If you’re like me, then you’re one of those people that is always looking for ways to get things done faster all the while better maximizing your time. As a long time mac user I’ve frequently played around with the built in “Automator” tool that allows you to make simple scripts (or applications) that automate redundant tasks for you. While Automator isn’t available for iPhone, the new mobile application IFTTT (If This Then That – pronounced like gift without the “g”) allows you to build simple, yet powerful “recipes” as they call it that are both useful and help automate tasks that you either are already doing, or in my case, wish you had time to do.
So how does it work? IFTTT allows you to specify a trigger (the “this”) followed what the resulting action should be (the “that”).
While IFTTT has a limited number of channels – the building blocks that make up the Triggers and Actions (67 total including Facebook, Evernote, Email, Weather, etc.), there’s still enough to choose from to intrigue even the slightest “bent-on-productivity-addict” in you. Allow me to cut to the chase and show you why you might be interested in this app. Here’s a few “recipes” that I’m currently using:
- If facebook profile changes, then update Twitter profile picture to be the same
- If there is rain in the forecast tomorrow then send me a text message the night before
- If a new book is added to Kindle Top 100 Free eBooks, then send me an email
- If photos are uploaded to a specific album (on my iPhone) then upload them to facebook
- If a new contact is added then backup to Google Drive
- If I star a Gmail, then send it to Evernote
As part of the IFTTT app, you can browse a library of Shared Recipes to choose from, or you can create your own which are called Personal Recipes. Once your recipe is added there’s a toggle switch that allows you to keep it active or inactive. Once activated, your recipe works smoothly in the background.
Other recipes that look intriguing included the wifi enabled WeMo products (motion sensor and outlets) which allows you to “turn the lights on when the sun sets”, or “text me if the door opens”. These types of applications seem to offer a plethora of options, especially as the number of “Triggers/Actions” continues to grow adding more and more services and applications.
So why not check it out? Have you found a better application that does something similar? Have you tried IFTTT? We’d love to hear about it in the comments section below.
Click/tap here to go to the app in the app store: IFTTT
