How to Send iMessages from Python in 5 Minutes

If you want to send iMessages from a Python script, bot, or backend service, you can do it in under 5 minutes with the Sendblue Python SDK. This tutorial walks you through installation, sending your first message, handling replies via webhooks, and sending media attachments.

Prerequisites

You need Python 3.7+ installed and a Sendblue account. Sign up at dashboard.sendblue.com to get your API key and secret — it's free, no credit card required.

You can also use the Sendblue CLI to create your account: npm install -g @sendblue/cli && sendblue setup

Install the Sendblue Python SDK

Install the SDK via pip:

pip install sendblue

That's it. The SDK handles authentication, request formatting, and error handling.

Send Your First iMessage

Create a Python file and add the following code:

from sendblue import Sendblue

# Initialize with your API credentials
sendblue = Sendblue(
    api_key="your_api_key",
    api_secret="your_api_secret"
)

# Send an iMessage
response = sendblue.send_message(
    number="+15551234567",
    content="Hello from Python! 🚀",
    send_style="celebration"  # optional iMessage effect
)

print(response)

Run this and your recipient will receive a blue bubble iMessage with a celebration effect. If they don't have iMessage, Sendblue automatically falls back to RCS, then SMS.

The send_style parameter is optional and supports iMessage effects like celebration, fireworks, lasers, love, confetti, and more.

Send Media Attachments

Send images, videos, PDFs, or any file alongside your message:

# Send a message with an image
response = sendblue.send_message(
    number="+15551234567",
    content="Check out this product!",
    media_url="https://example.com/product-image.jpg"
)

# Send a contact card (vCard) - unique to Sendblue
response = sendblue.send_message(
    number="+15551234567",
    media_url="https://example.com/contact.vcf"
)

Contact cards (vCards) are powerful — when the recipient taps to save, your business name appears on all future messages. Sendblue is the only iMessage API that supports programmatic vCard delivery.

Check if a Number Has iMessage

Before sending, you can check whether a phone number supports iMessage:

# Evaluate if a number has iMessage
result = sendblue.evaluate_service("+15551234567")
print(result)
# Returns: {"is_imessage": true, "number": "+15551234567"}

This is useful for routing: send iMessage to iPhone users and SMS to everyone else for maximum deliverability.

Receive Messages with Webhooks

Set up a webhook endpoint to receive replies. Here's a Flask example:

from flask import Flask, request, jsonify

app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route("/webhook", methods=["POST"])
def receive_message():
    data = request.json
    sender = data.get("from_number")
    message = data.get("content")
    media = data.get("media_url")

    print(f"Message from {sender}: {message}")

    # Process the message (AI, routing, logging, etc.)
    # Then reply:
    sendblue.send_message(
        number=sender,
        content="Thanks for your message!"
    )

    return jsonify({"status": "ok"}), 200

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app.run(port=5000)

Configure your webhook URL in the Sendblue dashboard under Settings → Webhooks. For local development, use ngrok to expose your local server.

Next Steps

You're now sending and receiving iMessages from Python. Here's what to explore next:

Build an AI agent — Connect Claude or GPT-4 to your webhook for intelligent auto-replies
Webhook deep dive — Handle delivery receipts, typing indicators, and media attachments
Zapier integration — Connect iMessage to 7,000+ apps without code
Full API docs — Explore group messaging, FaceTime Audio, carousel messages, and more

The Python SDK supports all Sendblue API features. Check the documentation for the complete reference.

Python

iMessage API

Tutorial

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