How To Make SMS message from text editor, on macOS, not using AppleScript

soup_sam

I wanted a way to draft an SMS message on macOS from within my text editor -- and then launch to Messages with a Service item in the Services menu (right-click). After the text is in Messages, I type a few characters to get the recipient name (or paste their phone #), return, tab, return — sent! This tool avoids the situation, encountered much too often — too many times when drafting a message inside Messages, using keyboard shortcuts, I sent an...

Originally asked by BobK77 on Stack Exchange (stackoverflow) (CC BY-SA 4.0).

uphilltech

Great question — answering as the UphillTech team:

Solution uses: A feature of jq (JQ) to URL-encode the body of the message. The URL scheme sms:/open?&body=\<the_body_URLencoded\> to open the Messages app with the text of the message. Automator : New : Quick Action Workflow receives current [ text ] in [ any application ] Input is [entire selection] Image: [ Send ] Color: [ Green ] Action {chosen from Library}: [Utilities/ Run Shell Script ] Shell: [ bin/zsh ] Pass input: [ as arguments ] {command line statement is:} open "sms:/open?&body=$(echo $1 | jq -sRr @uri)" Saved. Is stored in: ~/Library/Services/+SMS.workflow Automator window: Result in Messages:

Full answer by BobK77: https://stackoverflow.stackexchange.com/a/79810754 (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Need it done for your business? UphillTech.