If you’re not already using iOS Shortcuts, you definitely should be. The Shortcuts app lets you download or create scripts to perform countless tasks or processes automatically. These range from simple hacks like battery sound notifications to complicated tasks currently unavailable on the iPhone, like image overlay.
Although iPhones are already among the best phones around, we love the Shortcuts app because it gives users a level of flexibility, control, and customization not available by default. With that in mind, we thought we’d round up 7 of our favorite iOS shortcuts that will change the way you use your iPhone.
7 iOS shortcuts that will change the way you use your iPhone
Note: Before you begin, some of the functions used in the shortcuts below require you to run iOS16 or later. If you need it, be sure to read our guide on how to update an iphone to make sure you are using the latest version of iOS.
1. Schedule a text message
(Photo: © Future)
If you regularly need to send the same text: maybe a take turns good morning email to your work team, or a cute good morning or good night message to your beau, you might want to consider scheduling a text message using a personal automation in the Shortcuts app.
To program a text, open shortcuts And faucet Create a personal automationSO tap Time of day. Select when the text will be sent, press Next and then enter what the text will say and who it will be sent to.
2. Eject water from your iPhone
(Image: © Tom’s Guide)
Have you ever dropped your iPhone in the sink or toilet? Maybe you like watching YouTube in the shower. Although your iPhone may be water resistant, leaving standing water anywhere inside it can cause serious damage. After exposing it to water, you’ll want to eject the water from the speakers, and luckily there’s a shortcut for that.
On your iPhone browser, go to Shortcut Gallery (opens in a new tab) SO tap Get Shortcut And tap Add Shortcut on the next screen. You will now be able to use the Water Eject shortcut in several ways – read our guide on how to eject water from iphone to see them in detail.
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3. Add ChatGPT to Siri
(Photo: © Future)
By adding OpenAI ChatGPT to Siri using a shortcut, you can increase the potential of Apple’s virtual assistant. To do this, you will need to make sure you have an OpenAI account.
To add ChatGPT to Siri, download the SiriGPT Shortcut (opens in a new tab)SO log into your OpenAI account And go to your profile. You will then have to copy your OpenAI API key And paste the key in the shortcut. Read our full guide to how to use ChatGPT with Siri for start to finish instructions.
4. Receive personalized battery alerts
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Have you ever missed those 20% notifications telling you your battery is low? You wouldn’t be alone if that were the case. Fret not though, as you can use the iOS Shortcuts app to create custom battery automation, setting voice alerts at specified battery percentages to ensure you never miss warnings and can manage your charge. before things get desperate.
To get custom battery alerts, create a new automation in the Shortcuts application, tap battery level And indicate a percentage to be notified at. SO tap Add action to customize what your iPhone does once you reach that level. Read our tutorial on how to set up custom battery status alerts on iphone to see the whole process and customization options.
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5. Overlapping images
(Photo: © Future)
With iOS 16 came the ability to remove subjects from images using Visual Look Up. But while that was a cool trick, aside from pasting into another app like Messages or Notes, there wasn’t much you could do with your extracted topic. You certainly couldn’t superimpose the subject on another image. Luckily, you can do it with a shortcut.
Although it may seem quite simple, this custom shortcut is actually quite complex. So, to find out more, read our complete guide on how to overlay images on iphone using custom shortcutwhere we will show you the whole process.
6. Automate CarPlay apps
(Photo: © Future)
Apple CarPlay is super convenient for those who use this player, but what is even more convenient is to automate the behavior of CarPlay using a shortcut. Using personal automation, you can set CarPlay to open a specific app as soon as it’s connected – Spotify or Google Maps, for example.
To automate CarPlay, open shortcuts And tap Create Personal AutomationSO press CarPlay. NOW press ConnectSO press Next And select Open appSO choose the app you want to open when you connect CarPlay.
7. Casting Harry Potter Spells
(Image: © Tom’s Guide)
If you know the hidden features of your iPhone, you will know that by default, you can cast four spells using Siri, to make your iPhone perform various functions. “Hi Siri, Walnut‘ turn on the torch, for example. The choice is pretty limited, though – you have Lumos and Nox to turn the torch on and off, and Accio to open an app.
Luckily, you can use iOS Shortcuts to create spells for just about any function the iPhone can perform. To do this you will need to create a new shortcutSO select the Script menu and customize your spells. Read our guide to how to cast harry potter spells on iphone where we will accompany you throughout the process, from start to finish.
Hopefully, now you know a few more ways to customize and automate your iPhone. If you want to read more iPhone tutorials, start with our guides on how to clear ram on iphone, how to delete multiple contacts on iphone And how to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone.
Tired of ads? Learn how to block ads on iPhone using iOS Safari Reader. OUR iOS 16 Features guide also contains a bunch of tips and tricks for the latest features introduced with this release of Apple’s iPhone software.