More and more agents are now able to send text messages like normal people without having to download another app.
When you text what you want, it remembers your context, connects you to the apps and services you already use, and completes the task for you. That could mean making an appointment, organizing your calendar, researching a trip, sending an email, making a reservation, shopping online, or being reminded about something in the next few days.
Instinct is one of the hottest AI agents right now thanks to its $10 billion valuation after its latest $1 billion funding round, but there are many other companies active in this space.
Below are some of the most notable options so far, from general-purpose personal assistants to agents designed for family, travel, and work.
caddy
Caddy is an AI assistant that turns information scattered on your phone into actionable information. It’s built into iMessage for iPhone users and RCS for Android users, so you don’t have a separate app or inbox to constantly check.
For example, an email might contain an appointment you need to add to your calendar, or a friend might send you a list of things they’d like to receive. Instead of worrying about all the details being buried, Caddy connects to your calendar and conversations and identifies what might need action. You can also add events to your calendar, set reminders, track follow-ups, and do research.
Caddy has been available in public beta since April 2026.
fan bot
Fambot is an AI-powered family “boss” designed to bring together the many moving parts of family life, such as school communications, sports activities, meal planning, calendars, and other daily responsibilities, and turn them into an organized plan.
The service is designed to work with both apps and text messages. Fambot is available on iOS devices, Android devices, and the web, and family members can also interact directly via SMS. Fambot automatically sends you a summary of the next day each night, including details such as upcoming events, things to do, and uniform and luggage requirements. Parents can reply to these messages to ask questions, review information, or make changes to their calendar.
Fambot currently connects to Gmail and Google Calendar, with future support for Outlook and Apple Calendar.
The company launched a beta version in early September 2026 and raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding. The service is currently free during its beta period, but Fambot expects to eventually charge a fee roughly equivalent to a Netflix subscription.
fork
Folk is designed as an AI assistant that you can contact through iMessage, WhatsApp, and Telegram. It can remember personal context, manage reminders, research topics, track flights, handle emails, and perform real-world tasks like making restaurant reservations.
One difference is that Folk runs on its own private cloud computer. They can also execute code and perform multi-step tasks, rather than just responding conversationally.
Folk launched in beta in May 2026 and is available for free, but also offers a Pro subscription for $8.33 per month if you want to run unlimited tasks in the background.
instinct
Instinct first made headlines after raising $350 million at a $2.5 billion valuation. In September 2026, it raised $1 billion and was valued at $10 billion.
An always-available agent can go beyond just answering questions to taking action on your behalf. Users can communicate with Instinct via text or voice and connect it to the apps and services they already use, such as email, calendar, and Google Workspace. The company said early users used Instinct for a variety of tasks, from planning trips and buying groceries to booking tickets and canceling subscriptions.
In September, Instinct began providing users with a dedicated email address for the Assistant. The idea is to have Instinct create and manage accounts on your behalf without filling up your personal inbox. Agents can use that address to sign up for services, contact businesses, follow up on requests, and handle tasks that require an email account. (However, this level of autonomy also raises concerns about privacy and security.) We’re also starting to roll out support for calls.
The company remains in private beta.
iris
Powered by the Hermes agent, Iris is designed to allow users to delegate tasks to an AI assistant directly through iMessage. Users can connect the apps they use and take over tasks with a simple message. The agent then performs the necessary steps while retaining the relevant context from previous interactions. It’s also designed to proactively follow up with users instead of waiting for another request.
martin
Martin is a versatile personal assistant that can be accessed via SMS, phone, WhatsApp, email, Slack, and its own iOS app.
Helps you manage your calendar, emails, reminders, tasks, notes, and communications. It can also send messages and make calls on your behalf, while also providing a daily summary of things that need your attention.
Subscriptions are a bit pricey, starting at $21 per month.
miso
Mito takes the concept of a personal assistant and applies it specifically to travel.
It is operated through iMessage and combines AI trip planning with support from a dedicated travel team. Users can arrange flights through messaging, while Miso takes into account their travel preferences, loyalty points, and other priorities. Miso also allows travelers to access travel details, flight updates, and personalized recommendations.
Ojai
Ohai is another family assistant focused on helping households manage the constant flow of information and tasks involved in daily family life.
Users can send messages, forward emails, or make voice requests, and the assistant can turn them into schedules, reminders, and plans. You can also coordinate calendars, chores, and meals for multiple members of your family.
It includes a free basic option, but also offers different subscriptions starting at $9.99 per month depending on the size of your family.
ollie
Like other family-focused agents, the idea behind Ollie is that families already have the information they need, but that information exists across school messages, calendars, task lists, and group chats. Ollie aims to bring these elements together and keep them in sync. You can track calendars, emails, reminders, tasks, and other household details and deliver relevant information to users through text.
The biggest difference from other agents is that Ollie is one of the first mainstream family AI assistants to achieve SOC 2 compliance, a widely used security standard.
Launched in June 2026, Ollie offers a free tier as well as paid plans starting at $25 per month for 150 messages. The $100/month plan includes up to 1,000 messages.
orbit
Orbits also features a home-specific AI assistant.
It works through both the Orbits app and text messaging, and you can also bring your calendar, lists, and conversations together to accomplish tasks. This includes searching the web, shopping, making restaurant reservations, changing plans, requesting quotes for home services, and more.
Additionally, Orbits can help remind family members about household chores, communicate with service providers, and coordinate responsibilities beyond the family.
Orbitz is backed by investors including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Speedrun Fund, N49P, and Garage Capital.
parry
Users can interact with Pally just like they would with friends, while allowing access to the apps they already use. The assistant connects information across services like WhatsApp, Gmail, Calendar, and Google Drive, allowing users to track plans, receipts, dates, files, and other details.
There are free plans that offer features such as 15 minutes of calls per month, and paid plans such as $25 per month for 30 minutes of calls and $100 per month for 60 minutes.
poke
Poke was launched in March 2026 as a general-purpose assistant that you can contact through text messages. It can handle tasks related to calendars, planning, health and fitness, smart home control, photography, and other daily activities.
Poke gained particular attention in June 2026 when Apple approved it as the first AI agent for the Apple Messages for Business platform. A month later, California parent company The Interaction Company was acquired by AI coding startup Cognition in a low nine-figure deal.
René
Rene is an AI personal assistant designed to be your “best contact” rather than another productivity agent. It’s text-based and can turn natural language conversations into tasks, reminders, summaries, and other follow-up actions. Rene also maintains the context of the entire conversation, allowing you to remember details and surface things that may need your attention later.
Additionally, it has a browser where you can write code, shop, create slides and images, and more.
Rene is currently available on iMessage, Telegram, and WhatsApp.
sky
Instead of waiting for you to open an app, Skye is an iPhone “agent home screen” that analyzes information from connected services and shows you what it thinks is relevant through context cards, suggestions, and daily briefings. The Assistant can generate audio briefings, prepare information in advance of meetings, display reminders, and identify information that may be helpful.
The company, Signull Labs, raised approximately $3.6 million in seed funding in 2025. It entered private testing and beta in April 2026, but has not yet announced a general release date.
stanley
Stanley is an AI content assistant aimed at content creators, not typical personal productivity. Available through iMessage, Telegram, and the web, the feature acts as a kind of AI content officer, helping users come up with ideas, turn them into posts, and maintain a consistent publishing schedule.
For example, Stanley can connect to your Instagram account and use that context to suggest content based on what you’ve actually done. Users can also send voice notes, which Stanley converts into scripts, captions, and other social assets. It includes a content calendar and allows you to schedule posts. The broader goal is to make content creation a more continuous, automated process, rather than something that requires users to sit down and plan from scratch.
Tomo
The biggest difference with Tom’s personal assistant for iMessage is that he can be part of a group conversation instead of being a private assistant that only talks to you.
And like other agents, it’s designed to help you with your goals, responsibilities, scheduling, and organizing your day. You can also send reminders, search the web, work with your calendar and email, watch videos, edit photos, and more.
Basic plans start at $19.99 per month.
town
Town aims for a more professional life. This provides users with “Townie,” an AI assistant that is designed to learn how users work and handle specialized tasks that arise on a regular basis. Integrate with email, calendar, docs, Slack, and other platforms.
In June 2026, the company raised $55 million in Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz and Forerunner.
Wajo
Fo, Wajo’s first consumer agent, can call businesses, send emails, participate in group chats, make reservations and purchases, and coordinate with people to complete daily tasks.
An important part of Wajo’s approach is to give Fo its own identity. Agents have their own email address, phone number, and payment card, allowing them to interact with businesses without requiring users to hand over their credentials.
In particular, if Fo encounters a problem that it can’t handle on its own, Wadjo says it can bring in a human assistant to complete the task.
Fo was generally available in September 2025 with a free tier, but heavier workloads and custom agents are available through a paid Pro offering.
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