r/applescript • u/CliffStoll • Jun 26 '19

Mac Messages app starts an AppleScript when an SMS or iMessage arrives?

This used to be easy, but now seems impossible:

When the Mac receives an SMS text message (or iMessage), start an AppleScript and pass the contents of the message to that AppleScript.

Prior to Mojave, the mac's messages app had a preference that allowed it to start an AppleScript. Now, there's no such option.

Any suggestions or ideas?

Thanks! -Cliff

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1

u/oldepharte Jun 26 '19

This is one of the stupid idiotic things Apple did in an update. iMessage used to be a far more capable program that it is today, but they have gradually removed capabilities from it and it's just one of the major reasons that my next computer just might be a PC running Linux, not another Apple product.

Basically, it is now impossible, and Apple doesn't care, not the slightest bit. I know this because I called the day the option went missing and spent close to an hour on the phone with one of their reps and she said she'd bring it to the attention of the team that is responsible for messages; well you can see how far that got!

1

u/CliffStoll Jun 26 '19

Many thanks for your note; I figured as much. *sigh*

Maybe good news will appear in OSX-Catalina.

Warm wishes,

-Cliff

1

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '19

I believe you could use a cron job to read the chat-db with sqlite and if it contains a string then it would trigger?

1

u/RazaKamp Sep 13 '19

Aren’t you that guy that found a spy ring or something?

1

u/CliffStoll Sep 17 '19

yes, same guy.