iMessage Apps

Hello all,

Just am planning an app integration.

To code the desired functionality the app must either access (read) iMessages, stored in the iOS file system |or| access Apple’s framework for creating app extensions that interact with the Messages app (aka iMessage Apps). Interacting with the iMessage Apps classes like MSMessagesAppViewController, MSConversation, MSMessage, MSSession.

Q1: can you access iMessages stored in iOS (even if device user grants permission)? The lack of SMS forwarding apps on iOS versus Android indicates to me the answer is no; and
Q2: do I have access to the iMessage App classes via the Xojo iOS Framework?

Thank you for your assistance.

Q1) no
Q2) no

not only not via the Xojo framework, but the best I can tell not even via the Apple iOS Framework…
Its part of Apples Security, to protect the access of the sending and recieving iPhone/iPad devices

Hello Dave S,

Agreed, I couldn’t find a way of reading iMessage content other than for the purposes of backup via Apple’s Framework. You can for instance backup message history and import between devices, but not access message content.

I can however access messages directly for very limited purposes (even changing the iMessage UI) if I use Apple’s framework to create an “iMessage App” (aka iMessage Extension) refer here , just not within the Xojo framework.

Thank you for replying Dave S.

I have a released iOS game which I want to make playable over Game Center. I just read that the game has to use iMessage to invite others to become new Game Center friends. Also my testing shows that inviting a specific existing friend to play the game uses iMessage. It would seem that my plans are at a dead end without the interface to iMessage (probably some declares).

You can send text messages through your app with declared, but not read messages like the OP wanted. If you want an iMessage app that is embedded within iMessage then you’ll need to use Xcode.