ChatGPT: OpenAI's "dots" now reply by text message, in preview in the United States
Since October 28, ChatGPT Pro subscribers in the United States can text their "dot," OpenAI's persistent agent, via iMessage or RCS. The agent can also reach out to them on its own. The feature is in beta and is not available in Europe.
OpenAI added on October 28 a new channel to its “dots,” ChatGPT’s persistent agents: you can now message them like a contact, via iMessage on iPhone or RCS on Android. The feature is in beta, currently reserved for ChatGPT Pro subscribers in the United States.
An agent you can reach by message
Launched on September 29 according to OpenAI’s release notes, dots are agents that work continuously toward a goal, between conversations, with their own computer in the cloud. They are built on GPT-6 Astra. Until now, you could follow them in the ChatGPT app.
With this update, the conversation also happens in your phone’s messaging app, one-on-one: text, photos, and voice messages. The dot can also message you on its own when it has updates. According to OpenAI, it picks the channel based on context, and the user can ask it to reserve messages for urgent topics and keep the rest in ChatGPT. When it needs approval, it sends a link to review the request in the app.
To enable it, open the dot’s profile in ChatGPT, select Texting, and have iMessage or RCS active on your phone. The dot keeps the same memory and plugins as in the app.
Security and limits
OpenAI specifies that only the user can message their dot, that the dot can only message them, and that the feature gives neither the dot nor OpenAI access to the user’s other conversations. Messages go through a third-party provider, Linq, and OpenAI says it conducted penetration testing with its models and outside security firms.
According to OpenAI’s release notes, dots remain reserved for adults on Pro and Business Premium plans, and at launch the Pro plan excluded the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. European readers can’t use them for now. OpenAI has not announced a date for other countries.
Our take
Going through SMS changes the nature of the agent: it’s no longer an app you open, but a contact who reaches out to you. It’s handy for approving an action or getting a result without being in front of a screen, and OpenAI has been careful to keep approval of sensitive actions in ChatGPT. But it’s also a step toward assistants that are more present throughout the day, raising the question of how often they’ll reach out and the role of a third-party intermediary in the chain. For Europe, the wait could be long: dots themselves aren’t yet offered in the Pro plan there.
Sources
- OpenAI — ChatGPT release notes (Texting your dot) Primary source
- ChatGPT Learn — Text your dot Primary source
- ChatGPT Learn — Dots: getting started Primary source
- ChatGPT Learn — Dots: channels (Texting) Primary source
- ChatGPT on X — announcement Primary source
- Engadget — OpenAI lets you text your dot agent Secondary source
- The Verge — OpenAI now lets you text your dot Secondary source
A primary source comes directly from the company, lab or organization concerned. A secondary source reports the information without being its author: we flag it as such. Spotted an error? See our corrections policy.
