Claw Messenger - iMessage without a Mac

Connect OpenClaw agents to iMessage, RCS, and SMS without a Mac or phone using Claw Messenger's relay server and API key authentication.

@emotion-machine/claw-messenger

iMessage, RCS & SMS channel plugin for OpenClaw — no phone or Mac Mini required.

Publisher	Emotion Machine
Homepage	clawmessenger.com
Source code	github.com/emotion-machine-org/claw-messenger
npm	@emotion-machine/claw-messenger
Issues	GitHub Issues
Privacy policy	clawmessenger.com/privacy
Pricing	clawmessenger.com/pricing

How It Works

Claw Messenger routes messages between your OpenClaw agent and iMessage/RCS/SMS networks. The plugin connects to the Claw Messenger relay server over a WebSocket and authenticates with your API key. The relay server handles carrier-level delivery and inbound routing, then forwards messages back to your agent in real time.

text

OpenClaw Agent  ←→  Plugin (local)  ←→  Relay Server (WSS)  ←→  iMessage / RCS / SMS

Required Credentials

This plugin requires one credential: a Claw Messenger API key.

Property	Value
Key format	cm_live_{tag}_{secret}
Obtain from	clawmessenger.com/dashboard
Sensitivity	Secret — treat like a password. Do not commit to version control.
Storage location	Stored locally in .openclaw.json at channels.claw-messenger.apiKey
Rotation	Revoke and rotate at any time from the dashboard
Scope	Authorizes sending and receiving messages on your account only

No other credentials, environment variables, or secrets are required.

Required Config Path

All plugin configuration is stored in a single location:

.openclaw.json → channels.claw-messenger

This is the only file the plugin reads or writes. The full config schema is documented in the Configuration Reference below and declared in the plugin manifest (openclaw.plugin.json → configSchema).

External Connections

The plugin makes exactly one external connection:

Property	Value
Host	claw-messenger.onrender.com
Protocol	wss:// (TLS-encrypted WebSocket)
Purpose	Relay server that bridges OpenClaw to iMessage/RCS/SMS carrier networks
Hosting	Hosted on Render (managed cloud platform) by Emotion Machine. The onrender.com subdomain is standard for Render deployments.
Data handling	Stateless bridge — message content passes through in transit but is not persisted on the relay server. Message metadata (sender, recipient, timestamps) is logged for delivery tracking and billing per the Privacy Policy.
Custom domain	If your organization requires a custom domain or self-hosted deployment, contact [e-mail]

No other external connections are made.

Plugin Manifest Summary

The plugin's openclaw.plugin.json manifest declares the following (reproduced here for transparency):

• Required credentials: apiKey (marked sensitive: true, placeholder cm_live_...)
• Config path: .openclaw.json → channels.claw-messenger
• External connection: wss://claw-messenger.onrender.com (relay server)
• Config schema: apiKey (required string), serverUrl (optional string), preferredService (optional enum), dmPolicy (optional enum), allowFrom (optional array)

All credentials and config paths used at runtime are declared in the manifest. There are no undeclared secrets, env vars, or config files.

Install

bash

openclaw plugins install @emotion-machine/claw-messenger

The package is published to npm as @emotion-machine/claw-messenger. You can verify the package contents before installing:

bash

npm pack @emotion-machine/claw-messenger --dry-run

Configuration

After installing, add the plugin to your OpenClaw config (.openclaw.json) under channels:

json5

{
  "channels": {
    "claw-messenger": {
      "enabled": true,
      "apiKey": "cm_live_XXXXXXXX_YYYYYYYYYYYYYY",  // required — your API key
      "serverUrl": "wss://claw-messenger.onrender.com",  // default relay server
      "preferredService": "iMessage",  // "iMessage" | "RCS" | "SMS"
      "dmPolicy": "pairing",           // "open" | "pairing" | "allowlist"
      "allowFrom": ["[phone]"]    // only used with "allowlist" policy
    }
  }
}

Configuration Reference

Field	Required	Default	Description
apiKey	Yes	—	Your cm_live_* API key. Stored locally in .openclaw.json.
serverUrl	No	wss://claw-messenger.onrender.com	WebSocket relay server URL.
preferredService	No	iMessage	Default delivery service (iMessage, RCS, or SMS).
dmPolicy	No	pairing	Inbound DM policy: open, pairing, or allowlist.
allowFrom	No	[]	Phone numbers to accept when using allowlist policy.

Security & Privacy

• Your cm_live_* API key is a secret credential. Add .openclaw.json to .gitignore to avoid committing it to version control.
• You can revoke and rotate API keys at any time from the dashboard. We recommend starting with a scoped or test key.
• All connections use TLS-encrypted WebSockets (wss://). Message content is not stored on the relay server.
• Message metadata (sender, recipient, timestamps) is logged for delivery tracking and billing. See the Privacy Policy.
• Billing is based on monthly message volume. See Pricing for plans and limits.

Features

• Send & receive text messages and media (images, video, audio, documents)
• iMessage reactions — love, like, dislike, laugh, emphasize, question (tapback)
• Group chats — send to existing groups or create new ones
• Typing indicators — sent and received
• DM security policies — open, pairing-based approval, or allowlist

Agent Tools

The plugin registers two tools your agent can call:

Tool	Description
claw_messenger_status	Check connection status, server URL, and preferred service
claw_messenger_switch_service	Switch the preferred messaging service at runtime

Slash Commands

Command	Description
/cm-status	Show connection state, server URL, and preferred service
/cm-switch <service>	Switch preferred service (iMessage, RCS, or SMS)

Getting Started

1. Sign up at clawmessenger.com
2. Create an API key from the dashboard
3. Install the plugin: openclaw plugins install @emotion-machine/claw-messenger
4. Add the config above with your API key (keep .openclaw.json out of version control)
5. Start a conversation — your agent can now send and receive messages

Support

• Issues: github.com/emotion-machine-org/claw-messenger/issues
• Email: [e-mail]
• Docs: clawmessenger.com/docs

License

UNLICENSED