I’m really enjoying the ambient music controls that were added to Control Center in iOS 18.5. I wear hearing aids all day and it’s been just delightful to be able quickly get some chill music playing in my ears when I’m working, walking, cooking, etc. A very nice little quality of life feature.
Category: iOS
I recently shared some thoughts on several iOS Shortcuts Automations that I’ve been using to help reduce battery drain during the day on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. See that post here.
After writing that post, I came across a very helpful YouTube video by Stephen Robles: 10 Shortcuts to Save your iPhone Battery. His video gave me a couple more ideas which I’ve incorporated into my automations.
In particular, he pointed out that in addition to putting the iPhone into Low Power Mode, another setting to change to further reduce battery drain is to turn off the always on display. So I’ve updated my automations to do both – whenever I put the iPhone into Low Power Mode, I also turn off the always on display setting. And vice-versa – so that when I turn off Low Power Mode (like when I’m charging the phone) I turn the always on display back on.
In our fast-paced digital world, efficiency is key. Apple’s iOS offers a powerful tool for streamlining daily tasks through its Shortcuts app. iOS automations allow users to create custom workflows that trigger automatically based on various conditions, such as location changes, battery levels, or device connections. These automations can significantly enhance your iPhone experience, saving time and reducing the need for manual interventions.
In this post, I’ll share some of the iOS automations I’ve set up to make my daily life smoother and more efficient. These shortcuts demonstrate how small, automated actions can add up to a more seamless mobile experience.
When I Leave Home
Set Low Power Mode
One of the first automations I’ve set up triggers when I leave my home. As soon as my iPhone detects that I’ve left my home location, it automatically enables Low Power Mode. This is particularly useful for conserving battery life when I’m out and about away from home.
When I Come Home
If Home, Turn Off Low Power Mode
Complementing the previous automation, I have another set to trigger when I arrive home. This automation checks if Low Power Mode is active and turns it off. At home, I typically have easy access to chargers, so maximizing battery life becomes less critical.
CarPlay Automations
My car has CarPlay which offers excellent opportunities for automation, enhancing both safety and convenience while driving. I’ve created a few automations triggered by when my iPhone connects or disconnects from CarPlay.
When CarPlay Connects
When my iPhone connects to CarPlay, it triggers a series of actions:
– Music: A selected playlist starts playing automatically, setting the mood for my drive without requiring me to navigate through music apps.
– Message: The system sends an automated message stating “Now leaving [location]”. This keeps important contacts informed about my movements without my manual input.
– Maps: The Maps app opens automatically, ready for me to input a destination if needed.
When CarPlay Disconnects
Upon disconnecting from CarPlay:
– Message: An automated message is sent saying “Now arrived at [location]”. This provides a convenient way to let others know I’ve reached my destination safely.
iPhone Battery Management
If Not at Home and Battery < 70%
To ensure I don’t run out of battery unexpectedly, I’ve set up an automation that triggers when I’m not at home and my battery level drops below 70%. This automatically enables Low Power Mode, helping to extend my battery life when I might not have immediate access to a charger.
If Connected to Power
Conversely, when my iPhone is connected to a power source, an automation turns off Low Power Mode. This allows the device to perform all functions at full capacity while charging, ensuring background tasks and updates can proceed normally.
These automations represent just a fraction of what’s possible with iOS Shortcuts. By automating these small but frequent tasks, I’ve reduced the cognitive load of managing my device and improved its efficiency. The beauty of iOS automations lies in their customizability – you can tailor them to fit your specific needs and lifestyle. I’m having fun experimenting with using iOS automations!
Note: This post began with me making a mind-map using Mindnode on my iPhone. I then exported it in Markdown format. Using the new Claude 3.5 Sonnet I wrote a prompt describing what I wanted to write, included the Markdown from Mindnode as input and asked Claude to write a first draft beginning with some background on iOS automation. I took Claude’s first draft – which was quite good – and refined it with my own edits before publishing it here.
I was traveling on Monday so I wasn’t able to tune into the Apple WWDC 2024 keynote until later in the day. When I did, I skipped through the first hour (with the various OS updates) and went immediately to the discussion of Apple Intelligence, Apple’s name for the application of generative artificial intelligence. I was blown away.
I expected Apple to leverage its unique privacy-protecting access to our data stored securely on our mobile devices – but I didn’t expect the technical elegance that Apple applied to its approach.
Apple’s AI discussion reminded me of a similar feeling I had back when Apple Pay was introduced. As someone who had grown up in the credit card industry working at Visa and being a “techie” who enjoyed following technology developments, I could see the piece parts to a mobile payment solution based on contactless/NFC technology. But I didn’t anticipate the elegance with which Apple applied the technology as well as the creativity it brought to the business aspects of working with the payment card industry to introduce perhaps the best possible mobile payment solution.
Utilizing our private information with locally executed machine learning models makes logical sense. The challenge is how to do so when the compute or memory resources required of the model are beyond the capabilities of the mobile device. That’s where Apple’s invention of Private Cloud Compute provides the answer. And it’s brilliantly architected to provide access to those resources in a privacy protecting fashion.
We don’t yet have any access to these new Apple AI capabilities – and the proof will be in the pudding when we do – but the promise laid out by Apple in Monday’s keynote is very exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing how well Apple executes on its very differentiated approach.
Have the winter blues got you yearning for something more?
As winter rains descend upon Northern California once again, I find myself embracing the cozy ambiance indoors while embarking on a journey of discovery amidst the inclement weather. Instead of succumbing to the lull of hibernation, I’ve delved into a world of newfound inspiration and innovation, primarily through the vast expanse of online resources.
Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing some of my recent discoveries here. Perhaps you’ll find something of value from what I’ve found! Included is a nifty tip below for quickly capturing fleeting ideas during the day, creative uses of ChatGPT, a series on how some great authors actually write, a field guide on personal productivity, an online course of developing your PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) system, and more. Let’s get started…
A couple of years ago, I was hardly aware of YouTube. Once in a while I’d see a video returned in one of my Google searches – often for help in fixing something or another. Somewhere along the way, I discovered all of the content on YouTube – and, in particular, the value of YouTube Premium which enables uninterrupted and background YouTube video playback..
Now, YouTube is my spare time enjoyment channel – where I discover new creators sharing new ideas and stimulating conversations. Have you discovered any hidden gems online during your rainy days? Share your discoveries in the comments below! Here are a couple of my recent delights:
Have you ever lost a great idea in a blink? Rich Bowlin has a great YouTube channel that is a goldmine with down-to-earth, straightforward how-to videos about using iPhones and iPads.
Inspired by one of his videos on the use of shortcuts, I built one that captures fleeting ideas with just two taps on the back of my iPhone! Imagine never losing another one of my brilliant thoughts again! I can quickly enter text about the idea which it appends to a daily note for today – or creates a daily note for today if it hasn’t already been created. Later, when I have time, I can open that note and be immediately reminded of my fleeting ideas from early that day. Here’s Rich’s video where he describes his approach.
In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, maintaining focus on the task at hand has become increasingly challenging. With constant distractions clamoring for our attention, staying productive and centered on our goals seems like an uphill battle. Recognizing this common struggle, Apple introduced a game-changing feature called Focus Mode in iOS 15, designed to empower users by customizing their digital experience to suit specific contexts, thus fostering a deeper sense of presence and enhancing concentration.
Focus Modes represent a significant enhancement to the existing Do Not Disturb switch, providing users with the flexibility to define up to 10 personalized modes across their Apple devices signed into the same iCloud account. Each Focus Mode can be tailored to cater to distinct scenarios, allowing users to curate their digital environment and strategically filter out distractions.
Imagine beginning your day with a “Work” Focus Mode that silences social media notifications, personal messages, and non-essential emails, enabling you to channel your energy into crucial tasks without the constant buzz of interruptions. Alternatively, during a “Fitness” Focus Mode, only health-related apps and notifications would break through, encouraging an uninterrupted workout routine without distractions.
Initially, some users may overlook the potential of Focus Modes, as I did myself until iOS 16 introduced several enhancements that caught my attention. After experimenting with various modes, I discovered a “Reading” focus mode that significantly improved my reading experience. With the “Set a Schedule” feature in Focus mode setup, I could automatically activate this Reading mode whenever I opened reading-centric apps like Kindle, Instapaper, Gmail, Twitter, YouTube (watching is like reading!) and a few more. In this way, Reading focus mode effectively minimizes notifications, allowing me to immerse myself fully in the reading material while minimizing disruptions.
A real breakthrough came when I stumbled upon “Focus Filters.” Within my Reading focus mode, I also configured my iPhone to activate dark mode and low power mode, preserving battery life while creating a distraction-free reading environment. Why have my iPhone waste battery power doing other tasks in the background – like email, etc – while I’m reading?
Setting up a Focus Mode is straightforward through the Settings/Focus setting, although it may require some initial experimentation to find the perfect configuration.
To further complement my Reading focus mode, I also created a Personal Automation shortcut that automatically enables low power mode whenever my battery level drops below 50% and I’m away from my home Wi-Fi network. Another automation reverses the process when the battery level rises above 50%.
These seemingly small enhancements have improved my overall iPhone experience, making it more personal and satisfying. Embracing Focus Modes has been a game-changer, helping me reclaim control over my attention and boost productivity in various aspects of my life.
In conclusion, Apple’s Focus Modes epitomize the company’s commitment to enhancing user experience and productivity. By leveraging this powerful feature, users can tailor their digital environment to suit specific contexts, unlocking a new level of focus and efficiency. So, why not give it a try and experience the transformative potential of Focus Modes for yourself? It may just be the key to unlocking a more meaningful and rewarding digital lifestyle.
I’ve been using this handy utility for a few years now – but increasingly so over the last year. It’s kind of magical in the functionality it provides. While there are other good note taking apps – including Apple’s Notes app – Drafts is especially useful for capturing spur of the moment ideas for later processing. The developer describes Drafts as “where text starts. Quickly capture text and send it almost anywhere.”
Because Drafts is available everywhere in the Apple ecosystem – Mac, iPad, iPhone and Watch – it’s universally available whenever you need it. Apple Notes is mostly everywhere – but weirdly not on the Watch.
The way that Drafts works is simple but takes a bit of learning to grow accustomed to using it regularly. When you open Drafts on the Mac or iOS/iPadOS, it opens as a blank note – waiting for you to enter something. It’s designed for that quick capture – type in some text – or dictate it – and away you go. Sometime later you can come back to Drafts and review all of the notes you’ve captured – and decide what you want to do with each one.
I’ve put a complication for Drafts on my Apple Watch face so that with one tap I can open Drafts and begin capturing an idea using dictation on the Watch. After I’ve captured my idea, Drafts on the Watch will sync the note containing my new idea via iCloud and make it available to Drafts apps running on my other devices – Mac, iPhone, or iPad – where I can open it later and decide what to do with it. For example, if I have an idea for an email I need to send or a blog post I want to write, I can capture those initial thoughts using Drafts and later go back and “revise and extend” those thoughts as I choose – and then send that final version of the text out via email or into my blog application. It doesn’t get any handier.
Drafts has a number of additional features that continue to evolve as the developer releases new versions and as members of the Drafts community contribute actions and themes which extend the functionality of the app.
Drafts is no youngster – this month the developer is celebrating the app’s 10th anniversary. The app is available for free – but the advanced features require a Pro subscription which is available on a special deal this month (through April 2022) for $4.99 for the first year.
I’m a big fan of Drafts – and a Pro subscriber. It’s become a regular part of my daily tech life. I’m such a fan that I just wanted to highlight how useful it is to me – thus this post – which itself began on Drafts! Perhaps you’ll find Drafts a useful tool as well if you’re an Apple user.
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