A workaround to be able to respond to incoming messages?

iOS Shortcuts
, ,
#1

Hi,

I’m scratching my head trying to figure out a way to create an automated action in response to incoming messages (for example, copy the text and paste it in a note).
As you know, in messages trigger, there is no option for complete automation.
However, assuming that I can live with it, my problem is when several messages are coming in a row, and I want to react to every one of them and make the automation work continuously.
Is there a way (maybe with Pushcut) to create a loop or some background process requiring only a single tap for a period of time and continually react to incoming messages until the automation will end?
One approach that I thought of could be copying messages in a loop and when finding a change in the last message it will imply that there is a new incoming message, (instead of relying on the messages trigger), once a change was detected it will notify a shortcut which then copies the text and paste it in a note. Could that be done in a loop? - (1. detect a change in a text by comparing the last text to new text (or a change in the last sender name to the new sender name) 2. notify another shortcut to copy and paste the text in a note 3. not missing any message 4. process all in the background)?

If so, could it be done in the background while a 3rd party app is in the foreground (e.g., Spotify)?

#2

Welcome to the forum!

Can you describe the problem and your desired end result?

You’re writing about reacting to text messages. How many, how often and which kind?

#3

Thank you for the kind welcome!
I want to achieve an ability to copy text messages in real-time to keep them in a separate note, read them out loud, and alert about specific incoming messages.
It can be partially achieved by message automation, but message automation is missing the"Ask before running" toggle and therefore requires physical approval, which makes it worthless.
So I’m trying to find a way to solve it and was thinking of creating a loop action that will retrieve new messages text without asking for approval every time and pass it to an additional shortcut that will handle it (read it, for instance).
I was answered that it might not be possible without triggering the automation by an incoming message. Any thouts?

#4

I’m not entirely sure what you want to achieve. Is the following interpretation correct?

You wish to monitor iMessage for incoming messages. Given a set of filters, you want to detect certain kinds of messages, make a copy of them and alert yourself in some way. This automation will run in the background on the iPhone which you carry in your pocket, not on a stationary iPhone dedicated to this purpose?

#5

Basically, yes, but It’s ok if it’s on the phone in a station, like when you are driving, and the phone is plugged into the car’s charger.

#6

Unfortunately, I can’t think of a solution that requires zero interaction on your part.

#7

How about a single interaction and then create a loop that will capture the text messages, can it be possible?

If not, can triggering the notification be done hands-free by a Bluetooth keyboard or a media button?

#8

I don’t think there’s another option than using the Shortcuts integration which you have already discovered.