IF outgoing/incoming iOS phone call THEN trigger

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Is there ANY way to create an automation that runs when I receive or make a phone call on my iPhone?

Apple Shortcuts has no such trigger, nor does IFTTT, and Zapier has not yet built any iPhone integrations. Integromat has iOS triggers but none related to phone calls.

What about an apple script?

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AppleScript isn’t event triggered and doesn’t run on iPhone.

The security model means it would have to be something Apple provide, and on iOS, that would mean either utilising a built-in feature, or having the trigger available in Shortcuts.

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I send and receive most calls through my laptop, hence MacOS, and use my airpods for the call.

Therefore, this bypasses iOS (even though the calls are routing through my phone), so would there be solution this way?

If not, what about a reminder-based system? For example, would there be a way for a pop-up containing an URL (or something) that appears when call is made or received? Maybe via Drafts, Hazel, Automator, Integromat, or something?

What about other sorts of non-digital triggers? For example, say I leave my phone on a flat homekit switch that runs when phone vibrates, setting off a digital daisy chain that automatically runs MacOS software? D’you see any hiccups in this?

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The iPhone is handing off to FaceTime on the Mac to handle audio and video calling. It is effectively acting as an end point. I don’t think FaceTime has AppleScript support. Every example set of code seems to be based on interacting with the the user interface through menuing control.

But once againAppleScript is not event triggered.

If you use Keyboard Maestro, you could set-up something to trigger when the app is opened or activated. That could then run a script.

Of course this would run on any occasion where it isn’t triggered from the iPhone, and would not trigger if you only have your iPhone. The point being that it would not trigger on 100% of iPhone calls, and not all triggers would necessarily be as a result o iPhone calls - I’m sure you can imagine the Venn diagram where this sits in the middle.

That still needs a system event to be captured.

  • Drafts is a text capture and manipulation app. It has no hooks into the OS for that sort of thing.
  • Hazel operates on files, not system events.
  • Automator doesn’t operate on external system triggers like this.
  • Integromat is a web service and does not run locally on a Mac.
  • Or something - see Keyboard Maestro above.

That’s a pretty Heath Robinson/Rube Goldberg sort of approach to rely on the vibration of the phone and a HomeKit compatible switch. Reliability could be an issue for many real world factors!

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Wow, what a great, considered response! God bless you, brother.

I’ve used Keyboard Maestro before, so I’m familiar and will now take the plunge. I will tinker with it on the terms you suggest (ie IF Facetime opens, THEN…).

Yes, I suppose this trigger will only run when I make or receive a call via MacOS Facetime re: Venn Diagram.

P.S. Thanks for introducing me to Heath Robinson - awesome cartoons!