What shortcuts are and where to find them
A shortcut on your iPhone is a custom command that runs one action or a chain of actions with a single tap. You might create a shortcut that texts your partner "I'm on my way home," opens a specific playlist, or sends your location to a friend. Shortcuts live in the Shortcuts app, which comes built into every iPhone running iOS 12 or later.
Open the Shortcuts app — it has a purple icon with a white play button — and you'll see three tabs at the bottom: Shortcuts, Automation, and Gallery. The Shortcuts tab shows all the shortcuts you've created. The Gallery tab offers pre-made shortcuts you can download and customize. Most people start by either building from scratch in the Shortcuts tab or downloading something close to what they want from the Gallery.
Key Takeaways
- The Shortcuts app comes built into your iPhone and lets you create custom commands that run with a single tap.
- You can build a shortcut from scratch by tapping the plus icon, or download a template from the Gallery and modify it.
- Shortcuts can perform single actions like sending a text, or chain multiple actions together like opening an app, waiting for input, and sending a message.
- Once you create a shortcut, you can add it to your home screen as an icon, set it to run automatically at a specific time or location, or trigger it from Siri by voice.
Creating a shortcut from scratch
Tap the plus icon in the top right corner of the Shortcuts tab. You'll see a blank canvas with a search bar at the top. This search bar lets you find actions — the individual steps that make up your shortcut. If you want to send a text message, search for "send message." If you want to open an app, search for "open app."
Each action you add appears as a colored block. Tap any block to configure it — for example, if you add a "Send Message" action, you'll specify who receives it and what the message says. You can type the message directly, or tap the blue plus icon to add a variable, which lets the shortcut ask you for input when it runs. Once you've added all the actions you need, tap Done in the top right, give your shortcut a name, and it's saved.
Start simple. A shortcut that does one thing well is easier to test and debug than a complex chain. Once you're comfortable, you can build shortcuts with conditional logic — "if it's raining, send this message; if it's sunny, send that one" — by adding actions like "Ask for [type]" or "If [condition]."
Downloading and customizing shortcuts from the Gallery
The Gallery tab shows shortcuts organized by category: Productivity, Health, Home, Travel, and others. Tap any shortcut to see what it does, then tap Get Shortcut. The shortcut downloads and opens in edit mode so you can customize it before saving.
Most Gallery shortcuts are designed to be modified. A "Send Daily Reminder" shortcut might come with a generic message — you'll want to change it to your own text. A "Play My Workout Playlist" shortcut might link to someone else's playlist — you'll need to change it to yours. Tap any action block to edit it, then tap Done when you're finished. The shortcut saves automatically with your changes.
Adding a shortcut to your home screen
Once you've created or customized a shortcut, you can add it to your home screen so it appears as an icon alongside your other apps. Open the shortcut, tap the three dots in the top right, then tap Add to Home Screen. A preview appears showing what the icon will look like. You can change the icon by tapping it — choose a photo, emoji, or symbol from the menu. You can also change the name that appears below the icon.
Tap Add in the top right. Your iPhone will ask where you want to place it — choose a home screen page and position, then tap Add. The shortcut now appears as a standalone icon. Tap it anytime to run the shortcut.
Setting a shortcut to run automatically
The Automation tab lets you trigger a shortcut without tapping it manually. Tap Create Personal Automation, then choose a trigger: Time of Day, Location, Before/After App Opens, or several others. For example, you could set a shortcut to run every morning at 7 a.m., or every time you arrive at work.
After you choose a trigger, configure it — if you picked Time of Day, select the time and which days of the week. Then tap Next, choose which shortcut to run, and tap Done. The automation is now active. By default, automations run silently without asking for confirmation, though you can toggle "Ask Before Running" if you want to approve each time.
Using Siri to run a shortcut
Any shortcut can be triggered by voice through Siri. When you create or edit a shortcut, look for the three dots in the top right and tap it. Scroll down to find "Add to Siri" and tap it. Speak the phrase you want to use — for example, "Send my location" or "Start my workout." Siri records your voice and associates it with the shortcut.
Once you've added it to Siri, say "Hey Siri" followed by your phrase anytime. Siri will run the shortcut. You can change the phrase later by opening the shortcut, tapping the three dots, and tapping "Add to Siri" again to record a new one.
Common shortcuts to start with
If you're new to shortcuts, these simple ones teach the basics without overwhelming you. A "Text My Arrival Time" shortcut calculates how long it will take to drive home and sends that to a contact. A "Screenshot to Notes" shortcut takes a screenshot and saves it to your Notes app. A "Toggle Dark Mode" shortcut switches your display between light and dark themes with one tap.
The Gallery includes all of these. Search for them by name, download them, and run them once to see how they work. Then open them in edit mode to see what actions they use. This is often faster than building from scratch, because you can see real examples of how actions connect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share a shortcut I created with someone else?
Yes. Open the shortcut, tap the three dots, and tap Share. You can send it via Messages, Mail, or AirDrop, or copy a link to share it another way. The person who receives it can tap the link or open the shared file, then tap Add Shortcut to import it into their own Shortcuts app.
What if my shortcut isn't working?
Open the shortcut and tap the play button to run it step by step. Watch where it stops or shows an error. Common issues include a contact name spelled wrong, an app that isn't installed, or a permission that hasn't been granted. Tap the action that's failing and check the details. If a shortcut asks for permission the first time you run it, grant it — shortcuts need permission to send messages, access your location, or control other apps.
Can I organize my shortcuts into folders?
Yes. In the Shortcuts tab, tap Edit in the top right. Tap Create Folder, name it, then drag shortcuts into it. Tap Done when you're finished. Folders help keep your shortcuts organized if you have many of them.
Do shortcuts work on iPad and Mac?
Yes. The Shortcuts app is available on iPad running iPadOS 13 or later, and on Mac running macOS 11 or later. Shortcuts you create on one device sync to your other devices if you're signed into the same iCloud account, so you can run them anywhere.
Can I make a shortcut that opens multiple apps at once?
Yes. Add multiple "Open App" actions to your shortcut, one for each app. When you run the shortcut, it will open them in sequence. Note that opening many apps at once may slow your iPhone down, so keep it to three or four apps for best results.