I’m serious. It only takes a few minutes to set up, and I promise that after you’ve got it configured, you will forget how you ever lived without this. But what is IFTTT? Well, do you ever find yourself doing the same procedure with your Android device over and over? Every morning, you get to the office and turn off your phone’s WiFi connection to save battery, then you put it on vibrate so that it won’t interrupt an important meeting. Then you get home from work every afternoon, take your phone off vibrate and connect to your home WiFi network. Wouldn’t it be great if your phone just did that for you automatically? Maybe you’d like a custom selection of news emailed to you each day rather than prowling through websites to gather it yourself. Or maybe you backup your phone’s photos in Dropbox or Google Drive, and you wish you didn’t have to drag them over manually each time. Maybe you’d just like a reminder in the morning if you’re going to need an umbrella that day. You aren’t a machine. Shouldn’t that kind of mindless stimulus-response be delegated to a computer? That’s exactly what setting up IFTTT on Android devices will do fo you.
Your time is valuable, so take it back!
IFTTT is the impossible-to-pronounce hero of all your mundane activities. IFTTT stands for “If This Then That,” and it’s a completely free service that allows you to automate tedious parts of your everyday life. There are so many options, and the interface is so simple that the only limit to IFTTT is your imagination! The Android operating system offers more IFTTT integration than any other mobile platform out there. Take advantage of Android’s flexibility and IFTTT’s convenience by setting up these services on your mobile device. Sound intimidating or confusing? Give it a spin before you pass on it. Trust me; I set up IFTTT out of curiosity, and now I use it every single day of my life. Here is the authoritative, pain-free, no-hassle walkthrough of how to setup IFTTT on your Android device.
Step 1:
First, visit IFTTT’s website. You’ll notice right away from the minimalist design that this service is about simplicity. If the idea of automating daily tasks seems daunting to you, take heart. IFTTT’s goal is to make things as intuitive and straightforward as possible.
Step 2:
Click the “Sign Up” button. You can’t miss it.
Step 3:
Enter an active email account and choose an account password. Then click “Create Account.”
Step 4:
You will need to activate your IFTTT account through your email. Access your email service and locate the automated email from IFTTT. If you can’t find a new email, check your spam folder or, if you’re using Google Inbox, your “Promotions” tab. If you still can’t find it, return to IFTTT’s website and request that the email be resent.
Step 5:
Once you’ve opened the email, click the link provided to confirm your subscription.
Step 6:
Make sure that IFTTT confirms that your account is activated. You will now have access to a brand new profile!
Step 7:
Go ahead and fill out your profile information. IFTTT has a thriving development community, and if you would like to interact with them, it’s nice to have a face and a little background information to put with a name. (Engaging the community is completely optional. You can be a lurker like me if you’re less socially inclined.)
Step 8:
Once you’ve got your account setup, pull out your Android device.
Step 9:
Go to the Google Play store and download IFTTT’s mobile app “IF”
Step 10:
Boot up the app and login with the account information you used in Step 3.
Step 11:
Welcome to your home screen! Yours will look a little different than mine because I already have a few “recipes” running. Let’s get started on yours!
Step 12:
Welcome to your home screen! Yours will look a little different than mine because I already have a few “recipes” running. Let’s get started on yours!
Step 13:
Tap the Settings gear icon.
Step 14:
Behold! All the possible services you can engage with IFTTT. Notice all the Android channels? We are going to focus on activating these for the purposes of this walkthrough. Once you’re done, your Android will ready to interact fully with IFTTT’s other capabilities.
Step 15:
Activating channels is a breeze. Some services, like social networks, will require you to login with your account information. But activating Android channels only requires you to click the button while you’re on your device. Tap “Android Battery” for example.
Step 16:
Tap “Connect.” This will give IFTTT access to your phone’s battery meter. With this information, IFTTT services can make changes based on whether your battery is low, full, or in the process of charging.
Step 17:
You’re set! How painless was that? Click “Done” to confirm.
Step 18:
Now you have some additional options. You can tap “Edit Channel” to restrict how much information you send IFTTT on this channel. There aren’t any options for this one since it only sends battery status.
Step 19:
Return to the Channel menu.
Step 20:
Go ahead and activate the remaining Android Channels. To increase the functionality of some of them, you will need to go ahead and install Android Wear.
Step 21:
Android Wear is an app for linking your phone and wearable Android device. Even if you don’t have a wearable Android device, downloading it will help Android Notifications and Android Locations work better. Find Android Wear in the Google Play Store.
Step 22:
Simply install Android wear as you would any app. You don’t need to configure it beyond this.
Step 23:
You’re done! Your Android device is IFTTT-ready. Try exploring some of recipes and experiment with which ones might work best for you. The IFTTT community has compiled a slew of preconfigured recipes to play with, but you can also brew your own by tapping the “+” icon. Now that your device is configured to interact with IFTTT, you’ll be amazed by what you can accomplish automatically. My personal favorite recipe sets my wallpaper to whatever NASA’s “Picture of the Day” happens to be. It’s pretty cool to wake up every morning to a new extraterrestrial vista or star-studded spectacle behind my icons. See what works for you and what doesn’t. Maybe you’re looking to turn your Android into a fully automatic machine or save time managing your social media marketing. Perhaps you’re only looking for clever ways to save battery. Whatever your goals, IFTTT can help you reach them.
