ppl on your iPhone. No app.

ppl has no mobile app, and doesn't need one. These five Siri Shortcuts talk straight to the ppl API from your iPhone. Each takes about two minutes to set up in the Shortcuts app, and every one works hands-free with Siri.

Step zero: get your token

Shortcuts authenticate with a personal API token. It lives in the shortcut itself, on your phone only.

  1. On ppl.gift, go to Settings > API > API keys (log in first).
  2. Create a key named iPhone Shortcuts. Leave all scopes checked.
  3. Copy the token. It is shown once. Paste it everywhere below that says YOUR_TOKEN.

Lost it or getting a new phone? Revoke the old key in Settings > API and make a new one.

The pack

1. Morning Briefing

Siri: "ppl briefing"

Siri reads your day aloud: birthdays, people to reconnect with, open tasks, upcoming reminders.

  1. New Shortcut. Add action Get Contents of URL.
  2. URL: https://ppl.gift/api/shortcuts/briefing
  3. Show More, add header Authorization with value Bearer YOUR_TOKEN.
  4. Add action Speak Text, set to the Contents of URL.
  5. Tap the shortcut name, Add to Siri, record "ppl briefing".

Tip: in the Shortcuts app, make it an Automation instead and it runs at 7:00 AM every day without asking.

2. Log a Call

Siri: "log a call"

Dictate who you called and what it was about. ppl finds the person and logs the interaction.

  1. New Shortcut. Add Ask for Input, prompt "Who did you call?", save as Name.
  2. Add Get Contents of URL: https://ppl.gift/api/search?q=Name&types=contacts (tap Name to insert the variable). Add the Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN header.
  3. Add Get Dictionary Value: get data.contacts from Contents of URL. Then Get First Item from List, then Get Dictionary Value for id. Save as Contact ID.
  4. Add Ask for Input, prompt "Any notes about the call?", save as Summary.
  5. Add Get Contents of URL: https://ppl.gift/api/interactions/log, method POST, headers Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN and Content-Type: application/json, Request Body JSON: 
    {
  "contact_id": 123,
  "type": "call",
  "summary": "Caught up about the new house"
}
  6. Tap 123 and "Caught up..." to replace them with the Contact ID and Summary variables.
  7. Add Show Result with text "Logged."
  8. Add to Siri, record "log a call".

3. Log a Note

Siri: "ppl note"

Dictate a note about someone. Same person lookup as above, different ending.

  1. Follow steps 1–3 of Log a Call to get the Contact ID.
  2. Add Dictate Text, save as Note. (Or Ask for Input if you prefer typing.)
  3. Add Get Contents of URL: https://ppl.gift/api/notes, method POST, the same two headers, Request Body JSON: 
    {
  "contact_id": 123,
  "body": "Loves Ethiopian food, hates cilantro"
}
  4. Replace the values with the Contact ID and Note variables, add Show Result "Saved.", and Add to Siri.

4. Add a Reminder

Siri: "ppl reminder"

"Remind me to call Maya on Friday" becomes a real ppl reminder.

  1. Follow steps 1–3 of Log a Call to get the Contact ID.
  2. Ask for Input "What should I remind you about?", save as Title.
  3. Ask for Input "When?", input type Date, save as Date. Then Format Date as yyyy-MM-dd.
  4. Get Contents of URL: https://ppl.gift/api/reminders, method POST, same headers, Request Body JSON: 
    {
  "contact_id": 123,
  "title": "Call about the job",
  "initial_date": "2026-10-09",
  "frequency_type": "one_time",
  "frequency_number": 1
}
  5. Replace values with your variables, add Show Result "Reminder set.", and Add to Siri.

5. Look Up a Person

Siri: "ppl lookup"

"When did I last talk to James?" Ask, and ppl answers from the search results.

  1. Ask for Input "Who are you looking for?", save as Name.
  2. Get Contents of URL: https://ppl.gift/api/search?q=Name&types=contacts with the Authorization header.
  3. Get Dictionary Value data.contacts, Get First Item from List, Get Dictionary Value complete_name. Add Show Result with the name.
  4. Add to Siri, record "ppl lookup".

Prefer talking to an assistant?

The other half of the no-app story: connect your AI assistant to ppl and just talk. It reads your briefing, logs your calls, and drafts your follow-ups. Set that up here.

← Back to ppl.gift