Shortcuts on iPhone: A Complete Beginner’s Guide (iOS 26 Edition)

The Shortcuts app on iPhone has evolved into one of the most powerful and accessible automation tools in the Apple ecosystem.

With the release of iOS 26, Shortcuts has received its most significant update in years, integrating Apple Intelligence, expanding automation triggers, introducing new action categories, and refining the user interface for both beginners and advanced users.

This comprehensive guide provides an up-to-date, step-by-step walkthrough for creating, managing, and troubleshooting shortcuts on iPhone as of 2026.

It covers everything from the app’s pre-install status and new AI-powered features to security, privacy, and the latest popular shortcut templates, ensuring you can harness the full potential of automation on your device.

The Shortcuts App in iOS 26: Pre-Install Status and Overview

Is Shortcuts Still Pre-Installed?

As of iOS 26, the Shortcuts app remains pre-installed on all new iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

Users upgrading from earlier versions will find Shortcuts automatically updated with the latest features.

There is no need to download it separately from the App Store, and it is deeply integrated into the system, reflecting Apple’s commitment to making automation a core part of the iOS experience.

Where to Find Shortcuts

You can locate the Shortcuts app in the Utilities folder on your Home Screen or by searching “Shortcuts” in Spotlight.

The app icon features a stylized, multicolored “S” on a dark background, consistent with Apple’s current design language.

What’s New in iOS 26

iOS 26 brings a host of enhancements to Shortcuts, including:

These updates make Shortcuts more reliable, customizable, and capable than ever before.

Getting Started: Understanding Shortcuts and Automations

What Is a Shortcut?

A shortcut is a custom sequence of actions that automates tasks on your iPhone.

Actions can range from opening apps and sending messages to generating AI-powered summaries or controlling smart home devices.

Shortcuts can be triggered manually, by voice (using Siri), or automatically based on time, location, or other events.

Types of Shortcuts

• Manual Shortcuts: Run by tapping in the app, from the Home Screen, or via Siri.
• Automations: Triggered automatically by specific events (e.g., time of day, arriving at a location, receiving a message).

The Shortcuts Gallery

The Shortcuts Gallery is a curated collection of ready-made shortcuts, including new categories for Apple Intelligence-powered workflows.

It’s the best place for beginners to explore what’s possible and add useful shortcuts with a single tap.

The Updated Shortcuts Editor and Interface in iOS 26

Visual and Functional Changes

The Shortcuts editor in iOS 26 has been redesigned for clarity and ease of use:

These improvements make it easier for both beginners and power users to build, edit, and manage complex workflows.

Step-by-Step Guide: Creating Your First Shortcut (2026 Edition)

1. Open the Shortcuts App

Launch the Shortcuts app from your Home Screen or via Spotlight.

2. Start a New Shortcut

Tap the “+” button in the top right corner to create a new shortcut. You’ll enter the editor, where you can add actions.

3. Add Actions

You can stack multiple actions to build more complex workflows. For example, you might open the Messages app, send a pre-written text, and then play music.

4. Name and Customize Your Shortcut

• Tap the shortcut name at the top to rename it (e.g., “Morning Routine”).
• Choose an icon and color for easy identification.

5. Save and Run

• Tap “Done” to save.
• Run your shortcut by tapping it in the app, adding it to your Home Screen, or asking Siri (e.g., “Hey Siri, run Morning Routine”).

6. Advanced: Add to Home Screen or Share Sheet

Demo: Creating a “Send ETA” Shortcut

This process is consistent across all iOS 26 devices, with minor variations for iPad and Mac.

New Actions and Apple Intelligence Integration

Overview of New Actions in iOS 26

iOS 26 introduces over 25 new actions, many powered by Apple Intelligence. These actions expand what you can automate, especially in system apps and creative workflows.

Table: Notable New Actions in iOS 26 Shortcuts

App	New Action(s)	Description/Use Case
Freeform	Add Files to Board	Add files directly to a Freeform board
Mail	Find Message	Search and retrieve emails
Messages	Find Message, Find Conversation	Search messages or conversations
Photos	Rename Album, Search Photos, Create New Memory, Filter Library	Advanced photo management and curation
Reminders	Show Quick Reminder	Display a quick reminder screen
Voice Memos	Find Voice Recording	Locate and use voice memos
Weather	Add Location to List, Remove Locations	Manage weather locations
Stocks	Add/Delete Symbol to Watchlist	Manage stock watchlists
Sports	Get Upcoming Sports Events	Retrieve sports schedules
Screen Time	Get App & Website Data	Access usage statistics
Measure	Launch Measure	Open the Measure app
Use Model	Apple Intelligence/ChatGPT integration	Run LLMs for text/image generation, summarization, etc.
Visual Intelligence	Open Visual Intelligence	Image recognition and description
Writing Tools	Adjust Tone, Make List/Table, Proofread, Rewrite, Summarize Text	AI-powered text processing
Image Playground	Create Image	Generate images using AI

The above table highlights the breadth of new actions, many of which leverage Apple’s on-device and cloud AI models for creative and productivity tasks.

Apple Intelligence and “Use Model” Action

The “Use Model” action is the centerpiece of Apple Intelligence in Shortcuts. It allows you to:

Example: You can create a shortcut that takes a voice memo, transcribes it, summarizes the content, and sends it as an email—all in one tap.

Follow Up Feature: After an AI response, you can refine the output (e.g., “make it shorter,” “change the tone”) without editing the shortcut itself, making experimentation and iteration easier.

Writing Tools Suite

Apple Intelligence brings a suite of writing tools as shortcut actions:

• Adjust Tone of Text
• Make List from Text
• Make Table from Text
• Proofread Text
• Rewrite Text
• Summarize Text

These actions automate text cleanup, formatting, and content generation, streamlining note-taking, communication, and content creation workflows.

Visual Intelligence and Image Playground

• Visual Intelligence: Recognizes and describes images, aiding accessibility and creative tasks.
• Image Playground: Generates images from text prompts, useful for creating custom wallpapers, illustrations, or visual notes.

These features are especially valuable for users with visual impairments or those seeking to automate creative processes.

Automation Triggers and Personal Automations

Expanded Automation Triggers

iOS 26 introduces new and more flexible automation triggers, allowing shortcuts to run automatically based on a wider range of events:

These triggers make automations more context-aware and powerful, especially when combined with Apple Intelligence actions.

Creating a Personal Automation

Note: Some automations (e.g., sending messages) may require user confirmation for privacy and security reasons.

Deprecated and Changed Features

Deprecated Features

Significant Changes

Migration: Older shortcuts generally migrate smoothly, but if you encounter issues, re-creating or updating the shortcut with new actions is recommended.

Siri Integration with Shortcuts in iOS 26

Running Shortcuts with Siri

Shortcuts remain deeply integrated with Siri. You can:

Apple Intelligence and Siri

With iOS 26, Siri leverages Apple Intelligence for more natural language understanding and can directly invoke AI-powered shortcuts.

For example, you can ask Siri to “summarize this document” or “generate a shopping list from my reminders,” and Siri will run the appropriate shortcut using Apple Intelligence models.

Siri Shortcuts and App Intents

Third-party apps can expose App Intents, allowing Siri to interact with app features via Shortcuts.

This deepens integration and enables more conversational, context-aware automation.

Security, Privacy, and Permissions

Permissions Model

Shortcuts in iOS 26 use a robust permissions system:

Apple Intelligence and Privacy

Apple Intelligence is designed with privacy at its core:

Security Best Practices:

Regional and Legal Compliance

Some features, especially those involving AI and data processing, may be restricted or behave differently based on regional privacy laws (e.g., GDPR in Europe, DPDP in India).

Apple provides compliance documentation and ensures that data handling aligns with local regulations.

Troubleshooting Common Shortcuts Issues in iOS 26

Even with improvements, you may encounter occasional issues.

Here’s how to resolve the most common problems:

Shortcut Won’t Run

Automation Not Working

Actions Fail or Break

Sounds or Notifications Don’t Play

Sync and Sharing Issues

Advanced Troubleshooting

Shortcuts Sync and Sharing Across Devices

iCloud Sync

Shortcuts sync seamlessly across all devices signed in with the same Apple ID and with iCloud Sync enabled.

This includes iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Changes made on one device are reflected everywhere.

• Enable iCloud Sync: Go to Settings > Shortcuts > iCloud Sync.
• Personal automations: These do not sync for privacy and device-specific reasons.

Sharing Shortcuts

• Share via iCloud link: Tap the shortcut, then tap Share to generate a link.
• Import from community: Download shortcuts from trusted sources like the Shortcuts Gallery or reputable websites.
• Review before adding: Always review the actions in a shortcut before adding it to your collection.

Integration with System and Third-Party Apps

System Apps

iOS 26 expands Shortcuts integration with system apps:

• Photos: Rename albums, search photos, create new memories, filter your library.
• Mail: Find messages, automate email workflows.
• Messages: Search messages and conversations, automate replies.
• Reminders: Show quick reminders, manage tasks.
• Voice Memos: Find and use recordings in workflows.
• Freeform: Add files to boards, organize creative projects.
• Weather, Stocks, Sports: Retrieve and act on real-time data.

Third-Party Apps and APIs

• App Intents API: Developers can expose app features to Shortcuts and Siri, enabling deep integration.
• ChatGPT and Other AI Services: Use the “Use Model” action to tap into ChatGPT for advanced text and image generation.
• APIs and Web Services: Shortcuts can make HTTP requests, parse JSON, and interact with a wide range of online services.

Example: Automate posting to social media, translating text, or fetching data from a web API.

Accessibility Features and Shortcuts

Apple continues to prioritize accessibility in iOS 26, and Shortcuts is no exception:

• VoiceOver: All shortcut actions and editor elements are fully accessible via VoiceOver.
• Live Captions: Shortcuts can trigger Live Captions or generate transcriptions using Apple Intelligence.
• Visual Intelligence: Describe images for users with visual impairments.
• Custom Accessibility Shortcuts: Automate accessibility settings (e.g., toggle VoiceOver, adjust text size).
• Braille and Spoken Content: Shortcuts can interact with Braille displays and spoken content features.

These enhancements ensure that automation is available to all users, regardless of ability.

Performance, Battery, and Resource Considerations

Performance

• Faster execution: iOS 26 optimizes shortcut execution, especially for AI-powered actions.
• Background processing: Many shortcuts can now run in the background, reducing wait times.

Battery Impact

• On-device AI: Running Apple Intelligence actions locally is efficient, but complex tasks may consume more battery.
• Cloud processing: Private Cloud Compute actions require a network connection and may use more power.

Tips:

• Limit the use of resource-intensive actions in automations that run frequently.
• Monitor battery usage if you notice significant drain after adding new shortcuts.

Resource Management

• Adaptive power: iOS 26 includes adaptive power features that help manage battery usage for background tasks and automations.
• Notifications: You’ll be notified if a shortcut or automation is using excessive resources.

Shortcuts Gallery Updates and Apple Intelligence Categories

The Shortcuts Gallery in iOS 26 is more robust and curated than ever:

• Apple Intelligence category: Explore AI-powered shortcuts for summarization, content creation, image generation, and more.
• Curated collections: Find shortcuts for productivity, health, entertainment, accessibility, and smart home control.
• Community templates: Apple highlights popular and trending shortcuts from the user community.

How to Access:

1. Open Shortcuts and tap the Gallery tab.
2. Browse categories or search for specific use cases.
3. Tap to preview and add shortcuts to your collection.

Legal and Compliance Considerations for Automations

Regional Differences

• Data privacy laws: Some automation features, especially those involving personal data or AI processing, may be restricted or behave differently based on your region (e.g., GDPR in Europe, DPDP in India).
• Consent and transparency: Shortcuts that access sensitive data must provide clear consent prompts and respect user privacy.
• Third-party APIs: When integrating with external services, ensure compliance with their privacy policies and terms of use.

Apple’s Compliance Measures

Apple provides detailed documentation and compliance tools to help users and developers align with local regulations.

Features like Private Cloud Compute are designed to meet or exceed industry standards for data security and privacy.

Migration and Compatibility of Older Shortcuts

Migration Process

• Automatic migration: Most shortcuts created in earlier iOS versions migrate automatically and continue to work in iOS 26.
• Action updates: Some actions may be renamed or enhanced; review your shortcuts after upgrading.
• Manual updates: If a shortcut breaks, recreate it using the new editor and updated actions for best results.

Compatibility Tips

• Check for deprecated actions: Replace any that no longer function.
• Test automations: Ensure triggers and actions behave as expected after upgrading.
• Backup important shortcuts: Export and save critical workflows before major updates.

Popular Beginner Shortcuts and Use Cases (2024–2026)

The Shortcuts community and Apple’s Gallery offer a wealth of templates for beginners.

Below is a table of popular beginner shortcuts, updated for iOS 26, with descriptions and use cases.

Table: Popular Beginner Shortcuts (iOS 26)

Shortcut Name	Description & Use Case	Apple Intelligence/AI?	System/3rd Party Apps
Water Eject	Plays a tone to eject water from iPhone speakers	No	System
Share Wi-Fi	Generates a QR code to share your Wi-Fi network	No	System
Summarize Document	Summarizes any document or webpage using AI	Yes	Files, Safari
Food Tracker	Scans food barcodes/photos, logs nutrition to Health/Notes	Yes	Health, Notes
Save for Later	Saves links, articles, or videos to Notes with summaries	Yes	Notes, Safari
Transcribe Voice Memo	Transcribes and summarizes latest voice memo	Yes	Voice Memos, Notes
Daily News Report	Pulls and summarizes news from RSS feeds into Notes	Yes	News, Notes
Send ETA	Sends your estimated arrival time to a contact	No	Maps, Messages
Quick Reminder	Creates a reminder with one tap	No	Reminders
Describe Image	Uses AI to describe selected images for accessibility	Yes	Photos
Brainstorm Ideas	Dictates and formats ideas as a note with bullet points	Yes	Notes
Movie Search & Stream	Finds movies, streaming options, and saves details to Notes	Yes	Notes, Safari
Screen Time Report	Shows most-used apps and usage time for today or week	No	Screen Time
Translate Text	Translates selected text using Google Translate API	No	Safari, Clipboard
Charge Time	Displays time left to full charge	No	System

Detailed Explanations and Use Cases

Water Eject: This shortcut plays a specific frequency to help expel water from your iPhone’s speakers, a feature inspired by the Apple Watch. It’s especially useful after exposure to moisture.

Share Wi-Fi: Generates a QR code for your Wi-Fi network, allowing guests to connect without revealing your password. This shortcut leverages the system’s QR code generation and sharing capabilities.

Summarize Document: Uses Apple Intelligence or ChatGPT to condense long documents, PDFs, or web articles into concise summaries. Ideal for students, professionals, or anyone processing large volumes of information.

Food Tracker: Scans barcodes or takes photos of food, retrieves nutritional information via APIs, and logs it in Health and Notes. Apple Intelligence can calculate daily macros and suggest meal plans.

Save for Later: Saves links, articles, or videos to Notes, including a summary and the original link. Helps organize reading lists and research.

Transcribe Voice Memo: Transcribes and summarizes the latest voice memo using AI, then saves the result to Notes. Useful for meetings, interviews, or personal reminders.

Daily News Report: Aggregates news from RSS feeds, summarizes articles with AI, and saves them to Notes. Can be scheduled to run automatically each morning.

Send ETA: Calculates your estimated travel time to a destination and sends it via Messages. Great for notifying friends or family when you’re on your way.

Quick Reminder: Instantly creates a reminder with a single tap or voice command. Can be customized for recurring tasks.

Describe Image: Uses Visual Intelligence to describe selected images, aiding users with visual impairments.

Brainstorm Ideas: Dictates spoken ideas, formats them as bullet points, and saves them as a note. Apple Intelligence can organize and summarize the content.

Movie Search & Stream: Searches for movies, finds streaming options, and saves details (including posters and links) to Notes.

Screen Time Report: Provides a summary of your app usage, helping you monitor and manage screen time.

Translate Text: Translates selected text using the Google Translate API, with results saved to the clipboard or Notes.

Charge Time: Displays the estimated time remaining to fully charge your device, useful for planning.

These shortcuts are available in the Shortcuts Gallery or from reputable community sources, and can be customized to fit your workflow.

Advanced Examples: Apple Intelligence-Powered Shortcuts

Example 1: Summarize a Webpage

1. Trigger: Share sheet in Safari.
2. Actions:

• Get details of the Safari webpage.
• Use Model (Apple Intelligence or ChatGPT) with the prompt: “Summarize this article in three bullet points.”
• Show Content (display the summary).
• Optionally, save to Notes.

Use Case: Quickly digest long articles or research papers.

Example 2: Food Replicator

1. Trigger: Manual or scheduled.
2. Actions:

• Retrieve grocery list from Reminders.
• Use Model to suggest recipes based on available ingredients.
• Show Content (display meal ideas).
• Optionally, save missing ingredients as a new reminder.

Use Case: Plan meals and generate shopping lists automatically.

Example 3: Transcribe and Summarize Audio

1. Trigger: Share sheet from Voice Memos.
2. Actions:

• Transcribe audio using Apple Intelligence.
• Summarize the transcript.
• Save summary and transcript to Notes.

Use Case: Capture meeting notes or interviews efficiently.

Community and Third-Party Shortcuts

Where to Find and Share Shortcuts

• Shortcuts Gallery: Curated by Apple, includes new AI-powered categories.
• ShortcutsGallery.com: Community-driven repository of popular and trending shortcuts.
• Reddit, Blogs, and Tech Sites: Many users and experts share their creations and tips.

Best Practices:

• Only download shortcuts from trusted sources.
• Review all actions before adding a shortcut.
• Customize shortcuts to fit your needs and privacy preferences.

Integration with Third-Party Services

• APIs: Shortcuts can interact with web APIs for translation, weather, finance, and more.
• ChatGPT and AI Models: Use the “Use Model” action to access external AI for advanced tasks.
• Smart Home Devices: Control HomeKit-enabled devices, set scenes, and automate routines.

Accessibility, Compliance, and Future-Proofing

Accessibility Enhancements

• VoiceOver and Spoken Content: All shortcut actions and editor elements are accessible.
• Live Captions and Transcription: Automate captioning and transcription for audio and video.
• Visual Intelligence: Describe images and recognize people or objects for users with visual impairments.
• Custom Accessibility Automations: Toggle accessibility features, adjust settings, or provide spoken feedback.

Compliance and Legal Considerations

• Regional restrictions: Some features may be limited based on local laws (e.g., AI processing in certain countries).
• Data privacy: Apple Intelligence and Shortcuts are designed to minimize data collection and maximize user control.
• Third-party integrations: Ensure compliance with external service terms and privacy policies.

Future-Proofing Your Shortcuts

• Stay updated: Regularly check for app and iOS updates.
• Review shortcuts after major updates: Ensure compatibility and take advantage of new features.
• Backup important workflows: Export and save critical shortcuts before upgrading.

Conclusion

The Shortcuts app in iOS 26 represents the culmination of years of innovation in mobile automation.

With seamless Apple Intelligence integration, a redesigned editor, expanded triggers, and a vibrant community, Shortcuts empowers every iPhone user to automate tasks, boost productivity, and personalize their device like never before.

Whether you’re a beginner exploring the Gallery or an expert building complex AI-powered workflows, iOS 26’s Shortcuts app is your gateway to a smarter, more efficient iPhone experience.

By following this guide, you can confidently create, manage, and troubleshoot shortcuts, ensuring your automations are secure, private, and tailored to your needs.

Explore the Gallery, experiment with new actions, and join the thriving Shortcuts community to unlock the full potential of your iPhone in 2026 and beyond.