According to a report published by TechCrunch, rather than downloading another app, a growing number of artificial intelligence (AI) agents enable direct communication through ordinary text messages. Users can send a text message with their needs, and the agent can remember context, connect to existing apps and services, and perform tasks on the user's behalf. These tasks include scheduling appointments, organizing calendars, researching trips, sending emails, making reservations, online shopping, or setting future reminders. While Instinct is currently one of the most prominent agents with a $10 billion valuation following a $1 billion funding round, other solutions operate in this space for personal, family, professional, and travel purposes.
General-Purpose Personal Assistants and Everyday Tasks
Caddy is an AI assistant that operates inside iMessage for iPhone users and RCS for Android users, eliminating the need for a separate app or an additional inbox. The system connects to calendars and conversations and identifies things that may require action, such as appointments from emails or shopping lists from friends. Caddy can add events to the calendar, set reminders, track follow-up tasks, and conduct research, and has been in public beta since April 2026.
Folk is designed as an AI assistant accessible via iMessage, WhatsApp, and Telegram. It can remember personal context, manage reminders, research topics, track flights, handle email, and execute real-world tasks such as booking restaurant reservations. Folk runs on its own private cloud computer, executes code, and carries out multi-step tasks. The service launched in beta in May 2026 and is offered for free alongside a Pro subscription priced at $8.33 per month for unlimited background tasks.
Iris, powered by the Hermes agent, enables users to delegate tasks to an AI assistant directly through iMessage. Users connect their apps and hand over a task with a simple message, and the agent carries out the required steps while retaining context from previous interactions and following up proactively.
Martin is a general-purpose personal assistant accessible via SMS, phone, WhatsApp, email, Slack, and its own iOS app. It assists with managing calendars, email, reminders, tasks, notes, and communication, and can act on behalf of users by sending messages or placing phone calls, alongside providing daily summaries. Subscription pricing starts at $21 per month.
Pally allows interactions that simulate chatting with a friend and connects to services such as WhatsApp, Gmail, calendars, and Google Drive to keep track of plans, receipts, dates, and files. The service includes a free tier offering 15 minutes of calls per month, as well as paid tiers at $25 per month for 30 minutes of calls or $100 per month for 60 minutes of calls.
Poke launched in March 2026 as a general-purpose SMS assistant handling calendars, planning, health and fitness, smart home controls, and photos. In June 2026, Poke was approved as the first AI agent on the Apple Messages for Business platform, and a month later, its parent company The Interaction Company of California was acquired by Cognition in a deal valued in the low nine figures.
Rene is a text-based personal assistant on iMessage, Telegram, and WhatsApp that turns natural language conversations into tasks, reminders, and summaries, including browsing, writing code, shopping, and creating presentations and images.
Skye was developed by Signull Labs as a smart homescreen for the iPhone that analyzes data from connected services and displays contextual cards, suggestions, and daily briefings. The assistant can generate audio briefings, prepare information ahead of meetings, surface reminders, and identify information that may be useful. The company raised approximately $3.6 million in 2025 and entered beta in April 2026.
Dedicated Agents for Household and Family Management
Fambot is designed as an administrative coordinator for families, connecting school communications, sports activities, meal planning, and calendars into an organized plan. The service operates across an app on iOS, Android, the web, and SMS. Every evening, an automated summary is sent covering the next day's events, tasks, and details such as school uniforms. Fambot connects to Gmail and Google Calendar, with planned support for Outlook and Apple Calendar. The company launched in beta in early September 2026, raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding, and plans to eventually charge an amount roughly equal to a Netflix subscription.
Ohai assists households in managing information streams and tasks. Users can send messages, forward emails, or record voice requests that are transformed into schedules, reminders, and the coordination of chores and meals among family members. The service offers a free basic tier and family-size-based subscriptions starting at $9.99 per month.
Ollie centralizes information from school messages, calendars, to-do lists, and group chats, delivering relevant information via text. The system is among the first mainstream, family-focused AI assistants to achieve SOC 2 security compliance. The service launched in June 2026 and offers a free tier, a $25-per-month subscription for up to 150 messages, and a $100-per-month subscription for up to 1,000 messages.
Orbits operates through an app and text messaging, and is capable of performing searches, purchases, restaurant reservations, appointment changes, price quotes for home services, and chore reminders. The company is backed by investors including the Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Speedrun fund, N49P, and Garage Capital.
Dedicated Agents for Work, Content, Travel, and Group Interaction
Instinct raised $350 million at a $2.5 billion valuation, and in September 2026 raised an additional $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation. The agent connects to services like email, calendar, and Google Workspace, performing tasks such as trip planning, grocery shopping, ticket booking, and subscription cancellations. In September, it began distributing dedicated email addresses to manage accounts on behalf of users, alongside rolling out support for placing calls, while remaining in private beta.
Miso focuses on travel through iMessage, combining AI-driven trip planning with support from a dedicated travel team. Users can arrange flights through messaging while Miso takes into account travel preferences, loyalty points, and other priorities, providing travelers with access to trip details, flight updates, and personalized recommendations.
Stanley is designed for content creators and is available on iMessage, Telegram, and the web. It connects to the user's Instagram account, generates post ideas, converts voice recordings into scripts, and schedules posts on a content calendar.
Tomo operates on iMessage and can join group chats in addition to private conversations. It assists with goal setting, reminders, searches, calendar and email handling, watching videos, and photo editing, with a basic plan starting at $19.99 per month.
Town is aimed at the professional sector, providing an assistant named Townie that learns user work patterns and connects to Slack, email, calendars, and documents. The company raised $55 million in a Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz and Forerunner in June 2026.
Wajo offers an agent named Fo, which possesses its own email address, phone number, and independent payment card. Fo makes bookings and purchases, joins groups, and incorporates a human assistant when needed. The service launched in September 2025 with a free tier and a paid Pro tier.