How to Create a Personal AI Assistant on Your Phone (Step-by-Step Guide)

Goal	iPhone (iOS)	Android
Fastest “no-code” voice assistant	Shortcuts + ChatGPT app	Google Assistant Routines + ChatGPT app (or web)
Deeper automation (apps/files)	Shortcuts + Notes/Reminders/Calendar + Mail	Tasker + Calendar/SMS/Files + “Share” intents
Cross-platform actions (Gmail, Sheets, Slack)	IFTTT / Zapier via webhooks in Shortcuts	IFTTT / Zapier via webhooks from Tasker
Dictation & hands-free	Siri (native)	Google Assistant (native)

You do not need every tool. Each track below shows the minimum required, then optional upgrades.

Track A — iPhone (10–20 minutes)

A1) Install & prep

1. Install the ChatGPT app (or your preferred AI app). Sign in.

2. Open Settings ▸ Privacy & Security ▸ Microphone and ensure ChatGPT + Shortcuts have mic access.

3. Open Shortcuts (pre-installed on iOS).

A2) Create your “Ask My Assistant” Shortcut

1. In Shortcuts, tap + → Add Action → search Dictate Text → add.

2. Add If block (optional): if no speech captured, show “Try again”.

3. Add Open App → choose ChatGPT or use URL / x-callback-url if you like deep links.

4. Better (recommended): “Text” → set to your system prompt, e.g.:

   You are my personal mobile assistant.
- Always ask a clarifying follow-up if details are missing (date, time zone, recipient).
- Return a concise plan and ready-to-use items (SMS text, calendar title/time).
- IMPORTANT: Never auto-send; always provide a confirmation step.


5. Add Ask for Input (Type: Text) labeled “What do you need?” and Default Answer = Dictated Text variable.

6. Add Show Result (temporary) to test: “Sending to assistant: [Ask for Input]”.

Pro: Use “Get Contents of URL” with a webhook (Zapier/IFTTT) or OpenAI API if you want server-side logic. For most people, opening ChatGPT with context is enough.

A3) Make it voice-triggered

• Tap the shortcut’s …, then Add to Siri → record “Ask My Assistant”.

• Now say: “Hey Siri, Ask My Assistant…” and speak your request.

A4) Teach it common jobs (copy-paste these)

Use the assistant with these natural voice prompts:

• SMS drafting:
  “Draft a friendly text telling Jake I moved lunch to Friday at 2 PM, same place. Keep it short.”

• Calendar:
  “Create a calendar event: ‘Team retro’, this Thursday 3–3:45 PM, add Zoom link from my last invites.”

• Summarize:
  “Summarize this article and extract 3 action items.” (Share → ChatGPT from Safari)

• Idea → Post:
  “Write a 120-word Instagram caption for our fall coffee special; warm, inviting, 2 emojis, 5 hashtags.”

A5) Add safe confirmations (so nothing gets sent without you)

In Shortcuts, after the AI returns a draft (text or event):

• Show Alert: “Ready to send?” with Continue/Cancel.

• If Continue → Send Message (choose recipient) or Add New Event.

• If Cancel → Copy to Clipboard so you can paste/edit.

A6) Optional pro automations (15–30 extra minutes)

• Webhook for multi-step tasks:
  In Shortcuts add Get Contents of URL → a Zapier webhook that:

  1. creates a Google Calendar event,

  2. posts the summary to Slack,

  3. logs the task to a Google Sheet.

• Context memory (soft memory):
  Save snippets (e.g., favorite meeting lengths, preferred tone) to Notes. Prepend those as “context” when you call the assistant.

Track B — Android (10–20 minutes)

B1) Install & prep

1. Install ChatGPT (or your preferred AI app) from Play Store.

2. Ensure mic permissions are granted.

3. Optional: install Tasker (paid) for deep automation. If you want fast/no-code, you can stick with Google Assistant Routines.

B2) Quick “voice to assistant” with Google Assistant

1. Open Google Assistant → Routines → New.

2. Trigger phrase: “Open My Assistant”.

3. Action: Open app → ChatGPT. (Or deep link to a specific conversation.)

4. Speak: “Hey Google, Open My Assistant… [your request].”

If you want inline voice capture before opening an app, use Assistant prompt → ‘Ask a question’ and map to your AI app via Share or Clipboard. Many users prefer simply opening ChatGPT and dictating—fast and reliable.

B3) Tasker version (more powerful)

Goal: single voice phrase → capture speech → send to AI → return a draft → confirm → auto-act.

1. Profile ▸ Event ▸ Voice Command (or State ▸ Intent Received using Assistant).

2. Task ▸ Record Audio / AutoVoice to capture speech → store as %query.

3. HTTP Request to your webhook (Zapier/IFTTT) or OpenAI API:

   • Body includes %query, time zone, and your “system prompt” (like the iOS one above).

4. IF response contains action: sms → show Dialog to confirm → Send SMS.

5. IF response contains action: calendar → Insert Calendar with fields from JSON.

6. Else → Copy to Clipboard and Show Scene with the draft.

No API? Use Share intents: share text to ChatGPT → get the draft → copy back.

B4) Everyday voice prompts (Android)

• “Draft a friendly text to my landlord about fixing the sink; ask for Friday morning.”

• “Add a calendar event ‘Budget review’ next Wednesday 11 AM, 45 minutes, with reminder 10 minutes before.”

• “Summarize this PDF and give me 5 bullets.” (Share → ChatGPT)

• “Brainstorm 10 TikTok hook ideas about fall menu specials.”

Make it feel personal (works on iOS & Android)

Your forever system prompt (paste once, reuse)

Personalization ideas

• Tone presets: “Use warm, concise tone for friends; professional for work.”

• Contacts glossary: “Jake = Jake Rivera (friend)”; “Boss = Alicia Chen (work)”.

• Calendar defaults: “Meetings are 30 minutes unless I say otherwise.”

• Travel: “Default airport SFO; prefer early morning flights.”

Safety, privacy, and control (important)

• Always confirm: Make your shortcut/tasker flow ask before sending.

• Keep sensitive data local when possible (addresses, SSN, banking—don’t feed to AI).

• Review app permissions quarterly (mic, contacts, notifications).

• Use PIN/Face ID on your shortcut if your phone is often unlocked around others.

Level up: time-saving “packs” you can add in 5 minutes

Pack 1 — “Outreach Booster”

• Voice: “Draft a friendly follow-up to Sarah re: demo last week. Propose Thu/Fri, 30 minutes, include Zoom.”

• Output: Email subject + body + two time options + calendar stub.

Pack 2 — “Daily Brief”

• Morning trigger (7:30 AM): Assistant compiles today’s calendar, top 3 emails to respond, weather, and one suggested priority.

• On iOS: Shortcut scheduled automation → calls ChatGPT → Show result.

• On Android: Tasker timed profile → HTTP → Notification with summary.

Pack 3 — “Research Sprint”

• Share any link/PDF → Assistant returns 5 key points, 3 risks, and a one-paragraph POV in your voice (define your voice once).

Troubleshooting (quick fixes)

• Siri/Assistant didn’t hear you? Move to a quieter spot; in iOS Shortcuts use Dictate Text (Continuous).

• AI responds too vaguely? Strengthen your system prompt and always include context + goal.

• Wrong calendar times? Set time zone explicitly: “Friday 2 PM PT”.

• It tries to send without asking? Add/verify your confirmation step in Shortcut/Tasker.

• Opens the app but doesn’t paste text? Add a step to Copy to Clipboard and enable “Paste from other apps” permission in your AI app settings (Android).

FAQs

Q: Do I need to pay for anything?
A: You can do most of this free. Paid tiers (ChatGPT Plus, Tasker, Zapier) unlock faster responses and deeper automations.

Q: Can it send messages automatically?
A: Technically yes, but I strongly recommend a confirmation prompt to avoid mistakes.

Q: Can I connect Gmail, Sheets, Slack, Notion?
A: Yes—use Zapier/IFTTT webhooks from Shortcuts/Tasker. Your assistant can draft; Zapier performs the action.

Q: Will it work offline?
A: Voice recognition + LLM reasoning need connectivity. Pure local flows (e.g., adding a reminder) can be offline via native apps.

Your 5-minute checklist (print/save)

• Create “Ask My Assistant” (Shortcut or Routine/Tasker).

• Paste the system prompt above.

• Add dictation → AI → confirmation → action flow.

• Train 3 common jobs (text, calendar, summarize).

• Add one automatic pack (Daily Brief or Outreach Booster).

Final tip

Start simple (one phrase + one job). After a day or two, add one new job at a time. Within a week you’ll have a reliable, voice-first personal assistant that saves real time every day.

If you want, tell me iPhone or Android, and I’ll generate a ready-to-import Shortcut (.shortcut file) or a Tasker profile you can use immediately.