Let’s be honest: we all love our iPhones, but sometimes it feels like we serve them rather than the other way around. We spend precious minutes every day tapping through menus to toggle settings, sending the same "I’m on my way" texts, or fumbling to find our driving playlist before the light turns green.
Enter the Shortcuts app. It is arguably the most powerful, yet most underused app on your home screen. For many, it looks a bit intimidating—like you need a degree in computer programming to use it. But here is the secret: you don’t need to be a tech wizard to make your iPhone work for you.
By setting up a few "Personal Automations," you can transform your device from a passive screen into an active assistant that anticipates your needs. Imagine your phone automatically turning on Low Power Mode when you hit a certain battery percentage, or texting your partner your arrival time the moment you leave work. Today, we are going to walk through essential, set-it-and-forget-it automations that will streamline your day.
1. The "Good Morning" Assistant
Waking up is hard enough without having to immediately squint at a bright screen to check the weather or your calendar. Why not let your iPhone brief you while you brush your teeth? This automation triggers the moment you turn off your morning alarm, setting a positive tone for the day without you lifting a finger.
Real-World Application: Instead of doom-scrolling social media the second you wake up, your phone can gently read you the weather forecast, tell you your first calendar appointment, and start playing your favorite "Wake Up" playlist.
How to set it up:
- Open the Shortcuts app and tap the Automation tab at the bottom.
- Tap the + icon (or "New Automation") and scroll down to select Alarm.
- Choose Is Stopped and select your specific "Wake Up" alarm.
- Tap Next, then tap New Blank Automation.
- Tap Add Action. Search for "Get Weather" and select Get Current Weather.
- Search for "Text" and select Speak Text.
- In the text box, type "Good morning. Here is the weather." Then, tap right after that sentence and select the Weather Conditions variable from the keyboard bar.
- Finally, search for Play Music and select your morning playlist.
- Tap Done.
Pro Tip: When setting up automations, you will often see a toggle for "Ask Before Running." For a seamless experience, turn this OFF. You want these to happen like magic, not require your permission every single time.
2. The "Heading Home" ETA Notifier
We have all been there: you get in the car, start driving, and 15 minutes later you realize you forgot to tell your spouse or roommate that you are on your way. Texting while driving is dangerous and illegal, but Siri can handle this automatically the moment your phone connects to your car.
Real-World Application: This automation calculates exactly how long it will take to get home based on current traffic and texts that specific time to your chosen contact. It saves you the mental load of remembering to text and provides accurate information to the people waiting for you.
How to set it up:
- Go to the Automation tab and create a new Personal Automation.
- Select Bluetooth (or CarPlay if your vehicle supports it).
- Choose your car’s Bluetooth device from the list and ensure Is Connected is checked.
- Tap Next and add the action Get Travel Time.
- Set the destination to your home address.
- Add the action Send Message.
- Tap inside the message field. It should default to saying "Travel Time." You can edit this to say: "I'm leaving now! GPS says I'll be home in [Travel Time]."
- Tap the Recipients field and choose your partner or roommate.
- Turn off "Ask Before Running" and hit Done.
3. The Intelligent Battery Saver
The iPhone's default Low Power Mode prompt pops up at 20%, which is helpful, but sometimes 20% is too late if you are out for a long night without a charger. If you know you usually run out of juice by 8 PM, why not have your phone go into defensive mode earlier?
Real-World Application: You can program your phone to automatically dim the screen, turn off Wi-Fi, and enable Low Power Mode the moment your battery hits 40% or 30%. This extends your battery life significantly without you ever having to check the percentage.
How to set it up:
- Create a new Personal Automation and select Battery Level.
- Move the slider to your desired percentage (e.g., Falls Below 40%).
- Tap Next and add the action Set Low Power Mode. Ensure it says "Turn Low Power Mode On."
- (Optional) Add the action Set Brightness and lower it to 30%.
- Tap Done.
Bonus Tip: You can create a second automation to reverse this! Set a trigger for "Battery Level Rises Above 40%" to automatically turn Low Power Mode off and bring your brightness back up.
4. The "Deep Focus" Toggle
Distractions are the enemy of productivity. While Apple's "Focus Modes" are great, you can supercharge them with Shortcuts. Whether you are reading a book, studying, or entering a deep work session, you want your environment to change instantly.
Real-World Application: Imagine tapping one button that not only turns on "Do Not Disturb" but also sets a timer for 45 minutes, puts your phone on silent, and opens your specific notes app or study playlist. It creates a ritual that tells your brain: "It is time to work."
How to set it up:
- This time, go to the Shortcuts tab (not Automation) to create a button you can tap.
- Tap the + in the top right corner.
- Search for Set Focus and choose "Do Not Disturb" (or a custom Work focus) to "On" until "Turned Off."
- Add the action Start Timer and set it for 45 minutes (or your preferred duration).
- Add the action Set Volume and drag it to 0% to avoid sudden loud noises.
- Tap the arrow at the top of the screen to rename the shortcut to "Deep Work" and choose a relevant icon (like a book or brain).
- You can now add this shortcut to your Home Screen as a widget for one-tap access.
5. The "Wind Down" Routine
Sleep hygiene is vital, but it is easy to get distracted by blue light and notifications right before bed. This automation helps you disconnect from the digital world and prepares you for sleep automatically.
Real-World Application: When you plug your phone in to charge after 10:00 PM, your phone can automatically turn on Dark Mode (if it isn't already), set your playback destination to your HomePod for white noise, and lower the volume.
How to set it up:
- Go to the Automation tab and select Charger.
- Select Is Connected.
- Tap Next. Now, we need to make sure this only runs at night.
- Add the action If. Tap "Input" and select Current Date.
- Tap on "Current Date" in the logic line, scroll down to "Date Format" and choose None. For "Time Format," choose Short.
- Change the condition to contains and type "PM" (this is a simple way to ensure it's evening, though you can get more granular with specific times).
- Inside the "If" block, add actions like Set Appearance (Dark) and Set Volume (Low).
- You can even add Open App and select a meditation app like Calm or Headspace.
Start Small, Think Big
The beauty of iOS Shortcuts is that they are completely customizable to your life. You don't need to implement all of these at once. Start with the Battery Saver or the Morning Assistant. Once you see how satisfying it is to have your phone handle the mundane tasks for you, you will start seeing automation opportunities everywhere.
Your iPhone is a tool. With a few simple tweaks, you can sharpen that tool to cut through the noise of your day, giving you back time and mental energy for the things that actually matter. Happy automating!