HotlineUse cases
Channels you can copy
A channel is a set of rules and an alarm. Here are the ones people set up first, with the exact rules and which notifications ring.
Each channel needs its app selected in your one Shortcuts automation. How to set that up
Deliveries
Food's here, you're in the shower #
"Your driver is arriving" rings like an alarm, loud enough to hear over the water. The order updates before it stay quiet.
Food's here
When a notification arrives
- App
- Your delivery app
- Contains
- arriving or is here
Then ring the alarm
- Start
- Immediately
- Delivery Your driver is arriving nowRings
- Delivery Your driver picked up your orderStays quiet
- Delivery Your food is being preparedStays quiet
Check the exact wording your app uses in Hotline's History, then use those words. The same setup works for packages: contains "delivered".
Work
On call, phone on Silent #
A SEV1 at 3:04 shouldn't be a quiet banner you find at 9:12. Two channels: SEV1 rings right away and keeps ringing, and a SEV3 only rings when it turns into a storm.
SEV1
When a notification arrives
- App
- Your monitoring or paging app
- Contains
- SEV1
Then ring the alarm
- Start
- Immediately
- Repeat until stopped
- Every 2 min, 3 times
SEV3 storm
When a notification arrives
- App
- Your monitoring or paging app
- Contains
- SEV3
- At least
- 5 notifications
- Within
- 10 min
Then ring the alarm
- Start
- Immediately
- Monitoring SEV1: checkout is downRings
- Monitoring SEV3: cert expires in 20 daysStays quiet
- Monitoring The 5th SEV3 in 10 minutesRings
- Chat Priya: Deploy is doneStays quiet
Works with any app that posts a notification, like PagerDuty, Opsgenie or a Slack channel. Nothing leaves your phone.
Friends
The group chat, only when it's about you #
412 messages, and one of them needs you. This channel rings only when a message says your name. The other 411 stay quiet banners.
Only if it's me
When a notification arrives
- App
- Messages
- Contains
- jordan
Then ring the alarm
- Start
- Immediately
- The Group Chat JORDAN are you picking us up or not??Rings
- The Group Chat ok but who's bringing snacksStays quiet
- The Group Chat LMAOOOStays quiet
Swap in your own name; matching ignores case.
Drops
The restock that sells out in 4 minutes #
When the notification is the starting gun: trading cards, sneakers, consoles, concert tickets. "Back in stock" rings; the deal-of-the-day spam doesn't.
Restock
When a notification arrives
- App
- The shop's app
- Contains
- back in stock
Then ring the alarm
- Start
- Immediately
- Shop Trading card booster box is back in stockRings
- Shop Deal of the day: 20% off towelsStays quiet
- Shop Items in your cart are selling fastStays quiet
For a ticket drop, use "on sale now".
Selling
The buyer is downstairs #
You're selling the couch and the buyer said "leaving now". This channel rings the moment they arrive, so nobody waits outside. Delete it when the sale's done.
Marketplace pickup
When a notification arrives
- App
- Your marketplace app
- From
- Dan
- Contains
- here or downstairs or outside
Then ring the alarm
- Start
- Immediately
- Dan I'm downstairsRings
- Dan cool, leaving nowStays quiet
- Priya Would you take $20?Stays quiet
In History, open the buyer's last message and tap Create Channel from This to start with the app and sender filled in.
Family
Mom, when she keeps calling #
One call can wait until you're free. Three in five minutes is something else: the alarm rings on the third, while she's still calling, even on Silent.
Mom
When a notification arrives
- App
- Phone
- From
- Mom
- Phone calls
- Incoming
- At least
- 3 notifications
- Within
- 5 min
Then ring the alarm
- Start
- Immediately
- Mom Incoming callStays quiet
- Mom Third call in 5 minutesRings
- Unknown caller Incoming callStays quiet
"From" is the contact's name as the notification shows it. If every call from her should get through, you don't need Hotline for that: turn on Emergency Bypass for her in Contacts.
People
One person, one phrase #
2:47 AM, phone on Silent, and one text still gets through. Pick the person and the words; their other messages, and everyone else's, stay quiet. No judgment.
Priorities
When a notification arrives
- App
- Messages
- From
- Alex
- Contains
- you up
Then ring the alarm
- Start
- Immediately
- Alex you up?Rings
- Alex haha goodnightStays quiet
- Group chat who's up for brunchStays quiet
The same shape works for "call me", "emergency" or a code word you agree on. Add more people to "From" and it rings for any of them, your boss included. Choose wisely.
People
Only the people you choose #
One channel per person who's allowed to wake you. Anyone without a channel gets a quiet banner, and History marks them "No match".
Best friend
When a notification arrives
- App
- Messages
- From
- Sam
Mom
When a notification arrives
- App
- Phone
- From
- Mom
- Phone calls
- Incoming
Landlord (sadly)
When a notification arrives
- App
- Messages or Phone
- From
- Landlord
- Sam EMERGENCY he's hereRings
- Ex hey strangerNo match
- Ex saw this and thought of youNo match
More ideas #
Anything that posts a notification can become an alarm. A few more rules to start from:
Doorbell
- App
- Your doorbell or camera app
- Contains
- Front Door
An alarm when someone's at the door, not for every motion in the yard. Add a time of day to ring only at night.
The school
- App
- Phone
- From
- The school's contact name
- Phone calls
- Incoming and Missed
Save the office number as a contact so the notification carries its name.
Leak or smoke sensor
- App
- Your smart home app
- Contains
- leak or smoke
- Repeat until stopped
- On
Keeps ringing every few minutes until you stop it.
Package delivered
- App
- The courier's app
- Contains
- delivered
Get to the porch before anyone else does.
Ticket drop
- App
- The ticketing app
- Contains
- on sale now
Turn the channel off after the show; no need to touch Shortcuts.
Only when it keeps happening
- App
- Any noisy app
- At least
- 3 notifications
- Within
- 10 min
One alert can wait. Three in a row probably can't.
Build yours in a minute
In Hotline, tap + to start from a template, or open any notification in History and tap Create Channel from This. The preview under a channel shows which recent notifications it would have rung for before you rely on it.