What to Know
- The Shortcuts Gallery has hundreds of valuable shortcuts that you can add with a tap.
- You can easily make personalized automations from scratch.
- It is possible to share and download Shortcuts built by others.
The iPhone Shortcuts app lets you completely personalize your phone by creating automated workflows. This means that a single command using Siri can get your phone to do the hard work, like text all the attendees of an upcoming event with your exact ETA without you lifting a finger. You can also use Shortcuts to create GIFs quickly, customize app icons, and so much more!
Jump To:
- What is a Shortcut: iPhone Shortcuts Explained
- How to Make a Shortcut on iPhone
- How to Use Starter Shortcuts & Shortcuts Gallery
What is a Shortcut: iPhone Shortcuts Explained
What is a Shortcut? An example of a Siri Shortcuts command is saying, "Hey Siri, I'm going for a walk." This simple phrase can be linked to a series of actions in your preferred order. For example, it can first prompt the weather app to tell you the temperature. Next, it can start playing your walking playlist. There can even be more steps associated with that one command, such as setting your Apple Watch to Silent Mode to avoid interruptions. You can add custom shortcuts or pick from the Starter Shortcuts.
Related: How to Change App Icons with Shortcuts
How to Make a Shortcut on iPhone
Apple shortcuts are a great way to both personalize and customize your iPhone. Since we all use our phones differently, we may find that existing iPhone features aren’t sufficient for our unique needs. Shortcuts help us make our iPhones do more for us automatically so that we can work smarter, not harder. Here’s how to create a shortcut on iPhone:
- Open the Shortcuts app.
![Open the Shortcuts app.]()
- Navigate to the Shortcuts tab, if you're not already there, and tap the + icon in the top right corner.
![Navigate to the Shortcuts tab, if you're not already there, and tap the + icon in the top right corner.]()
- Select Add Action.
![Select Add Action.]()
- Here you'll see some suggestions or you can use the search bar to search for apps or actions.
![Here you'll see some suggestions or you can use the search bar to search for apps or actions.]()
- To see a list of apps, tap Apps.
![To see a list of apps, tap Apps.]()
- Select the app to create a shortcut for it. I'll pick Messages.
![Select the app to create a shortcut for it. I'll pick Messages.]()
- Select an action. For this example, I'll tap Send Message.
![Select an action. For this example, I'll tap Send Message.]()
- Tap Recipients.
![Tap Recipients.]()
- Type the name, phone number, or email address of your contact.
![Type the name, phone number, or email address of your contact.]()
- Select one (or more).
![Select one (or more).]()
- Tap Done.
![Tap Done.]()
- Tap the downward arrow next to Send Message.
![Tap the downward arrow next to Send Message.]()
- Tap Rename to name the shortcut. You will need to say "Hey Siri," and then the shortcut's name to activate it, so consider an easy-to-remember phrase.
![Tap Rename to name the shortcut.]()
- Tap done when you are finished naming your shortcut.
![Tap done when you are finished naming your shortcut.]()
- To test if your shortcut works, try speaking the command. You can also tap on the shortcut in the Shortcuts app and press the Play icon in the bottom right.
![To test if your shortcut works, try speaking the command.]()
Now you know how to create a shortcut on iPhones running iOS 16! If you are using a different iOS, the steps will be similar but may look a little different. This shortcut will now be visible in the list under All Shortcuts. To learn more about iPhone Shortcuts app and how it can be used to customize a share sheet, sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter.
Pro Tip
The Apple Shortcuts app does not automatically have access to all your apps. When setting up a shortcut, it may ask you to approve that access. When you tap on the shortcut in My Shortcuts, it will say something like, "This shortcut is not allowed to access your podcasts." Just tap Allow Access to solve this issue. When creating shortcuts, keep in mind that there is usually more than one way to do the same thing. The shorter your list of steps, the faster your iPhone processes the shortcut as a whole.
How to Use Starter Shortcuts & Shortctus Gallery
There are many great starter shortcuts that you may find useful. Trying them out is also an easy way to get acquainted with the Shortcuts app. To browse and add starter shortcuts:
- Open the Shortcuts app.
![Open the Shortcuts app.]()
- Tap My Shortcuts.
![Tap on My Shortcuts]()
- Scroll down to Starter Shortcuts.
![Scroll down to Starter Shortcuts.]()
- Select one and the action(s) will play out.
![Select one and the action(s) will play out.]()
- Tap Done.
![Tap Done.]()
Now you know how to use shortcuts on iPhone. iPhone Shortcuts makes it possible to pair phrases spoken to Siri with actions on your apps. There are endless ways to use the Apple Shortcuts app to execute task sequences. Learning how to create a Shortcut can make it faster to send a message, shuffle your Apple Music playlist, or enable other iPhone automation. It can take some time to master Shortcuts, but once you do, you'll be running your iPhone with ease using just your voice. Learn how to delete shortcuts or how to edit shortcuts next!
