Need help creating shortcuts

[jay968]

OK so I have been trying to set up some shortcuts and am having no luck at all even though I have been following step by step with youtube videos showing how to do them. I am using an iphone12 mini with ios 14.2.1

Here is an example:
I want to create a shortcut to toggle Wifi. Here is what I have done;

1 - Opened the shortcut app
2- Clicked on the folder that I created called "My Shortcuts"
3 - Clicked the + symbol in the upper right corder which brings me to the "New Shortcut" screen
4 - Clicked the 3 button icon and typed "WiFi" in the shortcut name field
5 - Clicked "Add to Home Screen"
6 - Named the icon "WiFi"
7 - Clicked "Add" in the upper right corner
8 - Clicked 'Done"
9 - Clicked "Add Action"
10 -Clicked "Scripting"
11 - Scrolled down the the Network category and chose "Set WiFi"
12 - Toggled On and Off to see if they work -- they change between on and off but do not do anything yet as far as turning my wifi on or aff
13 - Clicked "Done" in the upper right corner
Now I see the WiFi icon in my shortcuts folder and on my homescreen. Clicking on either, or going back into the Shortcuts app and clicking on the icon there does absolutely nothing. Whatsmore if I now click on the home screen icon that I created when creating the shortcut, all this does is bring me back into the shortcuts app. If I go to delete this icon, I see that it confirms whether or not I want to delete this "bookmark." So apparently it isn't even a shortcut to the action.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[SegNerd]

I don’t understand #12. How can it toggle but not toggle? Do you understand that, from that screen, you need to press the run button to activate the script?

Also, I’m not exactly clear why you even need a shortcut for this. Do you just really not like using control center?

 

[jay968]

I just typed a response but have learned some more, so I am deleting what I wrote.....will create another response in a few minutes.

 

[jay968]

1, When I said I toggled, what I did was toggle "on" and off" to make sure they switched, not realizing this was a choice rather than a toggle.
2, I see no "run button" that you mention but I assume "done" which is what I do see, is the same thing.
3, Turning WiFi on and off by using the control panel does not really turn it off, it just disconnects it from your wifi network. Try this..turn it off there but then go into your settings and you will see that WiFi is still turned on (and still using battery power...the status says that it is just not connected).
4 - So, now realizing that what I was thought was a toggle was actually a decisive action, I have created 2 shortcuts. One called WiFi On, the other called Wifi Off. What these do is actually turn wifi off altogether and not just disconnect from the network. Now I can have these two on my home screen. Not a big deal, but just a bit more convenient.

 

[Apple_Robert]

A much easier method is to...

Shortcuts > Create Personal Automation > + Add Action > When I leave (location) > Set WiFi off

Shortcuts > Create Personal Automation > +Add Action > When I arrive (location) > Set WiFi on

With this method, you don’t need to create a Home Screen icon etc. It is all automated. You can also add a text action to each shortcut for audible confirmation the shortcut was completed.

 

[jay968]

Thanks, that's pretty awesome too.

 

[SegNerd]

I’m sorry but if you don’t understand the concept of running a script then you should probably avoid using shortcuts.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I’m sorry but if you don’t understand the concept of running a script then you should probably avoid using shortcuts.View attachment 1682952

We are trying to help each other. Not everyone is at the same experience level or background. No need to insult the member just because he appears to be new to shortcuts.

 

[SegNerd]

I did not insult anyone. It was actually quite helpful for me to recommend not using a tool if you are not familiar with it at all.

 

[jay968]

I did not insult anyone. It was actually quite helpful for me to recommend not using a tool if you are not familiar with it at all.

My experience with computers and phones goes back to the early 80s. The problem is there are no instructions on how to use the Shortcuts app, so I have to google whatever it is I want to learn about and once I do I run into all kinds of responses from all kinds of ios versions. When I searched "WiFi" in the app, the option I saw was "Set WiFi" which I chose and then all I saw was an entry which enabled me to choose WiFi on or change it to WiFi off. Since the title of the action was "set wifi" I assumed that it was a toggle. I was wrong. I hadn't realized that I needed to create 2 seperate scripts to have one turn it on and the other turn it off.
I'm sorry if that sounds like I have no experience or am stupid or something. I understand what you are saying about not bothering with something that one is not familiar with, but is it really asking too much for help in a forum like this by someone trying to learn it? Especially like I said, since there seems to be no documentation when you purchase anything anymore.

For what it's worth, the whole concept of understanding how to use the app was evident to me within 10 minutes of asking for help here...after wasting an hour and a half trying to figure it out by looking at youtube videos about it. It was actually YOUR comments that made me think about what I was doing wrong and I figured it out correctly.

 

[jay968]

A much easier method is to...

Shortcuts > Create Personal Automation > + Add Action > When I leave (location) > Set WiFi off

Shortcuts > Create Personal Automation > +Add Action > When I arrive (location) > Set WiFi on

With this method, you don’t need to create a Home Screen icon etc. It is all automated. You can also add a text action to each shortcut for audible confirmation the shortcut was completed.

I tried this and while it worked when I left the house, it never wanted to turn WiFi on when I came home.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I tried this and while it worked when I left the house, it never wanted to turn WiFi on when I came home.

If you are sure the setting for both is the same save the “turn off” difference, I don’t know why the one in question isn’t working for you.

* Make sure you have a location set (home) for both automations.

 

[Abazigal]

While we are on this topic, I thought of trying to streamline the shortcut but am stuck here. Does anybody know if it’s possible to have the system identify whether wifi is turned on or off and adjust accordingly?

 

[jay968]

If you are sure the setting for both is the same save the “turn off” difference, I don’t know why the one in question isn’t working for you.

* Make sure you have a location set (home) for both automations.

Definitely sure. Ive reviewed it and redone it several times already.
One thing I wonder about..I do have a couple of shortcuts that I have put on my home screen. One is a button to TURN ON WiFi, the other is a button to turn it off. Before I go and delete them to try these actions, do you think it may be possible that THEY are overriding anything these actions are doing? (Keep in mind turning wifi off does work when I leave the house).

 

[kkclstuff]

While we are on this topic, I thought of trying to streamline the shortcut but am stuck here. Does anybody know if it’s possible to have the system identify whether wifi is turned on or off and adjust accordingly?

I have an Automation to trigger when I login to a known wifi network, which then triggers the following Shortcut...

I used an "IF" statement with the "get network info" in scripting (my example is for 'switching' cell data, but you can change it to wifi easy):

What we don't have yet is the reverse action in Automations/(passive Triggers): "IF not connected to wifi" command. I hope  will add it in an update. Most Automations have a positive action but not its opposite! ugh. this would open up ALOT of useful possibilities!!

 

[kkclstuff]

1, When I said I toggled, what I did was toggle "on" and off" to make sure they switched, not realizing this was a choice rather than a toggle.
2, I see no "run button" that you mention but I assume "done" which is what I do see, is the same thing.
3, Turning WiFi on and off by using the control panel does not really turn it off, it just disconnects it from your wifi network. Try this..turn it off there but then go into your settings and you will see that WiFi is still turned on (and still using battery power...the status says that it is just not connected).
4 - So, now realizing that what I was thought was a toggle was actually a decisive action, I have created 2 shortcuts. One called WiFi On, the other called Wifi Off. What these do is actually turn wifi off altogether and not just disconnect from the network. Now I can have these two on my home screen. Not a big deal, but just a bit more convenient.

hi, not sure what the goal of your switching wifi on/off is? to save battery? and im sure im misunderstanding something in the question , but why not just control wifi from control center? (its the same amount of effort as clicking a home screen widget)

I *think* im doing something similar (but im trying to save on cell data by turn cell data off when im on a wifi known network.)

it might help the discussion if you post a screen shot of the workflow or post a shared link to it, so others can 'see' it.