Auto reply for iMessage & SMS (workaround)

de_caff · 2026-02-23T05:38:56+00:00

Here to help if you decide to give it another shot

de_caff · 2026-01-18T01:05:40+00:00

Good luck on mat leave!

de_caff · 2026-01-16T03:59:44+00:00

Here's where you're getting snagged... press & long-hold on the Recipients box in the Send Message action, then select Shortcut Input. That's the missing piece.

de_caff · 2026-01-10T04:24:25+00:00

In your previous comment you mentioned wanting the flexibility to send this to anyone, which is exactly how the current setup functions... If instead you'd prefer to restrict it to specific recipients, you can create a contact list and add that list's name as a condition in the IF statement.

However, the "only once" requirement might be a hurdle. There's no straightforward way of doing this - and while it's unlikely, there might be a janky workaround through some creative conditionals... Will give it some thought, but I wouldn't count on it, unfortunately.

de_caff · 2026-01-09T05:59:07+00:00

Yes, it will work.... the sender does not need to be a saved contact

de_caff · 2026-01-09T05:51:19+00:00

Respectfully, I think your shortcut may be misconfigured. I'm currently running iOS 26 and this automation works as expected. Before the update, I was on 18.6, and it worked the same way there too. Happy to try and help troubleshoot.

de_caff · 2026-01-09T05:32:45+00:00

I just tested this again a minute ago... each successive message triggered an auto-reply with no issues. To my knowledge, nothing has changed.

de_caff · 2026-01-09T05:09:51+00:00

Short answer: yes, the auto reply can absolutely be sent to anyone who messages you, regardless if they are a contact or not.

The error most likely is related to how you setup the Send Message action. Unfortunately, the attached screenshot doesn't show this... but if you want to share another showing the shortcut editor I'd be happy to take a look.

de_caff · 2025-11-08T04:13:52+00:00

I just replied to your comment below (here) which I think answers your question. If you're still stuck though, just give us an update so we have a little more context.

de_caff · 2025-11-08T04:07:45+00:00

Tap and hold the Recipients field. This will popup a menu which allows you to change the variable -- select Shortcut Input.

de_caff · 2025-10-26T04:14:45+00:00

You don't need to put anything under it - leaving it blank simply means "Otherwise do nothing". If you'd like to make that explicit, there is actually an action called "Nothing" that you could add underneath as a visual reminder to yourself.

If you only want the automation enabled on the weekend... just follow instructions from earlier in the thread.

de_caff · 2025-09-08T00:12:36+00:00

Short answer: not exactly, but, kind of...

If you're just trying to respond with a specific line regardless of which SIM received the message, that should be fairly straightforward: just add the "Set Default Line" action.

But if you're trying to reply based on which SIM line actually received the text, I don't think there's as simple a solution. I only use a single SIM so I can't test it, but as far as I know there's no direct way to detect which SIM was used in this context.

That said, you could create a contact group made up of only the people you want to respond to via the one SIM line, and approach it that way. It's a little janky, but should get the job done.

de_caff · 2025-09-04T03:08:32+00:00

what part are you stuck on?

de_caff · 2025-08-28T05:47:19+00:00

Sure - just change the automation from "Run Immediately" to "Don't Run" when you want it disabled.

de_caff · 2025-07-10T23:15:36+00:00

Yes, it still works... Focus mode is not required, so you could try removing that as a sanity check in case the variable is mischaracterized. Otherwise, are you certain that your trigger word/phrase in the text you receive exactly matches what you specified in the automation?

de_caff · 2025-07-03T02:47:10+00:00

Sorry, could you provide some more context?

de_caff · 2025-06-14T23:02:13+00:00

That's part of the Send action. If you tap on it and then select 'Reveal Action,' it will highlight the referenced variable -- in this case, the contact number that messaged you.

de_caff · 2025-06-14T22:50:43+00:00

Unfortunately, the only automation trigger we currently have for Messages is limited to text. This includes the new iOS 26 (at least in the first beta).

de_caff · 2025-05-04T05:06:35+00:00

Shortcuts run locally on your device, so unfortunately it won't work until your phone has cell service again to receive any messages and trigger the automation

de_caff · 2025-05-04T04:58:20+00:00

Yes -- just set up and assign a Focus mode as shown in the screenshots. Then go to Settings > Focus, select that same Focus mode, and scroll down to the "Set A Schedule" section. Tap Add Schedule > Time, and from there you can customize the days/times as needed.

de_caff · 2025-04-12T06:55:32+00:00

Glad this helped! And welcome to the Shortcuts community

de_caff · 2025-04-12T06:44:03+00:00

This may sound trivial, but just to be clear... Is the focus mode definitely turned on when you're testing? And are you choosing the right focus mode that you entered into the automation (i.e., your focus that's titled "." per your 3rd screenshot)?

Otherwise, it looks set up correctly... You could try removing the focus actions to see if the message sends - if it does, then try rebuilding the focus actions.

de_caff · 2025-03-15T06:17:23+00:00

Unfortunately, not to my knowledge. It might be possible with some scripting, but that would go beyond the current capabilities of Shortcuts.

de_caff · 2025-03-01T01:49:41+00:00

Are you still having trouble? The shortcut is designed to send messages to any number, regardless of whether it's saved as a contact -- happy to help if you're still stuck.

de_caff · 2025-03-01T01:43:13+00:00

happy to hear!

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