iCloud: what the assistant can do

In iCloud, the assistant can add an event (iCloud Calendar), move an event (iCloud Calendar), cancel an event (iCloud Calendar), check your calendar (iCloud Calendar), find free time (iCloud Calendar), look up a contact (iCloud Contacts) and add a contact (iCloud Contacts). You ask by text, in your own words.

Status: Beta. How to connect, permissions and limits: iCloud Calendar & Contacts.

What it does	Asks first?	Undo
Add an event (iCloud Calendar)	If unsure	10 minutes
Move an event (iCloud Calendar)	If unsure	10 minutes
Cancel an event (iCloud Calendar)	Always	10 minutes
Check your calendar (iCloud Calendar)	No	–
Find free time (iCloud Calendar)	No	–
Look up a contact (iCloud Contacts)	No	–
Add a contact (iCloud Contacts)	If unsure	10 minutes

Asking first and undo follow the same rules for every tool: see Confirmations and undo.

Add an event (iCloud Calendar)

Puts an event on your own iCloud calendar at the time you say, with a length or end time and an optional place. Nobody else is invited.

• Asks before doing it? Usually not. It asks first if it isn’t sure what you meant, a name only roughly matches, or the request covers more than 5 records.
• Can be undone? Yes. Text “undo” within 10 minutes.
• iCloud API call: PUT {calendar}/{uid}.ics (If-None-Match: *)
• Action name: icloud.create_event

Example texts:

• “put the Henderson AC tune-up on my calendar tomorrow at 2”
• “block 9 to 11 Friday for the Patel estimate at 12 Oak St”
• “add dentist Tuesday 3:30 to my iCloud calendar”

Move an event (iCloud Calendar)

Moves one of your events (or one day of a repeating one) to a new day or time and keeps its length. Events with guests are left for you to move.

• Asks before doing it? Usually not. It asks first if it isn’t sure what you meant, a name only roughly matches, or the request covers more than 5 records.
• Can be undone? Yes. Text “undo” within 10 minutes.
• iCloud API call: PUT {calendar}/{uid}.ics (If-Match)
• Action name: icloud.move_event

Example texts:

• “move the Henderson appointment to Thursday at 3”
• “push my 2pm tomorrow to 4”
• “reschedule the dentist to next Monday”

Cancel an event (iCloud Calendar)

Deletes an event (or one day of a repeating one) from your iCloud calendar. Events with guests are left for you to cancel, so they hear about it. Always asks you first.

• Asks before doing it? Yes, always. You see exactly what will happen and say yes before it does it.
• Can be undone? Yes. Text “undo” within 10 minutes.
• iCloud API call: DELETE {calendar}/{uid}.ics (If-Match)
• Action name: icloud.cancel_event

Example texts:

• “cancel the Henderson appointment tomorrow”
• “delete my 4pm today from the calendar”
• “cancela la cita del dentista”

Check your calendar (iCloud Calendar)

Tells you what’s on your iCloud calendars today, tomorrow, another day or for the week.

• Asks before doing it? No. It only looks things up.
• Can be undone? Nothing to undo: it doesn’t change anything.
• iCloud API call: REPORT {calendar} calendar-query
• Action name: icloud.list_events

Example texts:

• “what’s on my calendar today”
• “what do I have tomorrow”
• “what’s my week look like”

Find free time (iCloud Calendar)

Finds open time on your iCloud calendars on a day, between 8am and 6pm unless you say otherwise.

• Asks before doing it? No. It only looks things up.
• Can be undone? Nothing to undo: it doesn’t change anything.
• iCloud API call: REPORT {calendar} calendar-query
• Action name: icloud.find_free_slot

Example texts:

• “when am I free Thursday”
• “do I have an hour open tomorrow afternoon”
• “find me a 2 hour slot Monday”

Look up a contact (iCloud Contacts)

Finds someone in your iPhone contacts by name, phone number or email and replies with their number and email.

• Asks before doing it? No. It only looks things up.
• Can be undone? Nothing to undo: it doesn’t change anything.
• iCloud API call: REPORT {addressbook} addressbook-query
• Action name: icloud.find_contact

Example texts:

• “what’s Sarah Lee’s number?”
• “who is 512-555-0188 in my contacts”
• “find dave@patelhomes.com in my iPhone contacts”

Add a contact (iCloud Contacts)

Saves a new person to your iPhone contacts with the phone, email, company or note you give.

• Asks before doing it? Usually not. It asks first if it isn’t sure what you meant, a name only roughly matches, or the request covers more than 5 records.
• Can be undone? Yes. Text “undo” within 10 minutes.
• iCloud API call: PUT {addressbook}/{uid}.vcf
• Action name: icloud.create_contact

Example texts:

• “add Sarah Lee 512-555-0188 to my contacts”
• “save dave@patelhomes.com as Dave Patel, Patel Homes, in my iPhone contacts”
• “new contact: Mike from Acme Supply 512 555 0101”

---

This list is generated from the code that runs each action, so it’s always current.