Connect iMessage to your Chief of Staff

You can message your Chief of Staff from iMessage, so you can check in, hand off work, and get updates right from your phone. This uses Photon, a service that connects your Chief of Staff to iMessage. You bring your own free Photon project, so your messages run under your own account.

iMessage is early access. The connection is set up inside Noli, but delivery runs through Photon, and Noli has no way to check your Photon details when you save them. Send yourself a test message before you rely on it.

What you need

• A free Photon account. It takes about a minute to create.
• Your Noli login, with the Chief of Staff on your plan.

Step 1: Create a free Photon project

1. Go to app.photon.codes and create a free account.
2. Create a new project.
3. Open the project settings and copy two values: your project ID and your project secret. Keep them handy for the next step.

Step 2: Connect it in Noli

1. In Noli, open your Chief of Staff and go to the Channels tab.
2. Scroll to the iMessage card, below your other channels.
3. Paste your Photon project ID and project secret into the two fields.
4. Click Connect. Your Chief of Staff restarts for a few seconds to connect, so give it about a minute. The card then shows saved.

Step 3: Send your first message

1. In your Photon dashboard, find the number your project uses for iMessage.
2. Text that number from your phone.
3. The first time a new number messages your Chief of Staff, it needs your approval. The request appears under Who can message your Chief of Staff at the top of the Channels tab when someone is waiting. Click Approve, and that person can message from then on.

That is it. You can now text your Chief of Staff any time, and it will reply and take action just like it does on the web.

Good to know

• Only people you approve can message your Chief of Staff, so your line stays private.
• To replace your Photon details, paste the new ones into the iMessage card and click Replace.
• There is no off switch on the card yet. To stop iMessage, delete the project in your Photon dashboard, or write to support@noliai.com and we will remove it for you.
• Usage from iMessage counts toward your plan the same as chatting on the web.

Troubleshooting

• If it does not connect after a minute, double check that both the project ID and the secret are correct, then paste them again and click Replace.
• If the card says needs both values, only one of the two was saved. Paste both and click the button again.
• If a message does not get a reply, make sure the sender has been approved under Who can message your Chief of Staff in the Channels tab.