--- source_url: https://notikeep.app/en/ios-27-notification-automation/ updated: 2026-10-17 --- # The iOS 27 Notification Automation in Shortcuts By Gustavo Takechi, developer of NotiKeep. Updated October 17, 2026. **Short answer:** iOS 27 added an automation trigger to the Shortcuts app that runs when an app you choose sends a notification. It passes a Notification variable with the title, subtitle, body, date, and source app, which you can hand to any action. It doesn’t include photos or attachments, doesn’t run when a notification is removed, and doesn’t exist in earlier versions of iOS. ## Where to find it In Shortcuts, tap **+** to create a shortcut, then tap **Edit**. Tap **Automation** and choose **Notification**. Under **App**, choose one or more apps. The trigger then reads: “When I receive a notification from app WhatsApp”. There are also optional filters based on the notification text. To save everything, leave the filters empty. **Only works on iOS 27 or later.** On iPhone 11 and iPhone SE (2nd generation) or newer, update in Settings › General › Software Update. iPhone XR, XS, and earlier can’t get iOS 27. [See the list of models](https://notikeep.app/en/#compatibility). ## What the Notification variable includes Each time the trigger runs, the actions receive the **Notification** variable. These are the properties we use and what we observed with WhatsApp on iOS 27: | Property | What it contains | | --- | --- | | Title | In chats, the sender’s name. | | Subtitle | In WhatsApp groups, the group name. | | Body | The message text, as plain text. Bold and italics don’t come through. | | Date | When the notification arrived. | | App | The source app. In our tests, the name was empty for third-party apps. Use **App › Bundle Identifier** (for example, net.whatsapp.WhatsApp) and **App › Icon**, which come through correctly. | | Sender and Recipients | Name and contact (phone number or email), without a photo. | | Associated Content | Items the source app itself publishes to Shortcuts. They aren’t attachments, and WhatsApp doesn’t publish any. | If you use the whole variable as text, it becomes the title and body separated by a line break. ## What doesn’t come through - **Photos and attachments.** The trigger only receives the notification’s identifier and looks up the rest in a system record that has no image field. Connecting the variable to an image field only produces an image of the text. - **Deletions.** When a message is deleted for everyone, WhatsApp just removes the notification, and the trigger doesn’t run. - **Edits as edits.** An edited message arrives as a new notification with the full text and the edit date, with no “edited” label. - **Muted chats and notifications without previews.** They don’t include the message text. ## Imported shortcuts come with the automation turned off A .shortcut file keeps the trigger but not its on/off state. After importing, open the shortcut, tap **Edit**, then the trigger’s **›** arrow, and turn on **Automation**. Until you do, nothing is saved. ## Using it with NotiKeep NotiKeep has a Shortcuts action, **Save Notification**, that runs in the background and saves every notification on the iPhone, organized by app and conversation. The app includes the ready-made shortcut: tap **Set up** and follow the assistant. ### Build it from scratch If you’d rather build the shortcut yourself: - **Create a shortcut.** In Shortcuts, tap **+**, then **Edit**. - **Add the trigger.** Tap **Automation** and choose **Notification**. - **Choose the apps.** Tap **App** and choose WhatsApp. Use **+** to add more. Don’t add filters. - **Add the NotiKeep action.** In the search field at the bottom, type **Save** and tap **Save Notification**. - **Fill in the App field.** Tap **App** › **Select Variable** › **Notification**. Tap it again and choose **App**. - **Fill in the other fields.** Expand the fields (**⌄**) and map each one to the property with the same name: Title, Subtitle, Body, and Date. - **Identify the app.** For **App ID**, select **Notification** › **App**, tap the variable again, and choose **Bundle Identifier**. - **Add the icon.** For **App icon**, select **Notification** › **App**, tap the variable again, and choose **Icon**. Leave **Notification (text)** empty. Then turn on **Automation** from the trigger’s arrow and run a test. ## Other ideas for the trigger The same trigger works for other automations, such as logging tracking numbers when a shipping carrier’s notification arrives, turning on a Focus when a work app sends an alert, or recording bank alerts in a spreadsheet. ## Frequently asked questions **Why is the app name empty?** In our tests on iOS 27, Notification › App came back empty for third-party apps such as WhatsApp. The Bundle Identifier and app Icon come through correctly, so use App › Bundle Identifier to identify the app. **Can I get the photo that came with the message?** No. The trigger doesn’t receive attachments or images, only the notification text. **Does the automation run when a message is deleted?** No. Deleting for everyone only removes the notification, and the trigger only runs when a notification arrives. **Is the imported shortcut already turned on?** No. The file doesn’t store the on state. Open the shortcut, tap Edit and then the trigger’s arrow, and turn on Automation. **Is the Notification automation available in iOS 26?** No. It arrived in iOS 27. In earlier versions, no shortcut or app can react to notifications from other apps. **NotiKeep: Save Notifications**Free on the App Store. Requires iOS 27 or later. [![Download on the App Store](https://notikeep.app/assets/app-store-badge-en.svg)](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6821380650?pt=129519082&ct=nk-202610-en-automation&mt=8) ## Related guides - [Deleted WhatsApp messages on iPhone](https://notikeep.app/en/see-deleted-whatsapp-messages-iphone/) - [Read WhatsApp without opening it on iPhone](https://notikeep.app/en/read-whatsapp-without-opening-iphone/) - [iPhone notification history](https://notikeep.app/en/iphone-notification-history/) - [WAMR and Notisave on iPhone](https://notikeep.app/en/wamr-notisave-iphone/) - [Edited messages on iPhone](https://notikeep.app/en/read-original-edited-whatsapp-message-iphone/) - [Latest notification shortcut](https://notikeep.app/en/latest-notification-iphone-shortcut/)