Shortcuts – iPhone
Shortcuts provides a quick and easy way to get things done across different apps on your iPhone. You can explore and add shortcuts directly from the Shortcut app or you can create your own shortcut that has a specific set of actions. A shortcut is basically a series of actions that happen without you having to carry out each of those actions individually. For example, the Share Availability shortcut will look through your Calendar, find the days and times you are available, and send your availability all with one click. You can also Convert Burst to GIF which will automatically take all the photos from a burst photo and make them a GIF or you can use the Clean Up Screenshots shortcut and you will be shown all the screenshots you ever took so you can’t keep or delete them without going through your entire photo album to try and find all the needles in the hay stack so to speak. These are just a few examples but there are tons of shortcuts to choose from and create.
Shortcut Gallery
To access the Shortcut gallery:
- Open the Shortcut app on your iPhone and click on the Gallery Icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.
- Then you can either search for a specific shortcut in the search bar at the top of the app underneath where it says Gallery, or you can scroll down and view shortcut categories and swipe right or left to browse all the different preloaded shortcuts in each category.
Shortcuts
Shortcut Folders
To view or create shortcut folders:
- Open the Shortcut app and select the Shortcuts tab at the bottom left hand corner of the app screen.
- If you want to create a new shortcut folder, select the Folder Icon with the Plus Sign in the top right hand corner of the app screen.
- Then create a name for your folder and select an icon for your shortcut in the Objects, People, or Symbols tab.
- Then select Add in the top right corner of the app screen when you’re finished.
Inside a Shortcuts Folder
From here you can view all of your current shortcuts and you have a few options from this screen. To find a shortcut, either scroll through your shortcuts or search for them in the search bar if you want to find a specific one. You can also:
Edit
- At the top of the screen click on Edit to edit existing shortcuts.
- Then select the shortcut and you can Duplicate, Move the shortcut to a new folder, or Delete the shortcut.
- Click on done in the top right corner when you’re finished or you change your mind.
Grid/List
The default setting will list shortcuts in a Grid format. You can also view shortcuts as a List. To do this:
- Click on the Grid Icon (the four squares) at the top of the screen.
- Then select List from the drop down.
- Once you’ve selected a List, click on the Grid Icon again to categorize your shortcut list by Name, Action Count, or Last Modified.
Create Shortcut
To create a new shortcut:
- Click on the Plus Icon in the top right hand corner of the app screen.
- Then click on Add Action to choose from a vast list of categories and apps to select from.
- After you select an initial action, repeat the process with connected actions to build your shortcut.
- Click on Done in the top right hand corner to complete your shortcut when finished.
Automation
An automation is essentially an event that triggers a shortcut. For example, you can set an automation for your workout timer to start when your get to the gym, airplane mode to turn on as soon as you enter an airplane, a podcast and directions to start as soon as you get in the car to drive, etc.
To create an automation:
- From the app screen, select Automation at the bottom of the screen.
- Then select Create Personal Automation and select what event you want to trigger the shortcut for example, when your battery is low, when you arrive at a location, at a specific time of day etc.
- Then you will create a shortcut for your Automation.
Shortcut Settings
Allow Shortcuts To Access
iCloud Sync
Keeping this on will sync your shortcuts to iCloud.
Private Sharing
This will allow your contacts to share shortcuts with you.
Note: Apple is unable to verify the authenticity of the shortcuts that are shared with you.
Advanced
Allow Running Scripts
When this is on, you allow your iPhone to run Javascript on a webpage. Allowing shortcuts to run Javascript on a webpage could allow shortcuts to access sensitive data such as passwords, phone numbers, and card information. The Shortcuts app does have settings to prevent malicious attacks but you will have to change a few settings to enable automations. Make sure you trust the webpage and know what you’re doing before you enable these settings as the could contain inherent privacy risks.
Allow Sharing Large Amounts of Data
Some shortcuts may require large amounts of data. To enable these shortcuts this must be on. Check with your wireless carrier about your plan to make sure there’s no additional charges for high data use.
Allow Deleting Without Confirmation
This will allow shortcuts to delete without confirmation.
Allow Deleting Large Amounts of Data
This will allow shortcuts to delete large amounts of data.
