The Shortcuts app has always been an amazingly powerful automation tool for users who know what these very words mean. But now, it may finally become an approachable tool that delivers on its true potential for users of all kinds. Here’s why.
Starting with the customer experience and working backwards to the technology
Even before Apple acquired Workflow in 2017 and turned it into Shortcuts in 2018, this app was one of the most impressive tools ever released on iOS. It abstracted away much of the complexity that made macOS’s excellent Automator so intimidating to some users, while preserving a level of firepower and inter-app connection that had always felt impossible (or even forbidden) on the iPhone and the iPad.
And while Apple has continued to improve on Shortcuts over the years, including its recent integration with AI models, much of its functionality and benefits have remained limited to a subset of users. Once you learn how Shortcuts works, and particularly if you’ve got (or develop) some familiarity with programming, you can just make magic with it. Just ask the dedicated community of Shortcuts enthusiasts who have spent years showing just how far Shortcuts can go. They have proven that the app can handle everything from complex multi-step workflows to deep integrations between apps, files, and online services.
But as appealing as it is to believe that any regular user is just a nudge away from becoming the next Shortcuts master, that has just never quite been true for the larger iPhone, iPad, and now Mac user base. Which is frustrating. But that doesn’t mean these less technically inclined users don’t have needs that go beyond turning photos into GIFs or turning off the living room lights when they leave home. In fact, the workflows they could benefit from might be the kind even the most advanced Shortcuts users would find challenging to build.
That’s why a report from a major financial news outlet today made many even more excited for next month’s WWDC. When mentioning an upcoming upgrade to Shortcuts, the report noted: the version now in testing lets users create shortcuts simply by describing what they want them to do. Currently, users need to manually build shortcuts within the app or download them from Apple’s gallery. In the updated app, users are presented with a prompt asking, “What do you want your shortcut to do?” along with a text field to describe the request. The system then automatically builds and installs the shortcut on the device.
This question, “What do you want your shortcut to do?” is the key to what Shortcuts was always meant to be: not an automation creativity exercise (even though it can absolutely be a fun one), but rather a solution hub for creating tailor-made bridges between apps, files, and information, in ways that are different for every single iPhone, iPad, and Mac user, regardless of their technical proficiency. Having an input field where users can describe, in plain language (even by voice!), the result of what they need, and then have Shortcuts do the work to get them there, feels like one of the most beautiful and elegant examples of what Steve Jobs famously said during WWDC 1997: “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology.”
In fact, that’s one of the most beautiful and elegant examples of what personal computing has always been about. The ability to instruct a machine to perform a series of actions without needing to understand the underlying code or logic. With the rise of large language models and generative AI, Apple is finally able to bridge the gap between human intention and machine execution in a way that feels natural and effortless.
If Apple does this right, an AI-powered Shortcuts app that understands what users are trying to do and turns that into a working shortcut, regardless of how complicated it may be under the hood, could finally make Shortcuts as useful to regular users as it has long been to those in the know. And of course, for users who already know their way around the app, the ceiling is about to get even higher, which is just as exciting.
Behind the scenes, the AI model must parse the user’s intent, then map it to the available actions and conditions within the Shortcuts ecosystem. This includes not only the built-in system actions but also actions provided by third-party apps that support Shortcuts. The system will need to handle ambiguous requests, such as “send my location to my family” which could mean sending via Messages, email, or a specific app. It will have to make intelligent defaults or ask clarifying questions. But the promise is that users no longer have to think about the steps—they just think about the goal.
This shift mirrors the broader industry trend toward no-code and low-code platforms, but Apple is embedding it directly into the operating system. It aligns with Apple’s philosophy of making technology accessible to everyone. While competitors like Microsoft and Google offer AI assistants that can automate tasks, Apple’s approach is unique because Shortcuts already has a deep integration with system and app actions. The AI layer simply translates natural language into these pre-existing building blocks.
Historically, Shortcuts evolved from the Workflow app, which itself was a pioneer in tying together disparate iOS apps. The acquisition by Apple in 2017 brought the tool into the mainstream, but for years Apple was cautious about overly simplifying the interface, fearing it might reduce the power for advanced users. Now, with the AI revolution, Apple has found a way to serve both ends: the advanced user can still handcraft shortcuts with deep logic, while the casual user can simply ask. The underlying architecture remains the same powerful engine, but the front door is now wide open.
The potential use cases are vast. A student could say “create a flashcard set from my notes and quiz me every morning.” A professional could say “pull the latest sales data from Numbers, format it in a chart, and email it to my team.” A parent could say “when the kids’ bedtime routine is done, turn off the TV and play white noise.” All of these would require complex logic if built manually, but with natural language, they become one-line requests.
There are also implications for accessibility. Voice-based shortcut creation could be a game-changer for users with motor disabilities or visual impairments. Instead of struggling to drag and drop actions on a screen, they can speak their intent. Apple has always championed accessibility, and this feature could be one of its most impactful.
The timing is also notable. As Apple prepares for WWDC 2026, the competition in the AI space is heating up. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft’s Copilot have all shown the power of language models to act as agents. But Apple’s strength lies in its ecosystem—hundreds of millions of devices, each with deep system integration. By adding a natural language interface to Shortcuts, Apple is effectively creating an agent that works across the entire operating system, respecting user privacy by processing requests on-device where possible. This is a formidable advantage.
Of course, there are challenges. The AI must be accurate and reliable. A poorly built shortcut could cause data loss or unexpected behavior. Apple will need to implement safety checks and perhaps a preview mode where users can see the steps the AI constructed before they run it. Transparency will be key. Users should be able to inspect and modify the generated shortcut, ensuring they retain control.
In summary, the evolution of Shortcuts in iOS 27 represents a watershed moment. It moves automation from a niche hobbyist pursuit to a mainstream utility. The promise of describing what you want and having the system build it is the culmination of decades of computing ambition. It is the embodiment of the vision that computers should adapt to humans, not the other way around. With this upgrade, Shortcuts is about to become what it was always meant to be: a universal tool for solving real-world problems, accessible to everyone.
Source: 9to5Mac News