iPhone Shortcuts can look overwhelming at first. But you don’t need to be a tech expert to use them—and once you start, even simple tasks get a whole lot easier.
Don’t Let Shortcuts Be Daunting
Shortcuts are Apple’s built-in automation tool. It’s best to think of them as custom commands for your iPhone. They let you combine multiple actions into a single tap, phrase, or trigger. Want your phone to text your partner, turn on Do Not Disturb, and pull up directions home all at once? That’s what Shortcuts are for.
This iPhone Shortcut Is Like a Pause Button for Your Brain
A gamechanger for multitasking.
I know they can look daunting at first, but you don’t need to know anything about coding or tech to get started. Shortcuts use simple building blocks you can stack together, and Apple even provides a bunch of ready-made options to get you going. If you’ve ever wished your phone could do something faster or more conveniently, there’s probably a Shortcut for it.
How to Find and Use Ready-Made Shortcuts
The easiest way to get started is with pre-made Shortcuts from Apple’s gallery. These are curated, beginner-friendly options that work right out of the box—no setup required.
Once added, you’ll find it under theShortcutstab. You might be prompted to grant permissions (like accessing Contacts or sending messages)—this just ensures the Shortcut can work properly.
Here are some great starter Shortcuts you can grab from the Gallery:
LogWater– Quickly track hydration in the Health app.
TextLastImage– Instantly send your most recent photo to someone. Make sure to tap Recipients and add the contact you want to text the image to.
RunningLate– Send a prewritten “I’m running late” message to a contact of your choice.
You can run a Shortcut from the app, from your Home Screen (if saved there), or even with Siri. Additionally, if you have a newer iPhone, you canrun Shortcuts from the Action Button, too.
Build Your First Shortcut (It’s Easier Than It Sounds)
Now that you’ve experimented with some of Apple’s pre-made Shortcuts, it’s time to create your own. For this example, we’ll create a quick shortcut that texts one of your contacts that you are on your way. This will make it easy to let folks know you’re on the way to them, without having to call or manually text them yourself.
Let’s get started:
That’s it. You just created your first Shortcut.
From here, you may expand it by adding the option to open Maps, turn on your a Focus Mode, open your favorite playlist on Spotify or Apple Music, and more. All you need to do is tap Search Actions and look through the list for anything you want to add in.
I like to think of Shortcuts like stacking LEGO blocks. Each action is one piece of a larger structure and you control the order and purpose. While it’s easiest to follow a pre-made plan, there’s also a lot of fun to be found in experimenting with different blocks and seeing what you may put together.
Other Great Shortcuts to Try Right Now
You’ve messed with some premade Shortcuts and even created your first customized Shortcut. So what now? Well, now it’s time to experiment even more. Apple has already put together several great Shortcuts you can customize and mess around with. In fact, here are a few simple ones you can grab from the Gallery and toy around with:
Even one or two of these can save you time and make your iPhone feel smarter. Start small and build from there. Of course, you may find several otherhandy iPhone Shortcutsin the gallery, so don’t be afraid to grab something not listed here and give it a try! Shortcuts can also be good for thinking outside the box. For instance, I recently made aShortcut that stops my iPhone from blinding me at night.
Shortcuts don’t have to be complicated, and they’re not just for power users. Even the most basic automation can cut down on taps, speed up your day, and make your iPhone feel more personal. Try one, tweak it, and before long, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner.
