AI agents in your text messages, explained: Tab, Poke and the other iMessage and SMS assistants

AI agents in your text messages are one of the busiest corners of the AI agent market in October 2026. On October 24, 2026, TechCrunch published a running list of 24 assistants you can text, from Tab, which it reported on October 7 had emerged from stealth at a $300 million valuation, to family organizers and travel bookers. The pitch is the same across the list: no new app, just a contact in iMessage, SMS or WhatsApp that books, buys and reminds. The big labs are moving the same way, with OpenAI testing texting for its always-on dots and Anthropic's Claude Duet built around a single message thread.

This explainer is based on TechCrunch's October 7 and October 24, 2026 reporting and on each product's own website, checked October 25 and re-checked October 26, 2026. Where TechCrunch and a company's site disagree, both are shown.

The short version

• What they are: assistants you text like a person. Many run on iMessage on iPhone and SMS, RCS or WhatsApp elsewhere.
• Tab: iMessage and WhatsApp per TechCrunch, a $300 million valuation per TechCrunch's October 7 report, and no public price; its site shows a private-beta waitlist.
• Prices vary: free betas, Proxy at "$1/day," Martin from $21 a month billed yearly, Maverick Pro at €27 a month, Poke at $0, $19 or $199 a month.
• Consolidation has started: Poke says it is "joining Cognition," and TechCrunch says the July 2026 deal was valued in the low nine figures.
• Before you hand over a card: check what needs your approval and what the company says about training on your messages.

What is Tab, and is it really worth $300 million?

Tab is "an assistant you text when you need something done," according to its website, which says it can also make phone calls, place orders and use its own browser and computer. TechCrunch's Dominic-Madori Davis reported on October 7, 2026 that Tab "emerged from stealth with a $300M valuation," backed by SV Angel, Valar Ventures and American Spirit. The company declined to share the exact funding details, so the valuation rests on TechCrunch's report; Tab's own site doesn't give it.

Co-founder Ammar Amdani told TechCrunch that Tab "has its own phone number, computer, and wallet," that "Your data is never used to train AI," and that "Your card lives in a vault Tab itself never sees." Tab's site, checked October 26, says "Nothing is paid until you approve it" and that you review the item, total and payee before it spends. It lists no price and no supported countries. TechCrunch said Tab takes requests over iMessage or WhatsApp; the site says only that Tab "starts in Messages."

How do text-message AI agents work?

They work as a contact in your phone. You text a number, the service's AI reads the request, and it replies or acts. Most ask you to connect accounts such as Gmail or Google Calendar so they can read schedules and send reminders on their own. Those with more reach, like Tab and Instinct, run their own browser or phone line to place orders and calls.

On iPhone, some use iMessage directly. Caddy's site says it "texts with blue bubbles through iMessage" on iPhone and "through RCS" on Android. Others use plain SMS or messaging apps: Poke names Apple Messages, WhatsApp and Telegram, and Proxy says "No App. Just text."

Which AI assistants can you text, and what do they cost?

This table covers products whose own sites 9to5AI checked on October 25 and 26, 2026. TechCrunch's list has 24 entries; the rest are in its roundup.

Last verified: October 26, 2026

Why are the big AI companies interested?

Messaging is where people already spend their time, and the labs are testing it. OpenAI's dots can be reached in ChatGPT, by voice and in Slack and Teams, and texting by phone is a limited US beta for Pro users, as our dots explainer reports. Anthropic's Claude Duet, by contrast, works in its own app thread and "can't make phone calls or send text messages," per our Duet explainer.

Startups are also being bought. Poke's site carries a "Poke is joining Cognition" banner linking to Cognition's announcement, and TechCrunch reported the July 2026 deal was valued in the low nine figures. Instinct, which TechCrunch says raised $350 million at a $2.5 billion valuation in August 2026 and then $1 billion at $10 billion in September, is the best-funded on the list by TechCrunch's figures.

What should you check before giving one access?

These services ask for a lot: your inbox, calendar, sometimes a payment card. The companies' own pages answer some questions and leave others open.

1. What needs your approval? Tab and Maverick say they ask before paying or booking. Fambot says it never sends email for you. Look for that promise in writing.
2. Where does your card live? Tab says in a vault it can't see, per its co-founder; most sites don't say.
3. Is your data used for training? Tab's co-founder says no; most homepages don't address it, so read the privacy policy.
4. Who else is involved? Some use human helpers: TechCrunch says Miso pairs AI with a human travel team and Wajo can bring in a human assistant.
5. Can banks and sites block it? Agents that log in with your password run into account terms, as our story on banks restricting AI agents explains.

What's confirmed, reported and uncertain

• Confirmed (company sites): channels and prices in the table; Tab's private beta and approval promise; Poke's plans and "joining Cognition" banner; Maverick's approval line and Pro price; Martin's plans; Fambot's free beta.
• Reported (TechCrunch): Tab's $300 million valuation and investors; the Cognition–Poke deal value; Instinct's funding; prices for Tomo, Ollie's paid plans and Proxy's business plan.
• Uncertain: Tab's price and supported countries; how many people use any of these services.