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Best New Apps: IFTTT

Best New Apps: IFTTT

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A Lego set made out of web companies

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bna ifttt
bna ifttt

Since it launched in 2010, IFTTT (if this, then that) has been building a Lego set made out of web companies. The free service, which until now has existed only on the web, automates tasks using public APIs from companies including Facebook, Dropbox, Evernote, and Foursquare. I use IFTTT to save all my Instagram photos to Dropbox, and to note every time I check in at the gym, among other things. Now a new iOS app is making it easy to browse and enable the most popular “recipes” on the service — while also introducing recipes exclusive to the device that’s always at your side.

The iOS app adds new recipes built around the Camera, Contacts, and Reminders apps: it can be programmed to upload all photos taken with the front-facing camera to Facebook, for example. With a couple of taps, you can now have IFTTT update your Twitter avatar every time you change your profile picture on Facebook. Or post your selfies to Tumblr. Or log all your Foursquare check-ins in Evernote.

Current IFTTT users will appreciate the app’s ability to manage your recipes from your phone. But it will appeal especially to new users, who can browse lists of featured, popular, and trending recipes while also building workflows from scratch. IFTTT might be mere plumbing, but like most plumbing it’s quietly essential — and with the new app, it’s getting easier to manage.

IFTTT is available free on iOS.

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