Seven IPhone Automations That Will Make Your Life Easier
We spend a lot of time on our iPhones doing simple repetitive tasks that we don’t have to do. In fact, these simple repetitive tasks can and should be transferred to your iPhone so you can get back to the tasks you really want to do, like scrolling through Instagram and TikTok. If you’re willing to take a couple of minutes to set up, you can use the Shortcuts app to automate many of the features and activities you use every day.
What is iPhone automation?
The Shortcuts app has a dedicated tab called Automation . Here you can define actions that automatically run when something happens. (And that “something” is a pretty long list.) For example, your iPhone might automatically launch a shortcut when you arrive in a designated area, when you connect your iPhone to a Bluetooth network, or just at 6:00 PM.
This gives you plenty of room to play. Let’s set up the automation first so you have an idea of what we’re talking about. We’ll set up a simple one where you can automatically activate work focus when you get to your office building.
Open the Shortcuts app, go to the Automation tab, click Plus and select Create Personal Automation . Here select the trigger point, in this example it is Arrival. Find a location and select the area on the map where you want to activate this shortcut. Click Finish and then Next to move on.
You will now see the shortcut builder interface. Here, click Add Action , find and add the Set Focus action. Then select ” Focus ” and switch to the ” On ” option. You can also choose when you want automation to be enabled (until you turn it off manually or until you leave the location). Then click Next and Finish .
And here you have it; your automation is enabled.
This was just one example. Now that you know how to choose a trigger and the corresponding actions, here are some automation ideas you should try. The steps for setting them up will be the same, the only difference will be in terms of actions.
Also, when you’re on the last automation setup page, don’t forget to turn off the ” Ask before launch ” option. If you don’t do this, the automation won’t start automatically. To make it truly hassle-free, also turn off the ” Notify at startup ” option.
Create your own notifications
Usually we get notifications, and they can be very annoying. But what if you could create notifications to help you? Perhaps a notification when the iPhone’s battery level drops to 40%, or a reminder to check the keys before leaving the house? Or, if you’re like me, a notice that says, “Please, for God’s sake, go to bed” at 11:00 pm every night. Just an idea.
Choose any trigger point you want. Time of day , battery level , vacation , depending on your needs. Then select the Show Notification action and customize the text. That’s it, you should see a notification when the trigger fires.
Open Spotify (or any other music app) while connected to a Bluetooth device.
If you don’t use the Apple Music app or always open your favorite podcast app when you connect your Bluetooth headphones, here’s a way to speed things up.
Select Bluetooth as the trigger and pair your device. Select ” Open App ” as the action and tap ” App ” to select the app you want. Boom! The next time you connect to this device, it will automatically open the selected app. If you want to open a specific Spotify playlist, use the Open Link option and paste the playlist link.
Set the watch face based on the time of day, location, etc.
Set watch face is a great action that can be used in many ways. You can assign it to a time trigger to automatically switch to the minimum watch face at sunset, or set it to change the Infograph watch face when you get to work. You can also link it to Focus.
Go into low power mode whenever you want
By default, the iPhone prompts you to turn on power saving mode when the battery reaches 20% and you need to choose whether to turn it on or continue on the course. Instead, you can automatically turn on low power mode when the battery reaches any desired percentage.
To do this, select the ” Battery Level ” trigger with the ” Equal to % ” parameter set to the desired %. Use the Set Low Power Mode option and make sure it is set to On .
Automatically send a text message when you reach a location
The Messages app is closely related to the Shortcuts app, so you can create an automation that can automatically send a predefined message. This can be done when you turn on the focus mode or when you leave or reach the area.
A common use case is to send a message to a family member that you have left work or that you are in the car. Select an Exit or Arrive trigger (or a Bluetooth trigger if you want to send it anytime you’re driving). Then select the Send Message action and configure the Message and Recipients part.
In fact turn off Wi-Fi, Cellular and Bluetooth whenever you want.
We’ve already covered how your iPhone doesn’t actually turn off Wi-Fi, cellular, or Bluetooth when you use the Control Center. It just turns them off until 5am the next day. Creating a shortcut to actually disable them is a good idea .
Additionally, you can automate this by either using the sleep focus as a trigger, or linking it to a low power mode or custom battery level . This can really help you save battery life.
After selecting a trigger, use the ” Set Bluetooth “, ” Set Wi-Fi ” and ” Set Cellular Data ” options and turn them off.