Shortcuts are personalized commands that allow you to perform successive actions with a tap or by asking Siri directly.
With the deployment of iOS 12, Apple introduces Shortcuts, simplified automation scripts for quickly executing complex operations.
Concretely, the shortcuts make it possible to carry out tedious tasks quickly by automating the various stages which compose them. Each shortcut is made up of a succession of blocks of actions which, placed end to end, successively execute several tasks to obtain a precise result. More than 300 different actions are available, with, for each, the possibility of parameterizing variables, thus offering an unlimited number of possibilities.
Differentiate Siri Shortcuts from Shortcuts
However, it is important to distinguish between Siri Shortcuts and the dedicated application, Shortcuts, which allows you to create personalized shortcuts from scratch.
Siri Shortcuts, natively integrated in iOS, are generated automatically according to your habits and can be executed via Siri by recording a personalized expression. They can use system functions as desired, as well as initiate actions using third-party applications that you frequently use.
The Shortcuts app, on the other hand, lets you create your own custom shortcuts. Downloadable for free, Raccourcis is nothing but an update of the Workflow automation application, bought by the Cupertino company in 2017.
How to use the suggested shortcuts?
On your iPhone or iPad, go to iOS Settings, then enter the Siri and Search menu. At the top of the window that opens are presented the latest suggested shortcuts, generated according to the applications you have used.
To add them to Siri, press the + button, then tap the red record button to dictate the expression you want to say so that Siri performs your shortcut. Once saved, shortcuts are logged in the My Shortcuts menu.
To test a shortcut, launch Siri and say your expression to run your shortcut. You can view other suggested shortcuts by going to All Shortcuts.
How do I create new custom shortcuts?
To create your own custom shortcuts, start by downloading the app to your iPhone or iPad.
Download Shortcuts for iPhone / iPad (Free)
1. Discover Shortcuts
The Shortcuts interface consists of the Library, in which all the shortcuts you have created are stored, and the Gallery, in which you will find suggestions for predefined shortcuts that you just need to customize with your personal settings.
2. Create a new shortcut
To create a new shortcut, go to the Library, and press the Create shortcut button. The working window, on which you are going to place your actions, opens.
3. Place your shares
Drag the pane displayed at the bottom of the screen upwards to display all actions. iOS suggests a number of actions, but it is quite possible to search for others by placing the cursor in the search box.
You can then explore the catalog of available actions depending on the type of content or applications involved in your shortcut.
In our example, we are going to create a shortcut capable of automatically sending the latest photos from the camera roll by SMS. In Content types, we therefore choose Photos and video, then we select the desired action: Get the latest photos.
Note that it is possible to view details of each action by pressing the “i” button.
To start the shortcut, keep your finger pressed on the action block, then drop it on the working window. Choose the number of photos you want to select, and choose whether or not to include screenshots.
Go back to the action catalog (don’t forget to close the previously opened section), then, in Apps, select Messages, choose your second action: Send a message. In the action variables, select your recipient, then enter the body of the message to send.
4. Name the shortcut
Before finalizing your shortcut, give it a name. Tap the two switch icon at the top right to customize the shortcut settings.
You can give it a name and an icon, add it to Siri, display it in the Widget dedicated to the Shortcuts application as well as in the sharing pane or even generate a button on the home screen of the device to run it quickly.
Then validate your customizations by pressing OK, then save your shortcut by pressing OK again.
5. Use the created shortcut
All the shortcuts created with the appropriate application appear in the library and can be executed from there with a single tap.
Depending on the customizations chosen in the previous step, you can run the shortcut from the dedicated Widget, the icon generated on the home page, the share sheet, or with Siri.
Applications already ready for shortcuts
By updating their app to iOS 12, developers have the option of integrating an “Add to Siri” module within their app to perform recurring tasks. Several suggestions are usually offered and a tap on one of them is enough to record the phrase to be recited and add it to the voice assistant. .
CityMapper is one of the first applications to suggest it. It offers, for example, to know the disruptions on your daily journey, the arrival time of your bus or your train, or to know which mode of transport to favor to return home.