If you've had an iPhone for a while but feel like you're only scratching the surface, the practical automations and the shortcuts on your iPhone They're exactly what you need to get the most out of it. Apple's system is full of hidden features, little conveniences, and tricks that can save you time every day without you having to drive yourself crazy configuring settings.
Throughout the day you repeat the same actions over and over: turn off the alarm, check the weather, play music, send messages, check your route to work, log workouts… With the app Shortcuts And with personal automations, you can chain many of these tasks together with a single tap or even have them happen automatically when a specific condition is met (a time, a location, a battery level, a message, etc.). We'll look at ideas, real-world examples, and how to integrate them with other powerful iOS features like Health, Find My, AirDrop, and the camera. Let's learn all about aPractical automations on iPhone: ideas and shortcuts to get the most out of them.
What are shortcuts and automations on iPhone?
On the iPhone, the Shortcuts are combinations of actions These actions are executed simultaneously: multiple apps can be involved (Messages, Music, Maps, Health, third-party apps, etc.), and everything is packaged into a single button or Siri voice command. The beauty is that many of these actions can also be triggered automatically as automations, without you having to open the app.
Apple has been refining this with each version of iOS. The app Shortcuts It can be downloaded from the App Store if you don't already have it and has become one of the biggest differences compared to Android. From it you can:
- Use pre-designed shortcuts that are already in the app's gallery.
- Take advantage of Siri suggested shortcuts depending on what you do every day.
- Create custom shortcuts and personal automations to your liking, combining apps and conditions.
This automation layer is complemented by many native iOS features (AirDrop, Messages, Health, Find My, Camera, Battery, etc.) that already offer advantages over other platforms, such as the quality when sending photos, the integration with Apple Watch, or the way to locate your devices.
Practical automation ideas for everyday life
A very simple way to start is by copying automations that other people use daily. Some are so useful that, once you try them, it's hard to go back because They save taps and time every morning. without you noticing any technical complications.
For example, you can configure your iPhone to start a routine when you stop your morning alarm: It reads you the weather forecast and opens your favorite playlist on Spotify or Apple Music. All in a single gesture, without having to unlock, open apps, or touch anything else. It's a clear example of how a trigger (stopping the alarm) can launch several chained actions.
Another very effective idea is that the iPhone Send an automated message when you arrive at a locationYou can set up a funny message or an "I've arrived" notification to a specific group of friends or family when you arrive at work, the gym, or someone's house. It's not only convenient, but also a fun way to use your location as a trigger.
The battery also lends itself well to this type of automation. Many people create shortcuts for the system. Activate low power mode when a certain percentage is reached. Set a specific threshold (for example, 25%) and deactivate it when it exceeds another threshold (for example, 80%). This optimizes battery usage without constantly going into Settings.
You can even add a touch of humor to the matter: some people set up a shortcut so that when the battery drops below a certain level, Siri read a personalized message Something like "put your phone down and charge it" or any other phrase you can think of. It doesn't add anything critical, but it makes a simple battery alert feel more personal.
How to spot opportunities to create useful shortcuts
The key to not getting stuck is learning to detect repetitive or cumbersome situations throughout the day. It's not just about what you do many times, but also those moments when you think "I'm too lazy to do this again" or "what a detour I have to take in this app."
A good exercise is to pay attention for a few days to how you use your iPhone: what you open when you wake up, what apps you check when you leave the house, how you organize your studies, work, workouts, shopping, or outings. Each repetition is a potential shortcut, and each task with many taps in a row It also fits very well as automation.
The Shortcuts app itself includes a long list of available actions for each compatible app. Taking a look at them carefully, even just skimming through them, helps you open your mind and see all the possible combinations. You often discover that a third-party app that falls short It is perfectly complemented by a shortcut, allowing you to add features that its developer did not include.
Pay special attention to these usage categories, because they are gold mines for automation:
- Studies: exam reminders, review with flashcards, generation of sample exercises, quick translation of texts between languages, etc.
- Daily commutes: quick views of your meetings for the day, transport schedules, route calculation to work or home, reading news headlines.
- Health and sport: food and beverage log, physical activity and sleep monitoring, reproductive health tracking, workout log.
- Music and leisure: launch your favorite playlists, add songs to a specific playlist, view lyrics, share songs with friends.
- Meals and outings: search for nearby cafes or restaurants, open maps with the route, invite friends, calculate tips, make reservations or register your opinions.
- Communication: generic text messages, quick photo editing for sending, quick calls to key contacts, creation and sending of GIFs or collages.
- Shared payments: send or request money with Apple Pay or other apps when sharing an expense or paying an advance on a bill.
Tasks that require switching between menus or apps are particularly good candidates. Whenever you notice you're taking longer than usual just to navigating the iPhone to accomplish something simpleConsider whether a shortcut that concentrates all those actions into a tap or a Siri command could solve this.
The three main sources of shortcuts in iOS
To take advantage of automation on iPhone, it's important to understand that there are three main ways to get shortcutsEach has its own advantages. You're not obligated to design them all from scratch; in fact, starting with existing ones is often easier.
The first are the shortcuts created by developers These shortcuts appear in the "Gallery" tab of the Shortcuts app. Many app providers create typical shortcuts for their services: quickly sending a file, creating a new note, launching a workout timer, opening a playlist, and so on. Simply go to the gallery, browse the categories or search by name, and tap "Get Shortcut" to add it to your library.
If you're unsure exactly what it does, you can tap on "Show actions" to see, step by step, what will the shortcut do when launchedIt's a great way to learn, because you see how other users and developers have solved real-world problems, and you can replicate that logic in your own creations.
The second source is the Siri suggested shortcutsThe assistant detects patterns: if you call the same person at the same time every day, if you always open an app when you arrive somewhere, if you usually play a certain playlist when you get in the car… These actions appear as suggestions in Spotlight or Settings, and you can save them as shortcuts with your own voice command.
Lastly are the shortcuts that you create from scratchThis is where the real potential explodes: you can chain together steps and apps to build truly customized "mini-tools." While it might seem a bit overwhelming at first, once you identify a specific problem and see that there are compatible actions to solve it, everything starts to fall into place.
How to create and edit a shortcut step by step
Creating a new shortcut isn't as complicated as it seems if you break it down into smaller pieces. The idea is to think about Quick actions on your iPhone that knows how to do and place them one after the other in the order in which they should be executed.
The typical process would be:
- Open the app Shortcuts and go to the “Library” tab.
- Click on “Create shortcut” in the upper right corner.
- Search and add the actions you want: send a message, open a URL, create a note, get the location, ask the user for text input, etc.
- Reorder the actions by holding them down and dragging up or down, so that the sequence makes sense.
- Save the shortcut by tapping "OK" and assigning it a name and a recognizable icon.
Once created, you'll see the new shortcut in your library. You can launch it by tapping it, using Siri, or adding it to your home screen for easy access. You can access it at any time. edit the actions to fine-tune their behavior: add more steps, change parameters, or integrate it with other apps.
To customize its appearance, within the editor you can change the name, the icon (colors and symbol), and choose an image if you add it to the home screen. This helps to visually... instantly identify what each shortcut is for, something key if you end up with a large collection.
It's also worth remembering that many shortcuts allow for interaction: they can display a window where you can type text, choose from several options, or confirm something before continuing. This flexibility makes them useful both as one-touch actions and as small tools that require user input.
Make Siri run your shortcuts
The comfort really shines when integrate your shortcuts with SiriInstead of searching for icons or opening the Shortcuts app, simply say a phrase of your choice to trigger the entire sequence of steps.
To do this, within the shortcut editor, you can tap the options icon (the three dots) and look for “Add to Siri.” The system will open a screen with a recording button; at that moment, you say the voice command you want to use, for example, “play alarm music” or “routes home.” That phrase is then associated with your shortcut, and from then on, every time you say it to Siri, will automatically execute all actions that you have configured.
Keep in mind that not all apps are equally compatible with Siri and Shortcuts. Some still don't offer advanced actions or allow you to trigger certain functions with your voice, so you might see limitations with some services. Even so, the list of compatible apps has been growing, and New possibilities are added every year.
Siri-activated shortcuts work on both iPhone and Apple Watch when it makes sense. This means you can launch routines from your wrist without taking your phone out of your pocket, which is very convenient for things like Start workouts, send quick messages, or check the route.
Concrete examples of useful shortcuts
Beyond battery or location-based automations, there are very simple shortcuts that make a big difference in everyday tasks. A typical example is important dates: with a shortcut like "days between" you can Save a key date and see how many days are left so that it arrives, whether it's a birthday, an anniversary, or an exam.
This type of shortcut lets you set a reference date and then calculate the difference from today. You can display it in a notification, a reminder, or even... chain it to a message To remind someone that a certain event is coming up soon. For those who forget birthdays, it's a very practical solution.
Another highly requested example is being able to open a specific Spotify or Apple Music playlist without having to search for it. A shortcut can directly launch your favorite list for the gym, for studying, or for driving, whether by pressing a button, telling Siri a specific phrase, or connecting to a Bluetooth device (like the car).
Also common are shortcuts that prepare the iPhone for a specific context: a way of working that Activate Do Not Disturb, lower the brightness, and open productivity appsOr a cinema mode that silences your phone, activates power saving, and records the time you enter the theater. It all depends on your habits and your imagination.
What's interesting is that many of these shortcuts can be combined with more advanced automations: you could, for example, automatically trigger your studio mode when you reach the library or launch a set of actions when you connect specific headphones, making the most of them. the triggers offered by the Shortcuts app.
iOS tricks that work perfectly with automations
Automations become more powerful when you understand the intricacies of iOS. Apple's system has features that are already very powerful on their own, but when combined with shortcuts, they become even more practical in everyday use.
One of the key differences compared to other mobile phones is in how the iPhone manages the photos and their quality when sharing themAlthough many users simply send them via WhatsApp (which compresses and reduces quality), iOS offers better options like Messages and AirDrop, where maximum quality is respected by default without you having to do anything.
iOS also hides small gestures that go unnoticed even by veteran users: when taking photos, you can hold down the shutter button and drag it to the left to capture a burst of imagesThen, from the Photos app, you can go into burst mode, choose the shots you want, and delete the rest. It's a great way to capture the exact moment in scenes with movement.
If instead of dragging to the left you move it to the right, you quickly activate video recording in vertical format (at photo size), which is very practical for capture short clips without having to switch camera modesIn addition to the classic panorama mode, iPhones offer a cinema mode that locks the focus on a person or object and allows you to change it later from the gallery, along with slow motion, time-lapse, and live photo modes.
It's also worth paying attention to the Battery section in Settings. From there you can see how long your iPhone has been charging, when it last fully charged, which apps are using the most battery, and what the battery usage is. current maximum battery capacityThis information helps you make decisions: disable background updates for certain apps, activate low power mode, or use optimized charging to extend battery life.
All these elements, from the camera to the battery, can be combined with shortcuts and automations to create smarter workflows. For example, you could launch a shortcut at the end of a photo session that It gathers the best shots and shares them via AirDrop. with your Mac and clear the burst in Photos, or one that activates when you reach a certain battery percentage and shows you personalized recommendations based on your usage.
Send photos without losing quality: Messages and AirDrop
In the age of advanced cameras, it's quite frustrating to take a spectacular photo only to have it look washed out when you share it. The problem stems from the fact that many messaging apps, like WhatsApp, They compress the images so they weigh lesssacrificing details along the way.
On iPhone, you have two native options that, by default, maintain the highest quality: sending photos through the Messages app or using AirDrop. Both methods only work between Apple devices, but They preserve the original resolution. and they are extremely comfortable when everyone involved is in the ecosystem.
AirDrop, in particular, has been around for years and is one of those inventions that, once you get used to it, you miss in any other system. You just need to have the function enabled on nearby devices; from Photos, Files, or other compatible apps, you choose AirDrop and You send images, videos, or documents to the iPhone, iPad, or Mac that appears on the list. No logins, no cables, and no extra apps.
With iOS 17, AirDrop has become even more intuitive by allowing content sharing based on proximity: if you have a photo open and bring your iPhone close to someone else's iPhone with AirDrop enabled, a simple tap to confirm is all it takes. the image is transferred automaticallyIt's a very natural way to share content face-to-face without complications.
If you want to get even more precise, you can use shortcuts to prepare batches of photos and send them via AirDrop to your Mac or another specific device, even applying filters beforehand, renaming files, or packaging everything into a folder. This is how you convert what used to be a repetitive manual task in an almost automatic flow.
The Shortcuts app as a major differentiator for iOS
Although iOS is known for many things, the Shortcuts app is one of the elements that most separate the iPhone from other phonesParadoxically, it remains largely unknown: many users open it once, are overwhelmed by the number of options, and close it without ever integrating it into their routine.
The basic idea is very simple: shortcuts are quick ways to perform tasks. Some are executed manually (by tapping their icon or asking Siri) and others can be automated so that they fire automatically when something happens (an incoming message, a time of day, connecting to Wi-Fi, opening an app, etc.). Automations, however, are always designed by the user, although default shortcuts can be reused within them.
If creating one from scratch feels overwhelming, it's best to start with the examples in the app's gallery. Many are designed to work with Siri: kitchen timers, standard messages to a specific contact, opening navigation routes, or planning your day. Some are editable, so you can tweak small details to customize them to your liking.
When you decide to build your own shortcut, first think about the main action: it could be sending a message, opening a website, starting a note, logging a meal in a health app, creating a reminder, etc. Then add the necessary details (recipients, content, location) and, if you want interaction, you can ask the user to type or choose options at the time of executing the shortcut.
As you add and rearrange actions, you'll gain a better understanding of how the apps communicate with each other. Eventually, the Shortcuts app stops being intimidating and becomes a kind of toolbox with which to You adapt the iPhone to your way of working and not the other way around.
Get the most out of Health and Fitness apps
Another key piece of the Apple ecosystem is the Health app, which centralizes a huge amount of data related to your well-being. From there you can monitor sleep hours, exercise trendscalories burned, heart rate and many other parameters, especially if you use an Apple Watch or compatible devices.
The app allows you to track your menstrual cycle in detail, noting symptoms, flow levels, and spotting, as well as offering predictions of future cycles on a calendar. You can also manage your medication, set reminders, and define the appearance of each pill to ensure you take them correctly, all within an interface designed for ease of use. make it easy to keep track of what you take.
In addition, Health includes short informational articles and recommendations based on your data. If you wear an Apple Watch, the data syncs between both devices and integrates with other fitness apps. All of this information can be used by shortcuts to create, for example, daily activity summaries, smart reminders to move, or automatically record certain metrics after a routine.
The Fitness app complements Health by displaying activity rings, steps, distance, workouts, and, with subscriptions, access to guided routines, meditations, and tips. Again, you can use shortcuts to launch specific sessions, record the type of workout you've done, or show you a summary at the end of the day that blends your key metrics with other tasks.
On the other hand, in the Health section, you can enter allergies, medical conditions, and medications, as well as emergency contacts who will receive your location if the corresponding function is activated. It's a very powerful security feature that It is advisable to have configuredeven if you don't touch it daily.
The Search app and AirTags: having everything located
iOS is also distinguished by the integration of the Find My app, which brings together the location of all your Apple devices on a map: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and even objects with AirTag such as keys or bicyclesEverything managed from a single place with your iCloud account.
The interesting thing is that even if you disable location services on the device itself, the Find My app can still help you locate it in several ways, such as by making the lost device ring. If you know your iPhone is somewhere in the house but you can't find it, you can use another device to locate it. force a sound and locate it by ear. The same applies to AirTags, which can make noise to indicate their approximate position.
AirTags easily attach to almost any object (a backpack, a suitcase, a keychain, etc.) and integrate with the Apple device network to dramatically increase the likelihood of finding something lost, even if it's far away. All of this is reflected in the same app, so that You don't need to open a thousand different services. to know where everything is.
Shortcuts can be entered here to generate, for example, shortcuts to locate a specific device, automatically send a message to a contact if you lose your phone, or prepare a flow of actions When you mark a device as lost (recording the incident, saving the location, etc.), it's another example of how automation enhances already powerful native functions.
Record your iPhone screen without extra apps
Another often overlooked iOS feature is the ability to Record your screen as a video without installing anythingIt's perfect for teaching someone how to activate an option, demonstrating how an app works, or saving a short tutorial for later.
To use it, simply go to Control Center and tap the icon with concentric circles, which represents the classic record button on cameras. Tapping it will start recording everything on your iPhone screen, and the same symbol will appear in red in the upper left corner to remind you that it's active.
When you want to stop, tap the icon again and the recording will stop. The video will be automatically saved to the Photos app. including sound if you had it set up that wayThen you can trim the clip, share it via Messages, AirDrop, messaging apps, or even use shortcuts to move it to a specific folder or send it to a specific person.
If you combine this feature with Shortcuts, you can, for example, automate renaming recordings based on the date and the app you were using, or create workflows that Send the recorded video directly. to a coworker, a teacher, or a study group without having to manually search for it in the gallery.
By putting all these pieces together—shortcuts, automations, camera features, battery, Health, Find My, AirDrop, and screen recording—the iPhone goes from being just another phone to becoming a highly adaptable tool for your daily life. With a little practice, you end up creating routines that They save you time, reduce oversights, and make tedious tasks easier., while also taking full advantage of the benefits of the Apple ecosystem.
- iOS shortcuts and automations allow you to chain actions together and trigger them manually or automatically to save time.
- Native features like Messages, AirDrop, Health, Find My, and the camera are integrated with Shortcuts to get the most out of your iPhone.
- The Shortcuts app, along with Siri, makes it easy to create custom routines from the gallery, smart suggestions, or by building them from scratch.
