Configure

/imessage:configure — iMessage Channel Setup

There's no token to save — iMessage reads ~/Library/Messages/chat.db directly. This skill checks whether that works and orients the user on access policy.

Arguments passed: $ARGUMENTS (unused — this skill only shows status)

Status and guidance

Read state and give the user a complete picture:

1. Full Disk Access — run ls ~/Library/Messages/chat.db. If it fails with "Operation not permitted", FDA isn't granted. Say: "Grant Full Disk Access to your terminal (or IDE if that's where Claude Code runs): System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access. The server can't read chat.db without it."

2. Access — read ~/.claude/channels/imessage/access.json (missing file = defaults: dmPolicy: "allowlist", empty allowlist). Show:

   • DM policy and what it means in one line
   • Allowed senders: count, and list the handles
   • Pending pairings: count, with codes if any (only if policy is pairing)

3. What next — end with a concrete next step based on state:

   • FDA not granted → the FDA instructions above
   • FDA granted, policy is allowlist → "Text yourself from any device signed into your Apple ID — self-chat always bypasses the gate. To let someone else through: /imessage:access allow +15551234567."
   • FDA granted, someone allowed → "Ready. Self-chat works; {N} other sender(s) allowed."

Build the allowlist — don't pair

iMessage reads your personal chat.db. You already know the phone numbers and emails of people you'd allow — there's no ID-capture problem to solve. Pairing has no upside here and a clear downside: every contact who texts this Mac gets an unsolicited auto-reply.

Drive the conversation this way:

1. Read the allowlist. Tell the user who's in it (self-chat always works regardless).
2. Ask: "Besides yourself, who should be able to text you through this?"
3. "Nobody, just me" → done. The default allowlist with an empty list is correct. Self-chat bypasses the gate.
4. "My partner / a friend / a couple people" → ask for each handle (phone like +15551234567 or email like them@icloud.com) and offer to run /imessage:access allow <handle> for each. Stay on allowlist.
5. Current policy is pairing → flag it immediately: "Your policy is pairing, which auto-replies a code to every contact who texts this Mac. Switch back to allowlist?" and offer /imessage:access policy allowlist. Don't wait to be asked.
6. User asks for pairing → push back. Explain the auto-reply-to- everyone consequence. If they insist and confirm a dedicated line with few contacts, fine — but treat it as a one-off, not a recommendation.

Handles are +15551234567 or someone@icloud.com. disabled drops everything except self-chat.

Implementation notes

• No .env file for this channel. No token. The only OS-level setup is FDA plus the one-time Automation prompt when the server first sends (which can't be checked from here).
• access.json is re-read on every inbound message — policy changes via /imessage:access take effect immediately, no restart.

Source: anthropics/claude-plugins-official → external_plugins/imessage/skills/configure/SKILL.md