IFTTT, which stands for If this, then that, is the technology that takes automation to a whole other level – and for free! It works on the basis of cloud connectivity to multiple channels such as DropBox, Gmail, Google Drive, Facebook, Evernote and OneDrive amongst many others, giving you the freedom to choose your connectivity partner of choice. So upgrade your productivity and prepare for a completely digital existence with IFTTT recipes that take care to automate your life. If you’re wondering where to start, take a look at these five amazing IFTTT recipes that will definitely increase your productivity in the workspace.
[easy-tweet tweet=”The basic assumption of #cloud #connectivity to multiple channels means life could be simpler!” user=”comparethecloud” usehashtags=”no”]
Use Voicemail to Set Yourself Calendar Events and Notifications
If you’ve ever struggled with the calendar app and wondered why it couldn’t be simpler, you don’t have to any more. With the aid of some nifty IFTTT tech, you can now automate the event setup process just with the help of voicemail. For instance,
- You can set a voice reminder for instances that are tagged #callme on Google Calendar.
- Or, you can make a phone call and set up an event in Google calendar itself.
- For those looking for fun and deviant ways of using IFTTT, you can even schedule phone calls to yourself just to get out of a calendar event (meeting, date, whatever) as long as its logged onto your calendar app.
Just use an event entry on your calendar with a “Save me!”, or “Call me!” and you should get a phone call around fifteen minutes of the time you prescribe.
Share Meeting Notes Automatically with Your Group
This IFTTT feature works on the principle of “If an email is sent, then create a document to shared Google Drive folder.” Obviously, this implies that you already have a Google Drive folder with sharing rights that is ready to receive emails. The best part about this is that you can automatically save all emailed meeting notes (or, for that matter, class lectures, shared articles, etc.) with the people you want to share it with. While this works in the office space, it also works in environments like schools and universities. Additionally, you can even create reminders for your team by scheduling them through Slack or Evernote. Scheduling a daily reminder for the team or updating minutes of a meeting are a breeze with pre-defined IFTTT recipes.
Scheduling a daily reminder for the team or updating minutes of a meeting are a breeze with pre-defined IFTTT recipes
Automatically back up photos you are tagged in
[easy-tweet tweet=”#AutoSave your tagged photos using #IFTTT protocols, and never lose a memory again” hashtags=”cloud”]
One of the most interesting aspects of life in 2016 is the easy access to digital photography: with Instagram and instant uploads, it’s just easy to capture every moment. However, when it comes to storing these memories, many of us have our lapses: especially if those are photos that we’re only tagged in, in which case they depend entirely on the uploader and can be removed at any time. Now, though, you have the option of automatically saving each and every photograph linked to your account – be it from Instagram or from Facebook – and then saving it to your associated DropBox, OneDrive or Google Drive folder. In fact, some recipes will even allow you to create instructions for your camera to directly upload photos to your Facebook album, etc.
Take control of situations based on Location-centric Recipes
With a simple IFTTT recipe, you can control certain aspects of your life with just the location features on smartphones. The phone’s GPS navigation system can automatically detect your location and perform a number of predefined tasks, such as the following.
- It can turn up the ringer once you leave your workplace, school or hospital.
- The ringer can be turned down automatically as soon as you reach your office, school or a hospital.
- It can track your mileage depending on the location and automatically update it to spreadsheets.
- It can let you send reminder emails to your colleagues, friends and family based on when your flight lands.
Create Recipes to Be Updated on Goings-on
This can work in three ways: update you on important news, give you up-to-date information on all the goings-on in your company or workplace, and keep you updated on class updates. How? Most people are part of broader Facebook groups which keep updating information: for instance, a class that was canceled or a event announced on a business page can often reach social media before any verbal alerts. Stay on top of everything with automated recipes that can directly send updates or posts to your own Facebook page, so that you get all the notifications no matter what you might be doing or where you are. Or you can create a recipe such that important notifications, important posts on the social media – or even on the internet – directly reach your inbox. In fact, the same works for important news such as new laws being passed or traffic and weather alerts.
Essentially, cloud ifttt recipes can simplify your life, you just have to learn how to cook them up!
Mauricio Prinzlau, CEO, Cloudwards.net
Mauricio is the CEO of Cloudwards.net, a data and user feedback driven comparison engine for cloud apps and services. He enjoys writing and producing educational videos around the cloud to help people find the best cloud service for their needs.