Get started with Workflow
One of the big problems with doing anything on a computer is the need to do near-identical things again and again. You may end up regularly punching in details for the same taxi ride, or fiddling around with calculator apps to work out a tip. Workflow ($2.99) aims to free you from such drudgery using step-based workflows. In effect, the app becomes your personalized automation tool.
If you’ve an understanding of drag and drop, Workflow should be simple enough to use. Workflows comprise a series of steps, built from components dragged from the Actions menu. (On iPad, this is a simpler process, due to a two-pane interface; on iPhone, you need to drag between an Actions screen and the workflow you’re building.)
Helpfully, Workflow is aware of apps you have installed and filters lists in Actions accordingly. So if you use Dropbox, you’ll find the likes of Save to Dropbox and Append to Dropbox File within the Apps section. When necessary, you may need to grant permission for Workflow to access a service or app on adding a step, and also configure settings within the step. (So with Append to Dropbox File, Workflow will need permission to access Dropbox, and you’ll need to state which text file you’re appending content to.) Your workflows can be tested by tapping the play button, and settings (tap the cog icon) provide options for naming a workflow and adding a custom icon.
By default, workflows live and exist within the app, four also being available as Quick Actions from the Workflow Home screen icon. However, there are alternatives – you can, within the settings, define workflows to exist specifically inside Notification Center’s Today view, on the Apple Watch, or within Share sheets as an Action extension. In all cases, you can also add workflows to the iOS Home screen as pseudo-apps. These function similarly to Safari bookmarks added to your Home screen, in that a single press launches Workflow and runs the action. If you’re a fan of Launch Center Pro (see following page), it’s also possible to add Workflow shortcuts to that app’s grids.
If you don’t want to create your own workflows, or would like to see how some are made (beyond the brief tutorial you get when first running the app), there’s the Gallery. This resembles the App Store in miniature, with loads of pre-defined workflows that you can explore and install. Featured favorites appear at the top, along with shortcuts to types of workflows (for Today view, the Share sheet, and so on). Example workflows include showing the NASA image of the day, figuring out how long it’ll take to get home, converting Live Photos to GIFs, logging weight into the Health app, getting directions to a nearby coffee shop, and generating meme images. This is all a great showcase in how to make an app with enough power for the geekiest iOS user to immerse themselves in, yet remain accessible and give value to anyone with an iPhone or iPad.