Let’s be honest: our smartphones are incredible, but they can also be a source of endless tapping, swiping, and navigating through menus. We all have those repetitive tasks we do every single day—texting a partner when we leave work, checking the weather before a run, or toggling settings when the battery gets low. Wouldn't it be nice if your iPhone just… did that for you?
Enter the Shortcuts app. It is likely the most powerful, yet most underused, app pre-installed on your device. For many, the icon sits in a folder gathering digital dust because it looks a bit intimidating. It screams "tech-savvy," implying you need to know how to code to use it.
Here is the good news: You do not need to be a developer. You don’t even need to be particularly good with computers. If you can follow a recipe, you can master Shortcuts. By setting up a few simple "recipes" for your phone, you can save time, reduce screen clutter, and make your device work for you, rather than the other way around. Let’s dive into how you can automate your life today.
The Magic Button You Didn't Know You Had
Think of a Shortcut as a domino effect. Usually, if you want to do three things on your phone, you have to open three different apps. With a Shortcut, you push one button (the first domino), and the rest happen automatically in a sequence.
For example, imagine you want to play your favorite playlist, set your volume to 50%, and open your navigation app to drive home. Usually, that’s about 15 taps. With a Shortcut, you can say "Hey Siri, let’s go home," and it happens instantly.
Pro Tip: You don't have to build these from scratch! The Shortcuts app comes with a "Gallery" tab at the bottom. Think of this like the App Store, but everything is free. You can browse hundreds of pre-made shortcuts and add them to your library with a single tap.
Start Your Day on Autopilot
The morning rush is where automation shines brightest. Instead of waking up and scrolling through four different apps to get your bearings, you can create a "Morning Briefing" shortcut.
While the iPhone has some built-in summary features, a custom shortcut allows you to tailor the experience. You can set up a trigger so that when you stop your wake-up alarm, your phone automatically executes a specific sequence.
Here is a popular setup for a morning routine:
- Weather Report: Siri grabs the current forecast.
- Calendar Check: The phone looks at your first appointment of the day.
- Commute Time: It checks traffic to your workplace.
- The Readout: Siri speaks it all out loud to you while you are brushing your teeth.
By the time you are dressed, you know exactly what the weather is, when your first meeting starts, and how bad traffic is, all without looking at a screen. This keeps you from getting sucked into social media emails before you’ve even had coffee.
Quick Fixes for Daily Annoyances
Beyond the morning routine, Shortcuts are fantastic for those little moments of friction throughout the day. These are the "micro-tasks" that take up mental energy. Here are three essential shortcuts every user should consider adding:
1. The "Heading Home" ETA
If you have a spouse, partner, or roommate, you probably send the "On my way" text frequently. You can create a shortcut that calculates your travel time from your current location to your home address and sends a text message saying: "Leaving now! GPS says I'll be there in [Time]." You can add this as an icon on your home screen so it takes just one tap.
2. Intelligent Battery Saver
While the iPhone asks to turn on Low Power Mode at 20%, you might want to be more aggressive if you know you are out for a long night without a charger. You can create an automation that automatically turns on Low Power Mode, turns down screen brightness, and turns off Wi-Fi the moment your battery hits 35%.
3. Instant Photo Cleaner
Do you ever take screenshots that clutter your library? You can build a shortcut that finds all screenshots taken in the last 7 days and asks you which ones you want to delete. It’s a great way to do a weekly digital cleanup in seconds.
Did you know? You can add any shortcut to your Home Screen so it looks just like a regular app icon. This is perfect for speed-dialing specific contacts or instantly opening a specific camera mode (like Video or Portrait).
True Automation: The "Set It and Forget It" Approach
There are two types of magic in the app: "Shortcuts" (which you trigger manually by tapping or asking Siri) and "Automations" (which happen automatically based on a condition).
The Automation tab is where your phone truly becomes smart. It allows your iPhone to react to the real world. Here are a few real-world examples of how automation can change your daily flow:
- Location Triggers: When you arrive at your local grocery store, your phone can automatically open your Reminders app to your "Groceries" list. No fumbling for the list while grabbing a cart.
- Bluetooth Triggers: When your phone connects to your car’s Bluetooth or CarPlay, it can automatically start playing your "Road Trip" playlist and launch Maps.
- Charging Triggers: When you plug your phone in at night, it can automatically set "Do Not Disturb" until morning and set your alarm volume to 100%.
These automations remove the need for you to remember to change settings. Your environment dictates how your phone behaves.
DIY: How to Build Your First "Speed Dial" Shortcut
Ready to try it? Let’s build something very simple together. We are going to create a button that instantly calls a specific person (Mom, a partner, or your best friend) so you don't have to search through your contacts.
Follow these simple steps:
- Open the Shortcuts app.
- Tap the + (plus) sign in the top right corner.
- Tap Add Action.
- In the search bar, type "Call" and select the Phone app icon.
- You will see a gray block that says "Call [Contact]". Tap on the faint "Contact" word.
- Select the person you want to call from your list.
- Now, look at the top of the screen for a small down-arrow next to the shortcut name (it might say "New Shortcut"). Tap it and select Rename to give it a name like "Call Mom."
- Tap that same arrow again and select Add to Home Screen.
- Tap Add.
Go to your home screen, and you will see your new button. Tap it, and the call starts immediately. You have just programmed your iPhone!
Embrace the Laziness
There is a saying in the tech world: "If you have to do it more than twice, automate it." While that might be extreme for everyday life, the sentiment holds true. The iPhone is a tool designed to make life easier, not more distracted.
Start small. Browse the Gallery this week and pick one or two shortcuts that look interesting. Maybe it’s a water intake logger or a tool to quickly make a GIF out of your photos. Once you see how much time you save, you’ll likely find yourself looking for more ways to let your iPhone handle the heavy lifting. Happy automating!