagination
`list_contacts`	All contacts with message counts and date ranges
`get_contact`	Deep contact info with stats and yearly breakdown
`resolve_contact`	Fuzzy-match a name, phone number, or email to a contact
`message_stats`	Aggregate stats with time-series grouping
`contact_stats`	Per-contact volumes, trends, and hourly patterns
`temporal_heatmap`	7x24 activity heatmap (day-of-week by hour)
`on_this_day`	Messages from this date in past years
`first_last_message`	First and last message ever exchanged with a contact
`who_initiates`	Who starts conversations? Initiation ratio per contact
`streaks`	Consecutive-day messaging streaks
`double_texts`	Detect double-texting and unanswered message patterns
`conversation_gaps`	Find the longest silences in a conversation
`forgotten_contacts`	Contacts you've lost touch with
`yearly_wrapped`	Spotify Wrapped for iMessage — full year summary
`list_group_chats`	Group chats with member counts and activity
`get_group_chat`	Per-member stats and monthly activity timeline
`list_attachments`	Query attachments by contact, MIME type, and date range
`get_reactions`	Tapback distribution, top reactors, most-reacted messages
`get_read_receipts`	Read/delivery latency and unread patterns
`get_thread`	Reconstruct reply thread trees
`get_edited_messages`	Edited and unsent messages with timing
`get_message_effects`	Slam, loud, confetti, fireworks analytics
`check_new_messages`	Track new messages since your last check (baseline + delta)
`help`	Full tool guide with usage examples

</details>

Setup

Claude Desktop

Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "imessage": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "imessage-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after saving.

Claude Code

bash

claude mcp add imessage -- npx -y imessage-mcp

Or add to .mcp.json in your project root:

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "imessage": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "imessage-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

<details> <summary>OpenAI Codex CLI</summary>

bash

codex --mcp-config '{"imessage":{"command":"npx","args":["-y","imessage-mcp"]}}'

Or add to ~/.codex/config.json:

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "imessage": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "imessage-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

</details> <details> <summary>Cursor</summary>

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "imessage": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "imessage-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

</details> <details> <summary>Windsurf</summary>

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "imessage": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "imessage-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

</details> <details> <summary>VS Code (GitHub Copilot)</summary>

Add to .vscode/mcp.json in your project root:

stdio (default):

json

{
  "servers": {
    "imessage": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "imessage-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

HTTP transport (remote / Docker):

json

{
  "servers": {
    "imessage": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:3000/mcp"
    }
  }
}

</details> <details> <summary>Cline (VS Code)</summary>

Add via the Cline MCP settings UI, or edit cline_mcp_settings.json:

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "imessage": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "imessage-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

</details> <details> <summary>JetBrains IDEs</summary>

Settings > Tools > AI Assistant > MCP Servers > Add:

Name: imessage
Command: npx
Args: -y imessage-mcp

</details> <details> <summary>Zed</summary>

Add to ~/.config/zed/settings.json:

json

{
  "context_servers": {
    "imessage": {
      "command": {
        "path": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "imessage-mcp"]
      }
    }
  }
}

</details>

CLI Commands

<details> <summary><code>imessage-mcp doctor</code> — run setup diagnostics</summary>

Checks macOS version, Node.js version, chat.db access, database permissions, AddressBook, and message count.

code

$ npx imessage-mcp doctor

imessage-mcp doctor

  ✓ macOS: Running on macOS (darwin)
  ✓ Node.js: Node v22.0.0 (>= 18 required)
  ✓ chat.db: Found at /Users/you/Library/Messages/chat.db
  ✓ Database access: Database readable
  ✓ Messages: 97,432 messages indexed
  ✓ AddressBook: 342 contacts resolved

All checks passed — ready to use!

Pass --json for machine-readable output:

bash

npx imessage-mcp doctor --json

</details> <details> <summary><code>imessage-mcp dump</code> — export messages or contacts to JSON</summary>

bash

# Export last 1000 messages
npx imessage-mcp dump > messages.json

# Filter by contact
npx imessage-mcp dump --contact "+15551234567"

# Date range with custom limit
npx imessage-mcp dump --from 2024-01-01 --to 2024-12-31 --limit 5000

# Export contacts (excluding spam/promo by default)
npx imessage-mcp dump --contacts > contacts.json

# Include all contacts (even ones you never replied to)
npx imessage-mcp dump --contacts --all > all-contacts.json

# Export all messages (including unfiltered contacts)
npx imessage-mcp dump --all > all-messages.json

</details>

Transport Modes

By default, imessage-mcp uses stdio transport — the standard for local MCP clients like Claude Desktop and Claude Code. For workflow tools (n8n, Lutra, Copilot Studio) or remote access, HTTP transport is available.

Flag	Short	Default	Description
`--transport`	`-t`	`stdio`	Transport mode: `stdio`, `http`, or `sse`
`--port`	`-p`	`3000`	Port for HTTP/SSE transport
`--host`	`-H`	`127.0.0.1`	Bind address (use `0.0.0.0` for Docker/remote)

<details> <summary>Streamable HTTP (recommended for HTTP)</summary>

bash

npx imessage-mcp --transport http --port 3000

Starts a Streamable HTTP server on http://127.0.0.1:3000/mcp. Supports POST, GET, and DELETE on /mcp with session management via mcp-session-id headers. This is the MCP 2025-03-26 standard.

</details> <details> <summary>Legacy SSE (for older clients)</summary>

bash

npx imessage-mcp --transport sse --port 3000

Starts a legacy SSE server: GET /sse to establish the stream, POST /messages?sessionId=<id> for JSON-RPC requests. Use this only if your client does not support Streamable HTTP.

</details>

Docker

Run imessage-mcp as an HTTP server in Docker. Copy your chat.db to a volume mount:

bash

docker build -t imessage-mcp .
docker run -p 3000:3000 -v /path/to/chat.db:/data/chat.db:ro imessage-mcp

The container starts with --transport http --host 0.0.0.0 on port 3000 by default. Connect any MCP client to http://localhost:3000/mcp.

To secure the HTTP endpoint with authentication:

bash

docker run -p 3000:3000 -e IMESSAGE_API_TOKEN=your-secret-token -v /path/to/chat.db:/data/chat.db:ro imessage-mcp

All requests must then include the Authorization: Bearer your-secret-token header.

<details> <summary>Safe Mode — redact all message bodies</summary>

Prevent message bodies from being sent to the AI. Only metadata (counts, dates, contact names) is returned. No actual message text.

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "imessage": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "imessage-mcp"],
      "env": { "IMESSAGE_SAFE_MODE": "1" }
    }
  }
}

Useful for demos, shared environments, or when you want analytics without exposing private conversations.

</details> <details> <summary>Smart Filtering — spam/promo exclusion</summary>

By default, listing and global search tools only include contacts you have actually replied to. This filters out spam, promo texts, and unknown senders.

Filtered tools: search_messages (global), list_contacts, message_stats (global), temporal_heatmap (global), who_initiates (global), streaks (global), on_this_day (global), forgotten_contacts, yearly_wrapped.

Unfiltered tools: get_conversation, get_contact, contact_stats, first_last_message, conversation_gaps, get_reactions, get_read_receipts, get_thread, get_edited_messages, get_message_effects, group chats, attachments, check_new_messages.

To include all contacts (including unrecognized senders), pass include_all: true to any filtered tool.

</details> <details> <summary>Sync & New Messages — real-time notifications</summary>

Looking for iCloud sync? This section covers real-time message tracking within imessage-mcp. To sync your full message history from iPhone/iPad to your Mac, see iCloud Sync & Multiple Devices.

By default, every query reads the latest data — if someone texts you, your next tool call sees it immediately. No sync needed.

For proactive awareness, the check_new_messages tool tracks what arrived since your last check:

First call sets a baseline
Subsequent calls report the delta — count, who messaged, and optional text previews

For push notifications (opt-in):

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "imessage": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "imessage-mcp"],
      "env": { "IMESSAGE_SYNC": "watch" }
    }
  }
}

This watches your iMessage database for changes and notifies your AI client within seconds. Uses macOS FSEvents — zero CPU when idle.

</details>

Configuration

Variable	Default	Description
`IMESSAGE_DB`	`~/Library/Messages/chat.db`	Path to iMessage database
`IMESSAGE_SAFE_MODE`	`false`	Set to `1` to redact all message bodies
`IMESSAGE_SYNC`	`off`	Sync mode: `off`, `watch` (FSEvents), or `poll:N` (every N seconds)
`IMESSAGE_API_TOKEN`	(none)	Bearer token for HTTP/SSE auth. If set, requests must include `Authorization: Bearer <token>`

<details> <summary>iCloud Sync & Multiple Devices</summary>

iCloud Sync & Multiple Devices

imessage-mcp reads your Mac's local database (~/Library/Messages/chat.db). This database only contains messages that have been synced to your Mac. If your conversations live on your iPhone or iPad but haven't synced, imessage-mcp won't see them.

If you only use iMessage on your Mac, you can skip this — your messages are already in chat.db.

How iMessage sync works

Apple's "Messages in iCloud" keeps your full message history synchronized across all your Apple devices:

code

┌─────────────┐         ┌──────────┐         ┌──────────────┐
│ iPhone/iPad │ ──────►  │  iCloud  │ ──────►  │   Your Mac   │
│  (sends &   │ ◄──────  │(Messages │ ◄──────  │              │
│  receives)  │         │in iCloud)│         │  chat.db      │
└─────────────┘         └──────────┘         └──────┬───────┘
                                                     │
                                                     ▼
                                              imessage-mcp
                                              reads this ↑

Without "Messages in iCloud" enabled on your Mac, the Mac's chat.db only contains messages sent and received while Messages.app was actively running on that Mac.

Setup

1. Enable on your Mac

Open Messages.app on your Mac
Go to Settings (Cmd+,) > iMessage tab
Check "Enable Messages in iCloud"
Keep Messages.app open — sync begins automatically

2. Enable on your iPhone/iPad

Open Settings > tap your name (Apple ID) > iCloud > Messages
Toggle "Use on this iPhone" ON

3. Same Apple ID on all devices

All devices must be signed into the same Apple ID. Check: Mac (System Settings > Apple ID), iPhone (Settings > tap your name).

4. Wait for sync to complete

Initial sync can take hours or even days for large message histories. During sync:

Messages.app must remain open on your Mac
Your Mac should be connected to Wi-Fi and power
You'll see a "Syncing with iCloud" status in Messages.app

5. Sync contacts for name resolution

imessage-mcp resolves phone numbers to names using your Mac's AddressBook. If contacts only exist on your iPhone:

Open System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud
Find Contacts and toggle it ON
Wait for contacts to sync (usually under a minute)

Verify sync is complete

bash

npx imessage-mcp doctor

Look for the Messages line — it shows how many messages are indexed locally. If this number seems low, iCloud sync is likely still in progress. Run doctor again later to confirm the count has stabilized.

Tip: On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Messages to see your total message history size. Compare with what doctor reports on your Mac.

Common sync issues

Messages on iPhone don't appear on Mac: "Messages in iCloud" must be enabled on both devices. Ensure both use the same Apple ID. Keep Messages.app open on your Mac. Run npx imessage-mcp doctor periodically to check if the count is growing.

Brand-new Mac shows no history: Expected — enable "Messages in iCloud," connect to Wi-Fi and power, keep Messages.app open. For large histories (100K+ messages), initial sync may take 1–2 days.

History is incomplete: Sync may still be in progress. If iCloud storage is full, sync pauses (check System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Manage Storage). Messages sent while sync was disabled won't sync retroactively.

Group chats missing members: Group chat sync can lag behind 1:1 conversations. Ensure sync is enabled on all devices and has had time to complete. If members show as phone numbers, enable iCloud Contacts sync (step 5 above).

</details>

Troubleshooting

<details> <summary>"Cannot read chat.db" / SQLITE_CANTOPEN</summary>

macOS protects chat.db with its Application Data permission. To grant access:

Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access
Enable the app running the MCP server (your terminal, Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.)
Restart the app after granting access

GUI apps like Claude Desktop and Cursor may already have this permission — try running npx imessage-mcp doctor first.

</details> <details> <summary>Messages are missing or history is incomplete</summary>

imessage-mcp reads only messages synced to your Mac. See iCloud Sync & Multiple Devices for full setup steps.

Quick checklist:

Open Messages.app > Settings > iMessage > enable "Messages in iCloud"
Ensure the same Apple ID is signed in on all your devices
Connect to Wi-Fi and power — initial sync can take hours
Run npx imessage-mcp doctor to check message count

</details> <details> <summary>"No messages found"</summary>

Make sure Messages.app has been used on this Mac and has synced your messages. If you recently set up this Mac or just enabled "Messages in iCloud," sync may still be in progress — see iCloud Sync & Multiple Devices. Run npx imessage-mcp doctor to verify your setup and message count.

</details> <details> <summary>Messages show phone numbers instead of names</summary>

Contact resolution uses your macOS AddressBook. If contacts are only on your phone and not synced to your Mac, names will not resolve. See iCloud Sync & Multiple Devices for instructions on enabling iCloud contact sync, or add contacts manually in the Contacts app.

</details> <details> <summary>Node.js version mismatch (MODULE_NOT_FOUND / NODE_MODULE_VERSION)</summary>

Your MCP client's bundled Node.js version differs from the one that compiled better-sqlite3's native module. Fix by pointing to your system Node directly:

Find your Node path: which node
Find imessage-mcp: npm root -g
Replace "command": "npx" with your system Node:

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "imessage": {
      "command": "/opt/homebrew/bin/node",
      "args": ["/path/to/node_modules/imessage-mcp/bin/imessage-mcp.js"]
    }
  }
}

</details> <details> <summary>Claude Desktop does not show the tools</summary>

Verify the config file is at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Restart Claude Desktop completely (Cmd+Q, then reopen)
Run npx imessage-mcp doctor to confirm the server works independently

</details>

Uninstall

bash

npm uninstall -g imessage-mcp

How It Works

imessage-mcp reads ~/Library/Messages/chat.db using better-sqlite3 in read-only mode with query_only = ON. Zero network requests. Contact names are resolved from your macOS AddressBook automatically.

On macOS 14 (Sonoma) and later, Apple changed how message text is stored. Some messages have NULL in the text column but contain the actual text in the attributedBody binary blob. imessage-mcp extracts text from this blob automatically so no messages are left behind.

All 26 tools are annotated with readOnlyHint: true so MCP clients can auto-approve them without user prompts.

part of claude-code-tips

tools i built while living in claude code every day.

claude-code-tips · practical patterns for agentic coding
claudemon · real-time session monitor
cc · cross-session messaging
mine · session mining to sqlite

License

MIT

Install

Configuration

Environment variables

IMESSAGE_DB

Path to iMessage database (default: ~/Library/Messages/chat.db)

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "imessage-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "imessage-mcp@1.2.1"
      ],
      "env": {
        "IMESSAGE_DB": "<YOUR_IMESSAGE_DB>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Topics

imessage-mcp

Install

Add to your AI client

Claude Code Plugin

Prerequisites

Privacy & Security

What Can You Ask?

Tools

Setup

Claude Desktop

Claude Code

CLI Commands

Transport Modes

Docker

Configuration

iCloud Sync & Multiple Devices

How iMessage sync works

Setup

1. Enable on your Mac

2. Enable on your iPhone/iPad

3. Same Apple ID on all devices

4. Wait for sync to complete

5. Sync contacts for name resolution

Verify sync is complete

Common sync issues

Troubleshooting

Uninstall

How It Works

part of claude-code-tips

more from me

License

Install

Configuration