Aprox works with Siri and the Shortcuts app without any setup. Guest names come straight from your clusters, so you can say "Start plex with Aprox" and Aprox starts the right virtual machine on the right cluster. In the Shortcuts app, the same actions become building blocks for your own automations. Siri and Shortcuts are free.
Where to find it
- Siri: just ask. The phrases below work as soon as Aprox is installed and has connected to your cluster once.
- Shortcuts app: + › Add Action › search for "Aprox".
- Spotlight: the built-in Aprox shortcuts also appear when you search for Aprox.
Ask Siri
Say "Hey Siri" (or use your usual way to invoke Siri), followed by one of these phrases. Replace <guest> with the guest's name, for example plex or home-assistant.
| What you want | What to say |
|---|---|
| Start a guest | "Start <guest> with Aprox", "Power on <guest> with Aprox", "Boot <guest> with Aprox" |
| Shut a guest down cleanly | "Shut down <guest> with Aprox", "Power off <guest> with Aprox" |
| Reboot a guest | "Reboot <guest> with Aprox", "Restart <guest> with Aprox" |
| Check whether a guest runs | "Is <guest> running in Aprox", "Check <guest> in Aprox" |
| Check your clusters | "What's the status of my Aprox cluster", "Check my Aprox cluster" |
Siri answers in a sentence, for example "Started plex.", "Shut down plex.", "Rebooted plex.", "plex is running." or "plex is stopped."
Use Aprox actions in the Shortcuts app
- Open the Shortcuts app.
- Tap + to create a shortcut.
- Tap Add Action and search for "Aprox".
- Pick an action from the list below.
- Tap the Guest field and choose the guest. Each guest is listed with its server and VMID, for example "plex" with "Homelab (Demo) · 100" below it.
- Add more actions if you like, then tap Done.
Actions
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Start Guest | Starts a virtual machine or container. Answers "Started <guest>." |
| Shut Down Guest | Asks a virtual machine or container to shut down cleanly. Answers "Shut down <guest>." |
| Reboot Guest | Restarts a running virtual machine or container. Answers "Rebooted <guest>." |
| Stop Guest | Powers a guest off immediately, without asking the guest operating system to shut down. It always asks first: "Stop <guest> without shutting it down first? Unsaved work inside it will be lost." Answers "Stopped <guest>." |
| Get Guest Status | Reports whether a guest is running ("<guest> is running." or "<guest> is stopped."). It returns true or false, so you can use it in an If action. |
| Get Cluster Status | Reports how many nodes are online and how many guests are running on each of your Proxmox VE clusters. It returns the answer as text, one sentence per cluster, for example "Homelab (Demo): all 2 nodes online, x of y guests running." |
| Start or Shut Down Guest (iPhone and iPad) | Starts a stopped guest or asks a running one to shut down, depending on its Running value. This is the action behind the Control Center toggle. |
Warning
Stop Guest cuts power to the guest, like pulling the plug. Use Shut Down Guest unless the guest no longer responds.
How Get Cluster Status answers
- It signs in to every Proxmox VE server that Aprox can reach without you and reports fresh numbers.
- A node that is down is named, for example "Homelab (Demo): pve2 offline, x of y guests running."
- Servers Aprox could not sign in to or reach are listed at the end: "Could not reach …".
- If no server could be reached at all, Aprox answers with what it saw last and says how old that is: "As of <age>: …".
- Backup Servers are not included; they have no nodes or guests to count.
Example automations
- Start the media server in the evening: a personal automation at 18:00 with the action Start Guest ›
plex. - Morning report: Get Cluster Status, then Show Result or Speak Text.
- Only start if needed: Get Guest Status ›
home-assistant, then If the result is false › Start Guest ›home-assistant.
Requirements
- Aprox must have connected to the cluster at least once on this device, so it knows the guests.
- The server needs a saved password (Save password to Keychain) or an API token. Siri cannot show a password prompt.
- A server that asks for a two-factor code must already be signed in in the app.
- The Proxmox account needs permission to power the guest, for example
VM.PowerMgmt.
If Siri or Shortcuts reports a problem
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| "Aprox has no saved credentials for <server>. Open Aprox and sign in, choosing to save the password or using an API token." | Edit the server and save the password, or switch it to an API token. |
| "Aprox could not connect to <server>." | Check that the server is reachable from this network, for example that your VPN is on. |
| "<guest> is no longer on the cluster." | The guest was removed or its VMID changed. Pick the guest again in the shortcut. |
| "That server is no longer in Aprox." | The server was removed from Aprox on this device. Add it again or pick another guest. |
| "Add a Proxmox VE server in Aprox first." | Add a server and sign in once. |
Good to know
- Guest power actions are free, so Siri and Shortcuts work on the free plan.
- There are no Siri phrases or Shortcuts actions for Pause, Resume, Hibernate, Reset or node power. Use the app for those.
- Siri and Shortcuts work with Proxmox VE guests only, not with Backup Servers.
- Servers are not synced between devices. Add the server on each device where you want to use Siri.
- Android has no assistant integration. On Android, use the launcher shortcuts to jump to a server.