Call your loved ones or send them an SMS faster by adding a call or send a message button on your home screen directly associated with their mobile number.
Start a call or send a message to a loved one without having to enter the associated application, search for the contact and enter the message or manually initiate the call? It is entirely possible from an iPhone. By creating shortcuts with Apple’s eponymous app, you can add buttons to call or send a direct message to a specific contact on your device’s home screen.
The operation can be performed both to initiate a call or send an SMS from the native iOS Phone and Message applications, as well as to call or send messages with compatible third-party applications, such as WhatsApp.
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1. Download Shortcuts
If it’s not already installed on your iPhone, download the free Shortcuts app. Offered by Apple, it allows you to create automation scripts, as well as shortcuts that can be executed by voice with Siri, integrated into iOS menus, or launched directly from the iPhone home screen.
Download Shortcuts for iPhone (Free)
2. Create a new call shortcut
Open the app on your iPhone, then in the My Shortcuts section, tap the + button to create a new shortcut and then choose to Add an action.
In the window that opens, enter the Call search field and select the Call action.
The action chosen here will make it possible to directly call a contact, but it is quite possible to opt for another action, such as sending a message. To do this, search for the term Message in the search field. You will then be able to Send a message through the native iOS Message application, but also Send a message with WhatsApp if the application is installed on your iPhone.
Then customize the action by pressing Contact to choose the contact your shortcut will call. Press Next, give your shortcut a name and confirm by pressing the OK button.
3. Add the shortcut to the home screen
When your shortcut is created, it takes place in the application’s shortcuts library, under the heading All shortcuts.
To add this direct call or message sending shortcut to your home screen, press the options button represented by three small dots, present on your shortcut to open it, and press the three small dots again. .
Now tap on the option On the Home screen, then in the pop-up that appears, tap on the icon of your shortcut to Choose a photo that will be used to customize the icon of your call shortcut or message. Once the image is personalized, press Add and save your shortcut by pressing the OK button.
You can now close the Shortcuts application. Your shortcut for calling or sending a message should logically take pride of place on your iPhone’s home screen. A simple tap on one of your shortcuts will allow you to launch a direct call to the contact, or to open a window for sending a message directly to the selected contact.
Repeat the operation as many times as necessary, with different contacts, to configure buttons for calling or sending a direct message to your favorite contacts.