What you will accomplish

You will connect your facility's AI Assistant to a team iMessage group chat so staff can ask questions by text—without opening the dashboard on a computer.

When setup is complete:

• Verified teammates can text the assistant from their own phone.
• Your group chat can look up customers, cars, schedule, and parking.
• Admins can pause, resume, or unlink the group from Settings > AI Agent.

This guide is for facility owners and admins. Front-desk staff who only need to use the group chat should read Use the AI Assistant in iMessage after an admin finishes setup.

Before you start

• You can sign in as a facility admin (or someone with AI Assistant settings access).
• Your facility has iMessage AI Agent turned on by Car Storage Software support. If the settings page says the feature is not enabled, contact support—there is nothing to configure yet.
• Each teammate who will text the assistant has an iPhone or Mac with Messages and knows their mobile number.
• You have (or will create) a group chat in Messages for your operations team—not a chat with customers.

Step 1: Open AI Agent settings

1. Go to Settings

   In the dashboard sidebar, click Settings.

   Why this matters: iMessage linking is a one-time facility setup. It lives with other admin tools—not on the daily AI Assistant chat page.

2. Click AI Agent

   Open Settings > AI Agent.

   Expected result: You see sections named Team members, Connect a group chat, Linked group chats, and Team memory.

Step 2: Add and verify team phone numbers

Each person who will text the assistant must be added here first, then verify from their phone.

1. Click Add member

   In Team members, click Add member.

   Expected result: A window titled Add team member opens.

2. Choose the teammate

   Open the Team member list and pick yourself or a coworker.

   Why this matters: The phone number must belong to the person who will send texts. Pick the right name so your team stays organized.

3. Enter first name, last name, and mobile number

   Fill in First name, Last name, and Mobile number using the number that person texts from every day.

   Example format: (610) 555-1234

4. Click Add member

   Click Add member to save.

   Expected result: The window closes. The person appears in the table with status Pending.

5. Verify from the phone

   That person opens Messages on their iPhone or Mac and sends any text to the Assistant phone number shown on this page.

   Why this matters: Verification proves the number is real and belongs to that teammate. The assistant will not accept link codes from unverified phones.

   Expected result: After a short wait, status changes from Pending to Verified.

Step 3: Create the group chat in Messages

Do this on a phone or Mac before you generate a link code.

1. Copy the assistant phone number

   In Connect a group chat, find Assistant phone number and click Copy.

   Expected result: The facility assistant number is on your clipboard.

2. Start a new group in Messages

   Open the Messages app. Create a new group with:

   • Your operations teammates (the people who should ask the assistant questions)
   • The assistant phone number you copied

   Why this matters: The assistant only joins group chats—not one-on-one texts with customers. Keep this group for staff only.

3. Name the group clearly

   Give the group a name your team will recognize, such as Mega Speed Ops or Front Desk Assistant.

   Expected result: Everyone in the group can see messages from teammates and from the assistant.

Step 4: Generate and send a link code

1. Confirm your phone is verified

   You must see Verified next to your own number in Team members. If not, send a text to the assistant number first.

   Why this matters: The Generate link code button stays disabled until your phone is verified.

2. Click Generate link code

   In Connect a group chat, click Generate link code.

   Expected result: A box appears with a command to send, such as LINK ABC123. It also shows when the code expires.

3. Copy and paste into the group chat

   Click Copy, then paste the full command into your team group chat in Messages. Send it from your verified phone.

   Why this matters: The code ties that specific group chat to your facility. Anyone with the code could link a chat—treat it like a password and send it only in your trusted group.

4. Wait for confirmation

   Within a minute, the group should appear under Linked group chats on this settings page with status active.

   Expected result: Your team can now ask questions in that group chat and receive replies from the assistant.

Step 5: Confirm the linked group

1. Check Linked group chats

   Scroll to Linked group chats on Settings > AI Agent.

   Expected result: Your group name appears with a green active badge and a Linked date.

2. Send a test question

   In the group chat, send a simple question such as What's on the schedule today?

   Expected result: The assistant replies in the group within a few seconds. See Use the AI Assistant in iMessage for good example questions.

Pause, resume, or unlink a group

Admins can control a linked chat without deleting Messages history.

Expected result after Unlink: The group no longer appears as active. You can link a different group with a new link code.

Troubleshooting

Generate link code is grayed out

Your phone is not Verified yet. Send any text from that phone to the assistant number, wait a moment, and refresh the page.

The group never shows as linked

• Confirm you sent the LINK command inside the group chat, not as a solo text.
• Confirm the sender's phone is Verified in Team members.
• Generate a fresh code if the old one expired.

A teammate cannot get Verified

Check that they typed the mobile number correctly in Add member. The number must match the SIM they text from. They can remove and re-add the member if needed.

I linked the wrong group

Click Unlink on that row, create the correct group in Messages, and generate a new link code.

What to do next

• Use the AI Assistant in iMessage — teach your team what to ask and how replies work.
• Manage team memory for the AI Assistant — add facts the assistant should remember in every chat.
• Manage team permissions — turn on AI Assistant for staff who need the web page or settings.
• AI Assistant overview — compare web and iMessage workflows.