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 assistant to iMessage. You bring your own free Photon project, so your messages run under your own account.

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 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. Find the Messaging (iMessage) section.
3. Paste your Photon project ID and project secret into the two fields.
4. Click Save. Your assistant restarts for a few seconds to connect, so give it about a minute.

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 assistant, it needs your approval. You will see the request under "Who can message your assistant" in the Channels tab. 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 assistant, so your line stays private.
• To turn off iMessage, clear the Photon fields in the Channels tab and click Save.
• 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 click Save again.
• If a message does not get a reply, make sure the sender has been approved under "Who can message your assistant" in the Channels tab.