Call iOS app via Node-red possible?

General
1

When using Node-Red on my iPad I would like to call the iOS Shortcuts app to execute a specific shortcut.
The URL is shortcuts://run-shortcut?name=AppleTV. If put this URL in Safari, the shortcut is opened as expected. Putting the URL in a HTTP request node leads to an error message. Also with the exec node I was not successful...

Can this be done by a specific node or a js function???

2

Is node-red actually running on the iPad? If not, then no because nodes and the function node all run server-side (in the server where node-red is running).

If you mean click a link (or button) in dashboard (being displayed in your iPad browser), then probably you can (i dont have a single apple product so this is speculation)

3

Well, node-red is running on my Synology NAS in a docker container.
And yes, the whole thing would be triggered by a push on a button in a dashboard ...

4

You should check the shortcuts and see what kind of triggers they provide. Yes visiting a url may trigger a shortcut but it only works if you visit the url from the ipad, not from another random device.

5

An iOS app can register its own custom url scheme, such as shortcuts:// or mywidgets://, etc. When clicking the link, it should trigger the corresponding app to open, along with passing data in the url. You simply need a link to that url that you can click. I am not sure if you have to be in the safari browser for that to work.

As a simple test, go to the editor -> open the right sidebar -> dashboard -> layout -> +link, and add the url there. Go to the ui and click the link it to see if it triggers the app to open. If you need it to be a button, you can probably add a link styled as a button for clicking.

6

You have to click the link from the ipad, you cant trigger a shortcut from another device unless its a bluetooth device (like apple watch, pebble watch etc)
what are you doing with that shortcut ? maybe we can find a workaround.

7

... thanks for all your ideas about this topic. To give you some background about the problem: I use node-red via an iobroker adapter - all the systems are running in a docker container on my Synology NAS. Currently I work on the visualization of my smart home - using the VIS adapter within ioBroker. One element of the visualization is my "home cinema" environment: consisting of beamer, sound system, LED stripes and an AppleTV box. All of this is steered via infrared remote control. To bring all the 4 different remote controls in my ioBroker environment I purchased a Logitech harmony hub. As this is not very "snappy", I tried to use the iPhone app "remote control for Apple TV". How to bring this device now together with my ioBroker system???
Actually Call iOS app via Node-red possible? - #2 by Steve-Mcl was a good advice. The virtualization system VIS allows to send commands to the client (iPhone), and so I could trigger Safari to execute the URL-scheme. Downside: I need to allow "popup" within the Safari settings.
So technically it works but is a bit cumbersome, I think.
No I have a perfect solution (at least for me). Together with the activation of beamer, sound system, LED stripes and AppleTV I play a MP3, saying "Hey Siri, open shortcut 'AppleTV'" ... So with one button in my VIS system, I get all the systems up and running.
Thanks for all your ideas!!!

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8

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