Work · Community report
Build a recent contacts dashboard
In a post on X, a Muse user describes building a contacts dashboard of everyone they messaged on iMessage or WhatsApp in the last 30 days, with ideas like birthdays to add next. How message access was granted is not explained, so decide that before you start.
What you can get
What it is
Dashboard
A list of the people you messaged on iMessage or WhatsApp in a recent window, built from the conversations you grant access to.
It came back right when
- The dashboard only covers the apps and window you named.
- No conversation outside that scope was read to build it.
- Names and contacts in the list match who you actually messaged.
- Nothing was shared or exported outside the dashboard itself.
- Any added field, like last-contact date, is clearly labelled as to how it was derived.
The checks are editorial, not from the source.
- Set scopeStops for your approval
Apps, time window, and whether group chats are included are decided up front.
- Build the first list
A draft contacts list is generated from the scoped message access.
- Check for merges and duplicatesStops for your approval
Names and contacts are reviewed for mismatches before trusting the list.
- Add fields one at a timeStops for your approval
Any extra field, like last-contact date, is added and checked individually.
Editorial, not from the source
Works when
- You want a simple list of recent contacts rather than a full social graph.
- You are comfortable granting scoped read access to your messages.
- You will check the first version for mismatched or merged names.
Does not work when
- You are not comfortable granting message access at all.
- You need guaranteed accuracy on names and contact details without checking.
- You want the dashboard to include other people's content without considering their privacy.
Build a recent contacts dashboard: review template
| Contact row | Source conversation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| [Name] | [App and thread] | [Confirmed / merged?] |
| [Duplicate candidate] | [Alternate nickname or number] | [Resolved] |
| [Added field] | [How it was derived] | [Checked] |
The source case
On X, @Andrey__HQ says they built a view of everyone they interacted with on iMessage or WhatsApp in the last 30 days with Meta Muse, and lists ideas to expand it with connections, recent chat history and birthdays. The post describes the result and plans for it; it does not say how message access was granted, what the dashboard actually looked like, or whether any of the expansion ideas were built. Checked on 2026-10-09; one individual's report, not a promise of the same result.
A public report by someone outside this library. Not independently reproduced here.
From the source
Source excerpt
Built a pretty sweet view of everyone I've interacted with on imessage or whatsapp in the last 30 days with @Muse
Quoted from the original posts. Not written by this guide, and not a result produced here.
Suggested prompt
Bring Messaging apps to include, Time window. Acts Reads the message history you grant access to. Does not share or export the dashboard anywhere on its own. Source community report, checked 2026-10-09.
Written by this guide as a starting point, not quoted from the source. Your edits stay in this browser.
Other ways to ask
Editorial rewrites of the brief above, for a different emphasis. Copy them separately.
What you need
Editorial, not from the source
You supply
- Messaging apps to include
- Time window
Connected
- iMessage and/or WhatsApp, scoped to what you approve
Approved by you
- Read access limited to the window and apps you name
- Review before any extra field is added
How to try it
Editorial, not from the source
- Decide which messaging apps and which time window the dashboard should cover.
- Grant access to only those conversations, rather than your full message history by default.
- Review the first version of the list for names it has mis-matched or merged before trusting it.
- Add any extra fields, such as recent topics or last-contact date, one at a time so you can check each addition.
Scope the access before building anything
A dashboard of recent contacts starts with a decision that matters more than the dashboard itself: which messaging apps and which time window are actually in scope. Grant access to iMessage or WhatsApp conversations within that window specifically, rather than opening full message history by default, since a recent-contacts view does not need years of past conversations to do its job. Decide up front whether the dashboard should include group chats or only direct messages, because a group thread with dozens of people can flood a contacts list with names that are not really close contacts. Narrowing the scope before the first build makes the result easier to check and reduces how much personal data, including other people's messages, gets touched to make one list.
Check the first version before trusting it
The attributed post describes a dashboard built from recent iMessage and WhatsApp activity, but it does not say how access was granted or whether the names and contacts came out clean. Treat the first version as a draft to review rather than a finished product. Look specifically for two common problems: the same person appearing twice under a nickname or a second number, and a group chat member being listed as an individual contact when they are not someone you message directly. Correct these manually rather than assuming later versions will fix themselves, since a contacts list that silently merges or duplicates people is more confusing than no list at all.
Add extra fields carefully, one at a time
The source post lists ideas for expanding the dashboard, such as connections, recent chat history by topic, and birthdays, but does not report that any of these were actually built or checked. If you want to add fields like these, do it one at a time and review each addition before moving to the next, rather than requesting all of them at once. A field like "last topic discussed" pulled from message content is a summary, not a transcript, and can misread context; check a few examples against the real conversation before relying on it. Remember that message content can include other people's private information, so expanding the dashboard also expands what personal data about them is being stored and reviewed.
Open Muse to try it. That is the product's own site; this guide is not part of it.
Limits and confirmation points
Limits to confirm
- The post does not describe how iMessage or WhatsApp access was granted, or what permissions that required.
- Message content can include other people's private conversations; a dashboard built from it is personal data about them too.
- The post's ideas for expanding the dashboard, such as birthdays or chat history, were not reported as built or tested.
- This is one attributed report of a personal dashboard, not a verified or repeated setup.
Stop and check
Editorial, not from the source
- Before it starts: confirm which apps and which time window are in scope.
- After the first build: check names and contacts for mismatches or merges.
- Before adding fields: review each addition, such as chat history or birthdays, one at a time.
If it goes wrong
Editorial, not from the source
- Two different contacts get merged into one row
- Check for shared nicknames or multiple numbers for the same person, and correct the merge manually before trusting the list.
- The dashboard includes conversations outside the window you asked for
- Restate the exact date range and ask for anything outside it to be removed.
- You are unsure what access was granted to build it
- Check your iMessage and WhatsApp permission settings directly rather than relying on a description of what was requested.
Common questions
Which messages should I grant access to?
Only the apps and time window you actually want covered. Scope access to a recent-contacts window rather than opening full message history by default.
Does the dashboard include group chats?
Decide explicitly. A group thread with many members can flood a contacts list with names that are not really close contacts unless you exclude group chats or set a different rule for them.
How do I catch duplicate or merged contacts?
Check the first version of the list for the same person appearing under a nickname or a second number, and correct any merge manually rather than assuming it is accurate.
Were the expansion ideas in the source post, like birthdays, actually built?
Not reported. The post lists them as ideas for expanding the dashboard, not as features that were built or tested.
Is other people's message content involved?
Yes, if you message them. A dashboard built from your conversations includes information about the people you talked to, so scope and review matter for their privacy as well as yours.
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