Backtaps, Lock Screen Widgets, and Focus Automations

Productivity Hackers Edition 1

AuthorAuthor

Dawson Chen & Omar Lopez
September 05, 2024

productivity hackers newsletter edition 1

Edition 1

Welcome to Productivity Hackers, a newsletter about mastering the art of personal efficiency, using the latest tools in AI and automation, brought to you by the team behind Martin. Picture yourself as the James Bond or Tony Stark of productivity—smooth, efficient, and always one step ahead.

Whether it's integrating apps with Apple Shortcuts, discovering hidden features in Siri, or uncovering under-the-radar AI tools, we’ve got you covered. Our mission? To help you streamline your workflow and transform your daily grind into a seamless, high-tech operation. Let’s hack productivity together—because every second counts.

In this edition, we’ll show you how to:

  1. Tap the back of your phone to trigger your AI assistant

  2. Access apps from your lock screen using shortcut widgets

  3. Turn on do-not-disturb during custom hours

HACK #1
Setting up Back Taps to Trigger Martin

Productivity Hackers Martin App

trymartin.com

Martin is a personal assistant AI that can set reminders, manage to-dos, edit your calendar, and more. You can text Martin via SMS/whatsapp/email, in addition to speaking to it through voice. If you don’t have a Martin, you can get one here.

Need to set a reminder on the go? Just tap the back of your phone twice, and up comes your text thread with your Martin. Here’s how to set it up.

  1. Go to Shortcuts and click the + icon to create a new shortcut

  2. Add the “Send Message” action as your first action

  3. Enter Martin’s phone number in the Recipients field

  4. Click Done, and you now have a shortcut to start a text to Martin

Shortcut for texting Martin

Shortcuts App

Now, when you want to reach your Martin to set a reminder, add a to-do, or edit your calendar, just tap the back of your phone twice and shoot him a text!

Backtap to text AI assistant

Text Martin on the go!

HACK #2
Access Apps from your Lock Screen

ai productivity hackers

productivity.hackers

Do you have 2 or 3 apps that you open 10+ times a day? For me, it’s Slack, Superhuman, Messages, and Martin. Same as for back taps, we’re using iOS shortcuts to set this up.

  1. Go to Shortcuts and click the + icon to create a new shortcut

  2. Add an “Open App” action as your first action

  3. Select an App that you use 15 times a day

  4. Click Done, and you now have a shortcut to open that app

productivity hack shortcut for slack

Shortcuts App

  1. Go to your lock screen and long press to open the customizations menu

  2. Click Customize > Lock Screen

  3. Click “+ Add Widgets”

  4. Select Shortcuts and place the widget anywhere on your lock screen

    • Note: If the app you want to open has a native widget, just use that!

  5. Configure the shortcut to trigger the “Open App” shortcut you just set up.

productivity hack shortcut for slack

Settings > Accessibility

Now, instead of unlocking your phone first, then launching an app from the home screen like a normal person, you can open apps with one click from a widgets on your lock screen!

productivity hack shortcuts on lock screen

Tap the icon to launch the app!

HACK #3
Automatically turn on Do-Not-Disturb for certain hours of the day

productivity hack do-not-disturb

productivity.hackers

Don’t want to be bothered during your morning meditation? Or want to unwind and rest free from Slack alerts every night? Just set up automations (again in the Shortcuts app) to automatically turn DND on and off.

  1. Go to Shortcuts and click the + icon to create a new shortcut

  2. Add the “Set Focus” action as your first action

  3. Configure it to Turn Do Not Disturb On until Turned Off

  4. Click Done, and you now have a shortcut to turn on DND

  5. Now, add a second Shortcut, again with the “Set Focus” action.

  6. Configure this one to Turn Do Not Disturb Off

  7. It’s helpful to rename each shortcut to “Turn on DND” and “Turn off DND”

productivity hack do-not-disturb shortcut

Turn off DND Shortcut

  1. Now go to the Automations Tab in Shortcuts and click “+” to create a new automation

  2. Select “Time of Day” as the trigger and input when you’d like the automation to trigger and select “Run Immediately”

  3. Click Next and find your Turn On DND shortcut!

  4. Repeat the same process and create another Automation for the Turn Off DND shortcut to be triggered whenever you want

productivity hack do-not-disturb automation

Automations in Shortcuts

Now, your phone will automatically turn Do Not Disturb mode on and off at set times every day!

10x your productivity and get a Martin! Try for free, cancel anytime.