Siri & Shortcuts

Arrivals Board provides a native Shortcuts action that lets you send messages to the board from any Shortcuts automation, Siri voice command, or HomeKit trigger. Because the action runs on-device, it does not require the local server or a network connection.

The Shortcuts action¶

Arrivals exposes a single action in the Shortcuts app:

Send Message to Arrivals

This action posts a message to the board exactly as if it had arrived from any other source. You can find it by searching for "Arrivals" in the Shortcuts action library.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
Message Text	String	Yes	---	The text to display on the board. Supports inline formatting.
Sender Name	String	No	`SHORTCUT`	The sender name shown in the header row. Also supports inline formatting.
Priority	Enum	No	Queue	Controls when the message is displayed. Options: Queue (wait for turn), Next (jump ahead), Now (interrupt immediately).
Indicator Color	Enum	No	Off	Sets the indicator lamp color. Options: Red, Amber, Green, Off.
Custom Color	String	No	---	A hex color string (e.g., `#FF6600`). When provided, this overrides the Indicator Color preset.

Info

The Custom Color parameter takes precedence over Indicator Color. If you set Indicator Color to Green but also provide a Custom Color of #FF00FF, the indicator will display the custom magenta color.

Example Siri phrases¶

Once you create a shortcut that uses the Send Message to Arrivals action, you can trigger it with your voice. Some examples:

"Hey Siri, send a message to Arrivals."
"Hey Siri, post to the board."
"Hey Siri, run my Arrivals alert."

The exact phrase depends on what you name your shortcut. Siri recognizes the shortcut by its name, so a shortcut called "Post to the Board" responds to "Hey Siri, post to the board."

Tip

For the best voice experience, give your shortcut a short, memorable name that is easy to say aloud.

Automation ideas¶

The real power of the Shortcuts integration comes from the Shortcuts Automations tab, where you can trigger messages automatically based on events on your device.

Time of day¶

Send a morning briefing to the board at 7:00 AM --- combine the Weather, Calendar, and Reminders actions to build a summary, then pass it to Send Message to Arrivals.

Location¶

Post a message when you arrive at or leave a location. For example, display "Welcome home" on the board when your iPhone connects to your home Wi-Fi.

Focus mode¶

Trigger a message when a Focus mode activates or deactivates. Display "Do Not Disturb --- recording in progress" on a studio board when your Recording focus turns on.

HomeKit triggers¶

Use a HomeKit automation to run a shortcut when a sensor changes state. Examples:

Door sensor opens --- display "Front door opened" on the board.
Temperature exceeds threshold --- post a warning with an amber indicator.
Motion detected --- show an urgent alert with a red indicator.

Note

HomeKit automations that run shortcuts require a home hub (Apple TV or HomePod). The shortcut runs on the hub and delivers the message to Arrivals on the same network.

Health data¶

Post a daily step count or exercise summary to the board. Use the Shortcuts Health actions to read today's data, format it, and send it to Arrivals as a message.

Building a shortcut¶

Here is a simple example shortcut that posts a motivational quote to the board:

Open the Shortcuts app and tap + to create a new shortcut.
Add a Text action and enter your message (e.g., The board is alive.).
Add the Send Message to Arrivals action.
Set Message Text to the output of the Text action.
Set Sender Name to DAILY QUOTE.
Set Indicator Color to Green.
Name the shortcut and tap Done.

You can now run this shortcut manually, assign it to a Siri phrase, or attach it to an automation trigger.

Testing

Tap the play button in the Shortcuts editor to test your shortcut immediately. The message should appear on the board within a second.

Inline formatting¶

The Message Text and Sender Name fields support inline formatting, letting you add color and SF Symbols directly in your text.

Colored text¶

Wrap text in curly braces with a color name or hex value:

{red|ALERT} System temperature high
{#FF6600|WARNING} Disk space low

Available named colors: red, orange, yellow, green, mint, teal, cyan, indigo, purple, pink, brown, white, gray, black, amber, blue.

Tip

The amber and blue named colors match the highlight colors used for #hashtags and @mentions, so your custom formatting can blend with the board's visual language.

SF Symbols¶

Insert any SF Symbol by wrapping its name in colons:

:checkmark.circle: Build passed
:exclamationmark.triangle: Deployment failed

The symbol occupies a single flap cell on the board.

Nesting¶

Color blocks can be nested and can contain SF Symbols:

{red|:exclamationmark.triangle: CRITICAL} Server down