GET STARTED WITH THE SHORTCUTS APP

Find your way around Apple’s powerful workflows

SHORTCUTS LETS YOU create workflows that perform tasks at the touch of a button or the sound of your voice. Instead of jumping from app to app inputting commands, you can just let Shortcuts get on with it and shoulder the burden.

A shortcut is made up of building blocks, each of which carries out a single task. These blocks are linked together to create a workflow, which is displayed as a flowchart. Blocks can be reordered by dragging them to a new place in the workflow. Give your shortcut a name and you can use that phrase to instantly activate it with Siri.

When you first open the Shortcuts app, you will see pre–created shortcuts ready to be used. Below them are some simple starter shortcuts. Along the bottom of the app are tabs for My Shortcuts, Automation, and Gallery.

While standard shortcuts need to be launched, automations are automatic. They let you create workflows where everything is done for you when you leave work, arrive at the gym, or wake up in the morning, for example.

The Gallery tab, meanwhile, houses a vast array of ready–made shortcuts on all kinds of different topics, from workflows for your morning routine to tools for making music. Here you will also find Siri suggestions from your apps, which are based on how you use these apps and at what time.

You can get seriously in–depth with Shortcuts, with variables and branching options that draw in external apps and more. It’s a powerful tool!

Shortcuts can be as simple as you like. This quick workflow takes the most recent photo on your device and sends it to a defined contact.

The Shortcuts Gallery contains a large range of pre–made shortcuts ready for you to try. Try them out to see how shortcuts work.