... ping my iPhone from an embedded script?

Any thoughts on an approach to log into iCloud and PLAY a ping noise on my phone, using 2-factor auth, etc.?

If my wife could say, “Alexa/Hey Siri, ping my iPhone (because it’s on vibrate),” it would result in an immediate improvement in my quality of life!

I used to be able to grab my gps coordinates in XML using cURL and PHP, but that was in 2013, before 2-factor, the fappenning, and other increased security measures. It was also before I began playing with Python.


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Years ago bschollnick2 wrote what I thought was one of the coolest plugins for geofencing called Find My iDevices and I used it extensively. When Apple got hacked it still worked great except every time it was used you got an email saying that Find My iPhone was used, which was annoying but for the functionality and accuracy of the plugin I didn't care.

That's about as close as I have seen and I'm not sure that plugin really even works any more. I've often thought of trying to revive it but with so many other geofencing options (like HomeKit) it probably just doesn't make sense.

Anyway, he mentioned that playing a remote sound was something on the roadmap for the plugin but I'm not sure it ever got implemented. You could download it and see. If it's no longer linked I think I still have a copy that I could post for you.

Oh, and if it were me implementing something like this I think I would go a different route and use that same 'Alex/Hey Siri' to fire an action group that sends a text message (or Messages native message) to the phone, it would produce the same result.

You could certainly set up an Action Group that would send a text message to your phone, and then set that up using HomeKit Bridge to be activated using Siri.

Hmm. I guess that's what C4W just said.

Or maybe create an Action Group that sends an SMS to your phone and link HomeKit Bridge to turn that on when you want. You could even use the Twilio plugin to give yourself SMS capabilities if you needed to.

Hmm, I guess that's what Diver just said about what I just said but better

Try, "Hey Google, where is my phone?"... it works really well even if phone is on silent.

More to the actual discussion, though, if her phone is on silent or vibrate, guessing the Action Group -> SMS wouldn't work too well unless you can configure some to ring/notify even if on silent. Just throwing that out there since he mentioned the phone on vibrate in the original post.

@Colorado, just go ahead and whip up a small Indigo Notifier app that allows push notifications and will play a sound on certain push notifications, ignoring the ring setting. It definitely could be done...

@Colorado, just go ahead and whip up a small Indigo Notifier app that allows push notifications and will play a sound on certain push notifications, ignoring the ring setting. It definitely could be done...

Isn't that what PushOver or PushSafer do?

So, yeah, there's another alternative. Set up an Action Group for a push notification and trigger it with Siri.

if her phone is on silent or vibrate, guessing the Action Group -> SMS wouldn't work too well

Again, if it were me and this was the specific function that I needed then I would send a text message every 3-5 seconds for a minute to simulate a fairly constant vibration.

@Colorado, just go ahead and whip up a small Indigo Notifier app that allows push notifications and will play a sound on certain push notifications, ignoring the ring setting. It definitely could be done...

I'll get right on that! Other plugins be damned .

I'll get right on that! Other plugins be damned

I was joking, of course, but you WOULD probably see a higher usage of that than most other plugins... at least until Indigo Touch gets push notifications.

Ok, this is a bit of a workaround however it would work as push notification without a plugin - a bit convoluted but functional:

• Create a virtual device in Indigo
• A quick Action group to toggle the state of the virtual device on and off without it actually doing anything, say 20 times over a minute
• Add it to HomeKit Bridge as a lock or a garage door - two things that send actual on-screen notifications and sound/vibrations when controlled (you can also use alarms, smoke detectors, leak detects and a few others)
• Create HomeKit automation with the phrase "Ping My iPhone" that links to this device

So when you "Hey Siri, Ping My iPhone" would do the push notification. The push notifications would happen 20 times rapidly. I know in my testing of HKB I had up to 6 devices linked to a single door lock and it drove me insane (yes, that is why I am insane...) when it would be locked or unlocked because I would get a half dozen instant notifications for it.

This also has the added benefit of pushing to the screen and activating it so you not only get a vibration/sound but also illumination (you know, when you dropped the phone behind the table) too.

[jay (support)]

ignoring the ring setting. It definitely could be done...

Really? Apple actually supplies an API that will bypass the mute setting?

Really? Apple actually supplies an API that will bypass the mute setting?

I've never seen an API call that can do this, however Apple can do it themselves with the Find My iPhone app. But it's their stuff, so they get to do what they want . As for us little people, that would seem a great abuse for an app to override your settings.

Oh, and if it were me implementing something like this I think I would go a different route and use that same 'Alex/Hey Siri' to fire an action group that sends a text message (or Messages native message) to the phone, it would produce the same result.

Already got that- the problem is when the phone has it’s ringer muted and the vibration is dampened.


Edit: Holy responses! I’ll look into ways to have it turbo-vibrate, but I’ll keep plugging away on various hacks at the icloud “play sound” (or whatever it’s called) action.

FYI: If you have an Apple watch the you can ping your iPhone when the iPhone is in Do Not Disturb mode and the side button (shows orange) i.e. ringer is muted.