With the increasing concern regarding police brutality and racial profiling, the need for safety measures during police interactions has become prominent. iPhones have always had a feature of “Hey Siri,” which allows users to activate Siri using voice commands. However, an innovative shortcut created by Robert Petersen enables Siri to record a police interaction in progress, alert emergency contacts, and dim the screen for the sake of privacy.

Here’s how to create the “Hey Siri, I’m Getting Pulled Over” shortcut:

1. Open the Shortcuts app: Open the Shortcuts app, which is pre-installed on iPhones running iOS 12 or later.

2. Press “Create Shortcut”: Tap on “Create Shortcut” to begin setting up a new custom shortcut.

3. Record police interaction: Tap on the “+” icon to add a new action and search for the “Record Audio” action to record the police interaction. Once you add it, you can customize the length of the recording.

4. Set dimming of screen and alert: Add another action by tapping on the “+” icon and search for the “Set Brightness” action. Set it to the lowest possible, which should not alert the police, but permit the phone to operate in low light. Next, add a step that sends a text message alerting your emergency contacts that says, “I am being pulled over by the police. Please have my location and check on me in a few minutes.”

5. Add “Hey Siri” phrase: Save the shortcut and go back to “My Shortcuts.” Tap on the “…” button next to your new shortcut and hit “Add to Siri.” Assign a phrase such as “Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over,” which will activate the shortcut.

6. Test your shortcut: Enter “Hey Siri” voice command and say the phrase you assigned to activate the shortcut. Check if your phone screen dimmed and your iPhone started recording, and your emergency contacts received a message.

While nothing can guarantee a safe interaction with the police, establishing safeguards increases the odds in one’s favor. Creating the “Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over” shortcut will enable the users to safeguard their rights while making the cops accountable for their actions. It is time to use technology to empower ourselves, and this should start with the smartphones we carry every day.