Verification Codes

The one-time codes in your recent text messages, newest first; enter pastes the code where you were.

palv0.1.0Integrationbundled󱔓Menu bar: Latest code

Install in pal

Ships inside pal. Installing puts an editable copy ahead of the bundled one.

Verification Codes: The codes of the day and earlier: the sender, the message, the code as a tag, when it came
The codes of the day and earlier: the sender, the message, the code as a tag, when it came
Verification Codes: The detail pane: the whole message, the code, the sender, when it was received
The detail pane: the whole message, the code, the sender, when it was received
Verification Codes: Paste the code into the app in front, copy it, or copy the sender
Paste the code into the app in front, copy it, or copy the sender
1 of 3

What it does

Verification Codes

One-time codes out of your recent text messages, read straight from Messages' database (~/Library/Messages/chat.db, read-only, one SQLite query per listing). The last hours of incoming messages are scanned; a message counts when it talks about a code (code, kod, şifre, OTP, PIN, parola, passcode, verification, doğrulama, código, token and so on) and carries a run of 4 to 8 digits that is not part of an amount, a date, a time or a phone number; Google's G-123456 is taken by its digits.

The row is the sender as Messages knows it (a shortcode like NORTHBANK, an alphanumeric originator, a number or an email; a number or an email that is in Contacts shows the contact's name, read from the AddressBook database the same permission covers), the message text is the subtitle, the code is a green tag on the right with how long ago it arrived. Sections are Today and Earlier, newest first. A live palette: listed again on every show, so the code that just arrived is at the top, and the codes are root results while they are in the window (type the sender or the code itself). The detail pane (cmd+i) has the whole message, the code, the sender and when it was received.

Keyboard

keys action what
enter Paste code hides, then pastes the code into the app that was in front
cmd+c Copy code copies the code
cmd+shift+c Copy sender copies the sender as Messages stores it (+1 555 0142, not the contact's name)

Setup

Full Disk Access. Messages keeps the database behind it, and without it SQLite answers "authorization denied": the palette then has one row, "Full Disk Access needed", whose action opens System Settings, Privacy & Security, Full Disk Access. Add pal there and open the palette again. There is no other way to read Messages.

Paste is a synthesised Cmd+V, which macOS only delivers from a process on the Accessibility list; without it pal shows the system prompt once and a toast saying what to grant. Copying needs nothing.

A database SQLite reports locked (Messages writing at that moment) is copied aside with its -wal and -shm and the copy is read, then removed. A database that is not there ("No Messages database"), or any other read error, is one inert row with the reason. Messages on Ventura and later keeps many texts in attributedBody rather than text; both are read.

Settings, [extensions.otp]:

key type default what
hours number, 1 to 720 24 How far back to scan.
senders list [] Senders never listed, as Messages shows them (AKBANK, a number, an email); case does not matter.
db path ~/Library/Messages/chat.db The database to read. ~ is expanded.
contacts path empty An AddressBook-v22.abcddb for names; empty reads every source under ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook.

The bar item Latest code puts the newest code on the strip for a minute after it arrives (green, the sender and the message as its tooltip); a click copies it. Hidden the rest of the time.

What it does not do

  • Codes from email, authenticator apps or the browser: only Messages (SMS and iMessage) is read.
  • Codes without a keyword near them: a bare six-digit text is not listed, since it could be anything.
  • Codes longer than 8 digits or shorter than 4, or spaced ones (123 456 is read as two numbers).
  • Delete or mark messages; the database is opened read-only.

Platforms

macOS only: the palette reads Messages, which Linux does not have (there the palette is one "Unavailable" row and the bar item is hidden). Needs Full Disk Access to read, and Accessibility to paste.

Palettes 1

  • Otpotplive

    Codes from the last day of messages, Today and Earlier.

    • ↵Paste the code
    • ⌘CCopy the code
    • ⌘⇧CCopy the sender

Actions

  • Paste codeHides, then pastes into the app that was in front.↵
  • Copy code⌘C
  • Copy senderAs Messages stores it.⌘⇧C

Settings

Extension, [extensions.otp]

hours
24hours number

How many hours of messages to scan for codes.

senders
none list

Senders whose messages are never listed, as Messages shows them (a shortcode like AKBANK, a number, an email). Case does not matter.

db
~/Library/Messages/chat.db path

The chat.db to read. ~ is expanded.

contacts
empty path

An AddressBook-v22.abcddb whose names replace phone numbers; empty means every source under ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook.

Defaults shown. Change them in pal's settings window or in the config file.