Andrew O'Hara
Both iOS 12 and Apple's Shortcuts app launched today to the masses. AppleInsider has rounded up some of the most popular apps to include support for Siri Shortcuts and walks through some of the possibilities for them.
Tile
Apple demoed integration with Tile at WWDC. Here, you can create a Siri Shortcut to elicit a tone from your activity tracker. Set this up for each Bluetooth tracker you have with a custom phrase. Then utter something along the lines of Siri, find my keys" to trigger the ringer on your Tile tracker.
CARROT Weather
Carrot Weather, one of our favorite forecasting apps, was quick with their update to iOS 12.
Using Shortcuts integration, you can make custom phrases for 18 different metrics such as the current weather, precipitation chance, what it feels like, and more.
Pandora
Finally, you can use Siri to play your favorite Pandora stations. These shortcuts can be set up for a specific station, album, or playlist.
Side note: Pandora is gearing up to launch their brand new Apple Watch app!
Halide
Halide has been one of our go-to camera apps for a while. They had a huge update to support the iPhone X with some of the most unique uses for the "ears" residing next to the infamous notch.
Using Siri, shortcuts makes Halide even more useful, especially for remote photos. Just say "Siri, fire the shutter" and she will take a pic!
Bear
Using Bear, shortcuts can be created to quickly create a new note, or find notes with a particular tag. Often use Bear for work? Just say "Hey Siri, show me all my work notes" and Bear will open and filter the results.
Scanbot
Scanbot can create individual shortcuts for each document. Say you scanned in all your tax documents, tap the add to Siri button, set a custom phrase, now you can use Siri to retrieve those documents any time you need them.
Ulysses
Similar to Bear, Ulysses can use Siri to quickly find notes you are looking for. Create commands to open different sheets and groups, as well as creating new sheets.
Things 3
Things 3.7 has many possible uses for Siri Shortcuts. You could create your own quick entry for common lists. Get quick access to the lists you use most often as well.
Google News
If you prefer Google News, you will appreciate this. Macros can be built to launch your favorite news sources. "Siri, read AppleInsider" will launch Google News and open up our news feed.
Sky Guide
This is a particularly cool option. After setting up a shortcut, you can point iPhone at the sky and ask Siri what star is that and she will identify it for you.
The Weather Channel
More options for mastering the weather. Just set up commands for your favorite locations and The Weather Channel will fill you in.
Momento
Momento is a popular GIF creation app. With Shortcuts, you can ask Siri to view your most recent moment, specific memories, or save recent moments as a GIF or video.
PCalc
There is tons to do with a calculator and Siri Shortcuts. Save values to the clipboard, start a new calculation, or even conversions.
Overcast
The popular podcast app Overcast now has Siri Shortcuts support and will appear in the Shortcuts app as well. There are loads of different commands that can be integrated into commands such as accessing playlists, controls, and opening specific podcasts.
As a bonus, they are also launching their new native app for Apple Watch today as well!
ETA
ETA, the popular travel time utility, has adopted several interesting ways to interface with Siri.
Locations can quickly be saved on the spot, you can calculate travel time, and of course get turn-by-turn directions.
Monster Job Search
Anyone who has looked for a job will be familiar with Monster, and their latest release makes job searching even easier.
Siri shortcuts can be used to save a favorite search so they don't have to type the query inside of Monster each time.
Keep 'em coming!
We are still seeing updates hit the App Store, and we will continue to update this article with some of the most popular apps and best implementations.
All the workflows highlighted so far, can also be part of complicated multi-step shortcuts and integrated with other apps, services, and features.
Head to the App Store now to download Apple's Shortcuts app for free.
Learn how to create your own, more complex shortcuts with AppleInsider's handy walkthrough!
Charles Martin
Marko Zivkovic
Wesley Hilliard
Andrew Orr
Malcolm Owen
David Schloss
3 Comments
just tried creating shortcuts with apple music and homekit....I tried setting a scene "Good Night" through homekit to turn off my lights and at the same time play a playlist from Apple Music.
1) homekit is not currently supported and
2) creating your own music shortcut is going to be a cluster for most people bc there are two to three shortcuts needed just to do one command (unless you select the ones already created)
3) I don't see a way to play the music from the shortcut to a homepod and not your phone
HomeKit is supported, but just barely. Create a new scene over in HomeKit, or edit one perhaps. That should push it into Siri Suggestions, which adds it to the Shortcuts app. I know, needlessly difficult, but that is where we are at right now. At least it works!
Finding stuff in Shortcuts leaves a lot to be desired.
I installed multiple app updates today claiming Shortcuts support but there's nothing in the upgraded apps or Shortcuts