Describe what you want
When creating a new assignment you will be given the option to describe in natural language what you want to achieve. For example:
Zet Niet storen aan, verlaag de helderheid naar 15 procent en schakel de donkere modus in.
Apple Intelligence analyzes the command and then automatically creates a workflow with the necessary actions. You don’t have to search for settings for Focus, brightness or the display of your device yourself. You can also easily describe adjustments, after which the assignment is further adjusted.
No more programming
The Assignments app has been working with visual blocks for some time, but for many users it still felt like programming. You had to know what action you needed, what order to place it in, and what variables to use, if any.
With Apple Intelligence, that barrier largely disappears. The app continues to work in the background with separate actions, but the user no longer has to understand that technical structure themselves. This makes it easier to experiment and expand assignments step by step.
For example, an assignment can first retrieve your calendar, then summarize the most important appointments using Apple Intelligence and then show the outcome as a notification. Apple supports this, among other things, on-device, Private Cloud Compute and ChatGPT as an extension model.
Useful examples
The new approach makes all kinds of practical assignments possible. For example, you can ask for:
- Make a summary of your next appointments.
- Compile a shopping list based on a recipe.
- Check text from the clipboard and make it shorter.
- Summarize the weather for today with an appropriate choice of clothing.
- Send a message when you leave on your way home.
- Automatically collect photos from a trip and provide them with a title.
- Turn a long note into a clear to-do list.
The capabilities depend on the apps, actions, and access rights available on your device. Apple Intelligence can use information from previous actions, such as calendars, reminders, photos and text.
Easily create assignments
- Open the Assignments app
- Tap or click the plus button
- Describe the assignment
- Let Apple Intelligence do the rest
Would you rather get started manually? Then, after tapping or clicking on the plus button, choose ‘Change‘ and you can manually set the shortcut action by action. Or tap the Apple Intelligence logo to describe your assignment.
Always open advanced editor
Do you prefer to use the Shortcuts app the old way to create your own shortcuts and shortcuts? Then you can ensure that the app always opens the editor. To do this, go to Institutions ▸ Apps ▸ Assignments ▸ select ‘Open assignments‘ for ‘Editor‘.