Setting shortcuts to a Bluetooth device in iOS
I can see it is easy to turn on/off Bluetooth, but it would be great if I could set or switch a speaker bluetooth in my devices. Is there a way to set system values?
How can I create an action or shortcut for a Bluetooth device on iOS? I am currently using iOS 12, so I would prefer a solution for that version, if possible.
Answer
You can set up such a Shortcut starting from iOS 14.0 in just three steps. Here they go:
- Scripting -> Device -> Set Bluetooth
Turn Bluetooth On - Scripting -> Control Flow -> Wait
Wait 5 seconds - Scripting -> Device -> Set Playback Destination
Set playback destination to <your bluetooth device>
Step 1 is obvious. Thanks to step 2 your device has time to activate bluetooth and scan for nearby bluetooth devices. If you skip this step the shortcut will likely terminate its execution with no effect. In step 3 you can choose your default playback device or select Ask Each Time option in order to select manually every time.
NOTE: Wait time from step 2 may be different for your device. I tested on iPhone SE 2020 and 5 seconds was just enough. If your device does not connect within that time then try increasing it.
BONUS: Add fourth step, which will automatically play some music.
- Apps -> Music -> Play Music
Play Music