Create Recipes with IFTTT on iPhone

Understanding IFTTT and Recipe Creation

If This Then That (IFTTT) represents a collection of applications and efficient automations designed to enhance the functionality of your mobile devices.

Rather than responding to isolated instructions, IFTTT enables devices to recognize and react to recurring sequences and predictable behaviors based on your usage patterns.

Exploring Existing IFTTT Recipes

We previously examined several highly-rated and widely-used recipes available through the IFTTT community platform.

A Guide to Building Your Own Recipes

This guide will detail the process of creating and distributing your own custom IFTTT recipes, allowing you to tailor automation to your specific needs.

The following steps will walk you through the recipe creation process, ensuring you can leverage the full potential of IFTTT.

Step-by-Step Recipe Creation

Creating a recipe involves defining a trigger – the "If This" component – and an action – the "Then That" component.

Consider what event you want to initiate the automation and what response you desire as a result.

Defining the Trigger

The trigger is the event that sets the automation in motion.

IFTTT supports a wide range of triggers from various services and devices.

Configuring the Action

The action is what happens when the trigger is activated.

Similar to triggers, IFTTT offers numerous actions across different platforms.

Testing and Refining Your Recipe

After configuring both the trigger and action, it’s crucial to test your recipe thoroughly.

Ensure the automation functions as intended and refine the settings if necessary.

Sharing Your IFTTT Recipes

Once you’re satisfied with your recipe, you can share it with the IFTTT community.

Sharing allows others to benefit from your automation and contributes to the collective knowledge base.

By contributing, you help expand the possibilities of what IFTTT can achieve.

Selecting the Necessary Components

The initial step involves launching the IF app on your device. Locate the icon resembling a mortar and pestle outline, positioned in the upper right corner, as illustrated.

Proceed to the “My Recipes” section, where a summary of your existing recipes will be displayed. Select the plus symbol, found in the top right corner, to navigate to the central recipe management area.

Within this hub, another plus sign is present, situated in the lower right corner. Tapping this will lead you to the introductory screen for recipe creation.

Managing Application Permissions

Prior to establishing an automated process within any application, you will be asked to grant it permission to access IFTTT. This typically necessitates a temporary switch between applications. However, once authorization is complete, you can seamlessly return to the original app.

The initial phase of this process involves defining a trigger, representing the “if” component within IFTTT. The top navigation bar allows you to browse over 180 integrated applications within the IFTTT ecosystem. Each of these can serve as either the initiating condition ("if") or the resulting action ("then").

The available triggers for each application are predetermined and often depend on the extent of permissions the application possesses within the current iOS version.

To illustrate, let's construct an IFTTT recipe that sends you a text message notification when your GE oven’s timer concludes.

Navigating to the GE Appliances Cooking section reveals five distinct options. Select the “Cooking timer done” option and then press the blue plus button to proceed.

At this point, the GE Cooking Appliances IFTTT channel will request necessary permissions. Clicking “authorize” on the subsequent page grants the IFTTT application complete control over any GE appliances connected to your home WiFi network.

With the “if” condition now established, we can move on to defining the “then” action.

Initiate an Action

The same principles are applicable in this step: selecting the plus icon will navigate you to a scrollable directory of available applications.

Choose the desired application from the list (in this example, the iOS SMS app is utilized), and authorize access via the standard permission request.

Following this, simply press the “Finish” button to complete the process.

Recipe Publication

Provided your recipe is original within the IFTTT ecosystem, a small yellow plus symbol should be visible in the upper right corner of the toggle switch on your Dashboard. Selecting this icon will instantly publish your recipe for public use.

The If This Then That application offers a straightforward and engaging method to maximize the functionality of your mobile device and its installed applications. It facilitates the establishment of connections between your social media platforms.

Furthermore, it streamlines email management across multiple clients and enhances the intelligence of your smart home devices.

Initiating your own recipe creation is easily achieved by downloading the IF app and the DO Button from the iTunes App Store; links can be found here and here.