---
title: autoconnect()
framework: combine
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: combine/connectablepublisher/autoconnect()
---

# autoconnect()

Automates the process of connecting or disconnecting from this connectable publisher.

## Declaration

```swift
func autoconnect() -> Publishers.Autoconnect<Self>
```

## Mentioned in

Controlling Publishing with Connectable Publishers Replacing Foundation Timers with Timer Publishers

## Return Value

Return Value A publisher which automatically connects to its upstream connectable publisher.

## Discussion

Discussion Use autoconnect() to simplify working with ConnectablePublisher instances, such as Timer.TimerPublisher in the Foundation framework. In the following example, the publish(every:tolerance:on:in:options:) operator creates a Timer.TimerPublisher, which is a ConnectablePublisher. As a result, subscribers don’t receive any values until after a call to connect(). For convenience when working with a single subscriber, the autoconnect() operator performs the connect() call when attached to by the subscriber. cancellable = Timer.publish(every: 1, on: .main, in: .default)     .autoconnect()     .sink { date in         print ("Date now: \(date)")     }