Show HN: A better, free client for iMessage power-users

Attention, a free macOS app from Righthand AI, launches as a power-user client for iMessage, offering features like labeling, folders, reminders, and an optional AI agent with an MCP interface. The app keeps user data local in LanceDB and SQLite, with AI features off by default, and is positioned as 'Superhuman for iMessage' to address the overloaded iMessage inbox for business communication.

TLDR: Your iMessage inbox is a mess. Go to attention dot righthand dot ai. it's a free app for mac. It's like Superhuman for iMessage. You text your friends and family in iMessage. You text your colleagues in iMessage. If you run a business, you likely text prospects and leads in iMessage. I text our customers in iMessage - I want them to know they've got the fastest way to reach me. In 2026 you even text your AI agents in iMessage Linq raises $20M to enable AI assistants to live in iMessage, Apple approves Poke as the first AI agent on its Messages for Business platform . The point is: your iMessage inbox is overloaded. Even more than email, it's become the inbox where everything important happens. But it's not built for everything It's basically optimized for friends & family groupchats. Being an iffy texter is OK debatable with friends. But the founders and investors we talk to routinely describe this niche pain of coördinating business in iMessage. So we distilled the lessons from Superhuman, viz., the email experience should be fast af and beautiful and shortcut-laden, and we applied them directly to the inboxes that are hard to use - starting with iMessage. Attention is the first app that allows you to become a power-user of iMessage. I'm finally able to label and divide my iMessages into different folders. I can set reminders and follow-ups with a keystroke. We are obsessed with the potential value of an agent who triages every message before you even see it. We love the concept of every new message arriving with pre-work done and a human-in-the-loop Approval Card curated by the agent with 3 differentiated next steps. It ships with an MCP - just point your favorite flavor of coding agent at it. As far as the actual app: Your data is yours, fully local in LanceDB + SQLite & never leaves your machine unless you turn on the AI agent, at which point data just goes to whichever AI provider you chose. For now, just know that Attention ships with AI features "off" by default and it will always be free to use. attention dot righthand dot ai this post was written without the use of language models by me, Joseph. would love to chat and answer any questions in the comments Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49276601 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49276601 Points: 1 Comments: 0