Key Takeaways
- Create custom shortcuts based on location with the “If” action in the Shortcuts app.
- Use the “Get Distance” action to set up “If Distance From Home” shortcuts for home and away actions.
- Assign the custom shortcut to the Action Button to run specific actions depending on your location.
Do you wish the Action Button on your iPhone 16 or iPhone 15 Pro could do more than one thing? Create a custom shortcut that will perform different actions depending on your current location and then set your Action Button to run this shortcut. Here’s how it works.
Creating a Shortcut Using the IF Action
When you’re out, you might not want your Action Button to do the same thing as it does at home. For example, if you’re at home, you might want your Action Button to read your emails out loud while you get on with something else. You probably wouldn’t ever use this when you’re out in public, however, so it might be more useful if your Action Button could instead request an Uber to your home address.
The good news is that it’s possible to get your Action Button to do exactly that. You can create a custom shortcut in the Shortcuts app that will perform one action if you’re at home, and a different action if your distance from home is above a set threshold. By assigning this shortcut to the Action Button, it will automatically perform the appropriate actions depending on whether you’re at home.
To create your custom shortcut, you’ll need to use the “If” action in the Shortcuts app. This action will run one set of instructions if specific criteria are met, and a different set if they’re not.
How to Create an “If Distance From Home” Shortcut
The Shortcuts app includes a “Get Distance” action that will return the distance of your current location from any end location you specify. By setting the end location to your home address, the shortcut will determine how far you are from home. You can then combine this with the “If” action to create an “If Distance From Home” shortcut that will do different things depending on your distance from home.
For this example, the shortcut will use the “Start Speak Screen” action when you’re at home. If you open your email app, you can press the Action Button to have your emails read aloud. When you’re away from home, the shortcut will request an Uber to your home address. You’ll need to have the Uber app installed and be signed in to your account for this to work.
Open Shortcuts and tap the “+” (plus) button in the top right corner. Tap “Search Actions,” type “Get Distance” then select the “Get Distance” action from the result. Tap “End Location” and enter your home address. Select the address pin from the results and tap “Done.”
Search for “If” and select the “If” action from the results. Tap “Is” and select “Is Less Than.” Tap “Number” and type “0.1.” This will perform an action if you’re less than 0.1 miles from your home address.
Search for the action you want to use when at home. For this example, I want to have my emails read aloud. For that, search “Start Speak” and select “Start Speak Screen” from the results. Drag the action up so it’s directly beneath your “If” action.
You can now select the action you want the shortcut to run when you’re away from home. For this example, I want to request an Uber back home from my current location. For that, search for “Uber” and select “Request Ride.”
Tap “If Result” and select “Clear Variable.” Tap “Drop Off Location” and enter your home address. Select the pin for your home address in the results. Tap “Done” and drag the “Request Ride” action up so that it’s just beneath the “Otherwise” action.
Tap the name of the shortcut at the top of the screen, select “Rename,” and give the shortcut a memorable name. Tap “Done” to save it.
The completed shortcut should look like the image below. You can switch out the “Start Speak Screen” and “Request Ride” actions with whatever actions you want to run instead. You’ll need to leave the other sections in place as otherwise, the shortcut may not work.
If you want to add another location to your shortcut, just add another “If” action after “Otherwise” and add another “Get Distance” action with the end location changed to the new location that you want to use. You can continue to add “If” actions to add more locations to your shortcut.
How to Set Your Shortcut to the Action Button
Once you’ve created your custom shortcut, the final step is to assign your shortcut to the Action Button. Your shortcut will then run whenever you press the Action Button, determine how far you are from home, and run the appropriate action.
Go to Settings > Action Button and swipe left to the “Shortcut” option. Tap the dropdown and select your shortcut under “My Shortcuts.”
When you’re at home, you can open an email and press the Action Button to have your iPhone read the email aloud. When you’re away from home, your Action Button will request an Uber to your home address from your current location.
Other Ideas for Location Shortcuts for Your Action Button
The above shortcut is just one example of what you can do by measuring your distance from home. You can make your shortcut even more powerful by adding further “If” actions into the mix, allowing you to include additional locations.
For example, you could create a shortcut that would make the Action Button turn your lights on or off when you’re at home, using the “Toggle Scene” action. When you’re away from home, the Action Button could turn on your VPN using the “Set VPN” action making it safer to use public Wi-Fi.
When you’re at your local cinema, the Action Button could use the “Set Silent Mode” action to mute your iPhone so you don’t ruin the film.
Alternatively, you could create a shortcut using the “Start Conversation with ChatGPT” action to launch ChatGPT Voice when you’re home. When you’re at work, the Action Button could create a new reminder using the “Add New Reminder” action. And when you’re at your local gym, the Action Button could use the “Play Music” action to start your workout playlist.
You can use other locations that you often visit, too. For example, you could create a shortcut that opens your shopping list note using the “Open Notes” action when you’re at your local grocery store. When you’re at the train station, you can use the “Go to Saved Location” action to see departure times to a saved location in the Transit app.
If you’re at your local coffee shop, you can use the “Open App” action to make your Action Button open your coffee shop’s loyalty app. For any location that you visit regularly, there’s probably a good option for the Action Button that you can use.
Your Action Button doesn’t have to do the same thing every time you press it. By creating a custom shortcut based on your location, you can have the Action Button do different things depending on whether you’re at home, work, the movies, the gym, or any other location you regularly visit. It means that your Action Button will always do what you want, where you want.
You can do more with the Action Button, including changing action based on time or which way you’re holding your iPhone.
