There’s an insanely powerful and endlessly customizable feature on your iPhone, but let’s be honest, it’s mostly ignored.
It’s called the Shortcuts app, and if you’ve ever opened it, stared at all the buttons and blocks, and quietly backed out… you’re not alone.
But that might be about to change in a big way.
New to Shortcuts? Here’s a beginner’s guide to help you get started and create your first shortcut.
According to recent reports, Apple is gearing up to inject some serious AI smarts into Shortcuts, potentially making it one of the most useful and accessible tools on your iPhone.
And when I say accessible, I mean it. We’re talking “set-it-up-with-your-voice” levels of simplicity.
If things go as expected, this upgrade could turn Shortcuts from a niche tool for tech tinkerers into something anyone can use, including your grandma.
Yes, really.
For years, Shortcuts has been a hidden gem for Apple power users.
With enough patience, you could automate all sorts of tasks: texting your spouse when you leave work, holding your thoughts, turning photos into GIFs, even batch-renaming files on your Mac.
But the learning curve? Steep. You had to think like a programmer, even if Apple tried to wrap it in friendly icons.
The core idea was brilliant automation for the rest of us, but the execution wasn’t quite there. Now, Apple’s ready to fix that.
With its new in-house AI models, Apple’s Shortcuts app will do more than just execute commands. It could even help you create them.
Imagine saying, “Create a shortcut that silences my phone, dims the lights, and starts a playlist when I say ‘movie time,’” and your iPhone just… does it. No tapping, no dragging blocks, no trial and error.
And because this is Apple, it’ll all happen with privacy in mind, using on-device processing where possible.
Also: 20 brilliant Mac shortcuts that will boost your speed and productivity in ways you never expected
This is exactly what Shortcuts has needed: a way to bridge the gap between powerful automation and normal human language.
If Apple nails the natural language part, and they might, given their partnership with OpenAI, creating a shortcut could become as simple as having a quick chat with Siri.
It is not the Siri you know now, but a much smarter version that understands intent and context and can build routines based on your habits and preferences.
What’s exciting is that Apple already has the bones in place. The Shortcuts app is integrated deep into iOS, macOS, and even watchOS.
Also: My biggest mistake as an iPhone user: ignoring the Shortcuts app for too long (don’t be like me)
And unlike third-party AI tools, Apple’s system-level control means these automations could reach across apps and hardware in ways others can’t.
Beyond making things easier, this update’s real breakthrough is who it could empower. Right now, Shortcuts are still largely the domain of tech enthusiasts.
But with AI lowering the barrier to entry, automation could finally become something everyone feels comfortable using—from busy parents juggling routines to retirees who just want their devices to work more intuitively.
We’ll likely get our first look at this next-gen Shortcuts experience at WWDC 2025. If Apple delivers on the promise, expect to see a lot more people automating their iPhones in ways they never imagined before.
