AI Agents That Live in Your Text Messages: A Guide to the Top Tools

General-Purpose Personal Assistants

Caddy

Caddy turns scattered phone information into actionable items, living directly in iMessage for iPhone and RCS for Android so users never need a separate app. It can add calendar events, set reminders, track follow‑ups and even perform research. The service has been in public beta since April 2026.

Comma

Comma manages tasks across work and personal life, carrying them to completion while self‑checking and deciding when a task is finished. It surfaces work for review when approvals are needed and proactively notifies users with next steps. Accessible via Signal, Telegram and WeChat, it works across browsers, computers and files, preserving context across devices and conversations, and can deliver daily briefings, flag urgent matters and summarize recorded calls. The platform is free to start and open source.

Folk

Folk is reachable through iMessage, WhatsApp and Telegram, remembering personal context and handling reminders, research, flight tracking, email and real‑world tasks such as restaurant reservations. It runs on a private cloud computer and can execute code and multi‑step workflows. The beta launched in May 2026; a free tier is available, with a Pro subscription at $8.33 per month for unlimited background tasks.

Instinct

Instinct raised $350 million at a $2.5 billion valuation and later secured $1 billion in September 2026, valuing it at $10 billion. The always‑available agent can perform actions on behalf of users, connecting to email, calendar, Google Workspace and more. Early adopters have used it for travel planning, grocery purchases, ticket booking and subscription cancellations. In September 2026 the company began issuing dedicated email addresses for assistants, allowing them to sign up for services and follow up on requests, and it is rolling out call functionality. The service remains in private beta.

Iris

Iris, powered by Hermes Agent, lets users delegate tasks directly through iMessage by connecting their apps and sending a simple message. The assistant then works through the required steps while retaining context from previous interactions and follows up proactively.

Martin

Martin is a general‑purpose assistant reachable via SMS, phone, WhatsApp, email, Slack and its own iOS app. It helps manage calendars, email, reminders, tasks, notes and communications, and can send messages or make calls on behalf of users, providing daily summaries of what needs attention. Subscriptions start at $21 per month.

Poke

Poke launched in March 2026 as a text‑based assistant that handles calendars, planning, health and fitness, smart‑home controls and photos. It gained attention in June 2026 when Apple approved it as the first AI agent on the Apple Messages for Business platform. The parent company, The Interaction Company of California, was later acquired by AI coding startup Cognition in a deal valued in the low nine figures.

Rene

Rene is designed to act as a user’s “best contact” rather than a traditional productivity bot. It turns natural‑language conversations into tasks, reminders, summaries and follow‑up actions while maintaining context across chats. The assistant also includes a browser, can write code, shop, create slides and generate images. It is available on iMessage, Telegram and WhatsApp.

Tomo

Tomo’s iMessage assistant stands out by operating within group conversations, helping with goals, accountability, scheduling and everyday organization. It can send reminders, search the web, work with calendars and email, watch videos and edit photos. The basic plan starts at $19.99 per month.

Family and Household Management

Fambot

Fambot acts as a “chief of staff” for families, consolidating school communications, sports activities, meal planning, calendars and other daily responsibilities into a coordinated plan. It works through an app, text messages and SMS on iOS, Android and the web, and each night sends a summary of the next day’s events, to‑dos and details such as uniform or packing requirements, which parents can reply to for questions or changes. The assistant connects to Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook and WhatsApp, with Apple Calendar support planned. Launched in early September 2026, it has raised $3.5 million in pre‑seed funding and is free during beta, with future pricing expected to resemble a Netflix subscription.

Ohai

Ohai helps households manage the constant flow of information and tasks by turning messages, forwarded emails or voice requests into schedules, reminders and plans. It coordinates calendars, chores and meals across multiple family members. A free basic option is available, and paid subscriptions start at $9.99 per month based on family size.

Ollie

Ollie syncs school messages, calendars, task lists and group chats, tracking calendars, emails, reminders, tasks and other household details and delivering relevant information via text. A notable differentiator is its SOC 2 compliance, a widely recognized security standard. Launched in June 2026, it offers a free tier and paid plans beginning at $25 per month for 150 messages, with a $100‑per‑month plan covering up to 1,000 messages.

Orbits

Orbits provides a household AI assistant accessible through its own app and text messaging, uniting calendars, lists and conversations while executing tasks such as web searches, purchases, restaurant bookings, appointment changes and requests for household services. It also reminds family members about chores, communicates with service providers and helps coordinate responsibilities beyond the immediate home. The company is backed by Andreessen Horowitz’s Speedrun fund, N49P and Garage Capital.

Travel and Trip Planning

Miso

Miso focuses on travel, operating through iMessage and combining AI trip planning with support from a dedicated travel team. Users can arrange flights via messaging while the assistant considers travel preferences, loyalty points and other priorities, and it provides trip details, flight updates and personalized recommendations.

Professional and Business Tools

Szn

Szn coordinates tasks and follow‑ups within a single conversation thread, accepting text, voice notes, photos or forwarded emails and handling actions such as making calls, sending emails and managing follow‑ups. According to its website, it has served more than 7,500 businesses across 16 countries, completed over 10,000 jobs and handled 95 hours of calls.

Town

Town targets professional users with a “Townie” assistant that learns individual work habits and handles recurring professional tasks across email, calendars, documents, Slack and other platforms. The company raised a $55 million Series A in June 2026 led by Andreessen Horowitz and Forerunner.

Content Creation and Media

Stanley

Stanley is an AI content assistant for creators, reachable via iMessage, Telegram and the web. It helps users generate ideas, turn them into posts and maintain a consistent publishing schedule, connecting to Instagram for context and converting voice notes into scripts, captions and other social assets. The tool includes a content calendar and can schedule posts automatically.

Privacy‑First Solutions

Underdog

Underdog is a privacy‑focused AI assistant that launched an invite‑only beta in early October 2026. Unlike cloud‑based services, its model runs entirely on the user’s device—initially Mac and Windows, with Linux, iPhone and Android versions planned—keeping personal data on hardware the user already owns. The company plans to offer the app for free initially and has pledged never to include advertising.

Communication and Call Handling

Pally

Pally interacts like a friend, connecting to WhatsApp, Gmail, calendars and Google Drive to keep track of plans, receipts, dates, files and other details. It also supports voice calls. A free plan provides 15 minutes of calls per month, while paid options are $25 per month for 30 minutes and $100 per month for 60 minutes.

Tab

Tab lets users delegate everyday tasks through iMessage or WhatsApp, handling requests ranging from ordering groceries to finding birthday gifts. The company emerged from stealth in early October with a $300 million valuation; its investors include SV Angel, Valar Ventures and American Spirit.

Wajo

Wajo’s first consumer agent, Fo, can call businesses, send emails, join group chats, make bookings and purchases, and coordinate with people to complete everyday tasks. Fo is given its own email address, phone number and payment card, allowing it to interact with businesses without users handing over personal credentials. When Fo encounters something it cannot handle, Wajo can bring in a human assistant to finish the task. Fo launched publicly in September 2026 with a free tier, and heavier workloads and custom agents are available through a paid Pro offering.

Agentic Interfaces and Homescreens

Skye

Skye functions as an “agentic homescreen” for the iPhone, analyzing information from connected services and surfacing relevant content through contextual cards, suggestions and daily briefings. It can generate audio briefings, prepare information ahead of meetings, surface reminders and identify potentially useful information. Developed by Signull Labs, the project raised about $3.6 million in seed funding in 2025, entered private testing and beta in April 2026, and has not yet announced a public release date.