read_messages
Reads messages from an iMessage conversation by chat ID or contact name.
This record as markdown: /tools/com-local-mcp-local-mcp/read-messages.md
What read_messages does on Local
AI agents call read_messages to retrieve information from Local without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
limit | integer | — | Max messages (default 50) |
chat_id | string | — | Chat identifier from list_message_chats |
contact_name | string | — | Contact name substring (alternative to chat_id) |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why read_messages is rated Low
This tool retrieves message content from iMessage conversations without modifying, deleting, or executing anything. However, severity is elevated to medium rather than low because iMessage conversations often contain sensitive personal communications, private information, and potentially confidential data. An AI agent with unrestricted access could exfiltrate large volumes of private messages.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'read_messages' and description states it 'Reads messages from an iMessage conversation by chat ID or contact name.' The verb 'Reads' and the passive nature (retrieves data without modification) clearly indicate a Read operation.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs read_messages safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Local, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For read_messages, this is the rule to start with:
read_messages is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Local, apply this rule, and every read_messages call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about read_messages
Reads messages from an iMessage conversation by chat ID or contact name. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Local MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
read_messages accepts 3 parameters: limit, chat_id, contact_name. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Local MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for read_messages: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Local. Nothing to install.
read_messages is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the read_messages rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for read_messages. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
read_messages is provided by the Local MCP server (local-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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