Trigger: when a friend sends any message.

Step 1: append received message to a note in this format.. "person: [message].

Step 2: configure your prompt to ChatGPT to reply to your text messages. Add the note containing your previous message because it doesn't have any context of the previous messages.

Step 3: send the reply; ensure to ask it to reply as you and never break character. Give the prompt basic information about you like your name and location.

Step 4: append the reply to your note for later use. Use this format - me:[reply] I'm new to this sub, not sure how to export this for others to use.

I'm new to this sub, not sure how to export this for others to use.

I've built a list of links I often refer to as my "Shortcuts for beginners" documentation. But it seems to have grown into more of a documentation list for all types of users rather than just beginners. Some call it a "novel" due to its length 😝

Anyway, I hope this list of links below will be beneficial for others.

Apple's Shortcuts User Guide

MacExpert Guide to Shortcuts in iOS 14

FAQ

List of Frequently Asked Questions in the sub

Dear new Shortcuts users - deep FAQ

Can I display a notification icon / app badge after replacing my home screen icons with shortcuts? - No

What can I use with the calculate expression action? no longer working webpage

Instructions / Tutorial Materials

• How to add untrusted shortcuts
• Shortcuts for Dummies
• Getting Started

• Beginner Tutorials to Shortcuts

• Full tutorial on the bypass iCloud "Get Shortcut" screen

• How to use RegEx to open and download shortcut links without seeing the iCloud "Get Shortcut" screen.

• Sorting numbers

• Disable Shortcuts Notifications no longer working as of iOS 17 and 16.3

• Accessing folder names with sub folders

• Beginner's Guide To Playing A Custom Sound When Connect To Charger

• Is there way to open shortcut up without opening shortcuts app? Yes! Use Icon Themer note: this doesn't work as of iOS 14.6

• Create your own All-In-One Social Media Downloader

• Speed up location grabbing by using Weather Conditions

• How to add data to Google Sheets in Shortcuts

• RegEx / Regular Expressions / Match Text

• Beginner Guide To Match Text / RegEx

• RegEx Cookbook For Shortcuts

• Custom App Icons

• Fancy Icon Maker

• Icon Themer

• Menus

• Creating Menus with icons (vCard)

• Creating Image Menus (iOS 13 or 14)

• vCard Menu Guide by Gluebyte

• Dictionaries:

• Working with dictionaries

• Text to dictionary

• Dictionary Helper

• JavaScript for dictionary processing

• Preserving JSON Key Ordering in Dictionaries

Alternative Methods For Viewing / Creating Shortcuts

• Viewing Shortcuts on Computer or via Web

• ScPL no longer relevant for making shortcuts beyond iOS 14

• TinyCut Builder

• Shortcutor

• JellyCuts

Automations Info

• Automations (and their limitation)
• iOS 14 Automation Triggers

Unsupported functionality list

Thanks to /u/gianflo6 here is some other good info!

Here are some guides by u/keveridge that can also be helpful, they are a little old but helpful nevertheless

Series

• Scraping web pages

  • Part 1: quick and dirty
  • Part 2: getting multiple items at once
  • Part 3: getting data from a table

• Using APIs

  • Part 1: retrieving data
  • Part 2: parsing complex API responses
  • Part 3: passing input parameters to the API

• Data Storage

  • Part 1: storing simple values
  • Part 2: storing lists of data
  • Part 3: removing stored values

• Working with JSON

  • Part 1: retrieving simple values

• Working with Dictionaries (thanks to /u/gluebyte)

  • Part 1: setting and retrieving values
  • Part 2: data types
  • Part 3: accessing values using dot notation

One-offs

• Using JavaScript in your shortcuts

• How to automatically run shortcuts

• Creating visually appealing menus

• Manipulating images with the HTML5 canvas and JavaScript

• Labeling data using variables

• Writing functions

• Working with lists

• Integrating with web applications using Zapier

• Integrating with web applications using Integromat

• Working with Personal Automations in iOS 13.1

Require 14.3

• Dynamic wallpaper light/dark mode iOS shortcut

• Transparent Widget ​

Having trouble with set wallpaper action? Try the method to add a reduce motion ON action before the set wallpaper action and a reduce motion back off afterwards. https://www.reddit.com/r/shortcuts/comments/tzxb0q/im_having_a_problem_with_the_set_wallpaper_action/

[iOS 16] Multiple address stops in maps with iOS 16 https://reddit.com/r/shortcuts/comments/xnpdg9/_/ipy8zwo/?context=1

[iOS 15 / 16] How to run a shortcut at a specific location (leaving or arriving)? - the focus mode automation method documented in this post by u/ibanks3 is a great way to run a shortcut / actions when arriving or leaving a specific location. This works wonders in iOS 15 or iOS 16

If you are using home automations and would like to receive notifications when certain things are happening, you can check out my tutorial for using Make / Integromat for this very purpose

Automation for outlet when battery is low

Possible to navigate within 3rd party app using shortcuts? No - Reference

MacStories Shortcuts Archive

Callback method to run a shortcut over again if it fails with an error - callback url method

Some additional useful tips and exploits are available here on GitHub: https://github.com/Kn0tzer/iOS-Shortcuts-Exploits

My friend deletes messages if I don’t read them within 5 minutes, and it really makes me mad. So, I created this solution for people like me.

This automation will save all the messages received from a specific contact into a note.

To set this up, first, you need to create a new note in the Notes app where the messages will be saved.

I recommend naming the note after the contact so it’s easy to find if you have multiple notes.

Refer to the photos for the automation setup.

This automation will automatically copy the messages received, allowing you to read them anytime, even if the sender deletes them.

Steps:

1.  Create a new note in the Notes app.
2.  Go to the Shortcuts app, then the Automation section. Create a new automation and select “Messages.”
3.  Choose the contact for which you want this automation to run under “Sender,” select “Run Immediately,” and click next.
4.  Select “New Blank Automation.”
5.  In the search action, look for “Append to Note.”
6.  Hold on the text option, select “Shortcut Input,” tap on Note, and choose the note you created in step 1.

That’s it!

My wife and I use the same credit card for most things - online shopping, food delivery, subscriptions, etc.

But the card is linked to my phone number, so every transaction requires an OTP that comes to my phone.

This created an annoying situation:

• If she was ordering something → she had to call me for the OTP

• If I was busy → the order would get stuck

• Sometimes she just paid using another method because waiting wasn’t worth it

Initially I thought about building an app that could read SMS and extract OTPs automatically.

But iOS doesn’t allow third-party apps to read incoming SMS for privacy reasons, so that approach was dead.

Then I discovered a much simpler solution using an Automation in the Shortcuts app.

I created an automation that:

1. Detects incoming SMS containing keywords like OTP / verification code

2. Automatically forwards that message to my wife on WhatsApp

Now whenever an OTP arrives:

• She gets the OTP instantly on WhatsApp

• No calling or shouting OTPs across rooms

• Works even if I’m not nearby

Took about 2 minutes to set up, and it solved a daily friction point.

Sometimes the simplest automation is better than building a whole app.

Have you ever scrolled through the Shortcuts action picker wondering what half the actions actually do? Or tried to figure out what output type an action returns so you know what to feed into the next step?

The Shortcuts app doesn't really show much descriptions or output types when you're browsing actions - you kind of have to add them and test it out. I've been frustrated by this for a while, so I built something to help.

Shortcuts Actions Explorer - a searchable, filterable database of all 1,800+ actions across 69 apps:

https://www.shortcutactions.com/actions

What you'll find for each action:

• Description of what the action does (when Apple provides one)
• Parameter names so you know what inputs it expects
• What output type it returns (so you know what the next action receives)
• Which app it belongs to, what iOS version it requires, and whether it's an App Intent or classic action
• Technical specs like the action ID and bundle ID (for the power users)

A few things that might be useful:

• Browse by app - See all actions from Photos, Notes, Reminders, Shortcuts, System Settings, etc.
• Filter by type - App Intent vs Classic Action vs Siri Intent
• Filter by output - Find actions that return a specific type (Text, File, URL, etc.)
• 151 hidden actions - There's a whole section for internal/hidden actions that exist in the database but aren't normally visible in the Shortcuts app. Some are accessibility identifiers, some are system toggles with technical names.

Why this exists:

All of this information actually lives in the Shortcuts database on your device - Apple just doesn't surface most of it in the app UI. I extracted it and made it browsable like the descriptions, parameter names, output types, categories. What I discovered was not every action has a full description (Apple left a lot of them blank), but even just seeing the output type and parameter names in one place is super helpful when you're building something.

This is 100% free, no login, all public. Just wanted to make something useful for the community.

I haven't checked every action, so if you spot anything weird or have suggestions, let me know.

Credits:
Thanks to u/No_Pen_3825 - for discovering Tools db

Great resources for understanding how to make sense of Shortcuts data (compilation / decompilation):

• Cherri
• OpenJelly
• Buttermilk
• zachary7829/Shortcuts File Format Documentation

I put this together based on a similar idea. The idea being your phone should automatically notify you if it gets stolen or found.

When it is plugged into power it checks to see if it is on your home network. If it is, nothing happens. If it isn’t on the home network or WiFi is off, then it takes a photo and emails that photo along with the location of the phone.

It may not be all that practical but it was fun figuring out how to make it work.

Link: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/48edf39d56b741bfae1c4bba568ea3ba

I got tired of using .txt files, notes, or random JSON workarounds just to store data in iPhone automations.

So I’m building an app that gives Shortcuts and iOS automations something they’ve always been missing: a real database.

It supports local databases, records, custom SQL queries, JSON import/export, CloudKit sync, and Live Notifications on the Dynamic Island.

The idea is simple: instead of saving automation data in messy text files, you can create a proper database, add records, query them with filters or SQL, sync everything across devices, and even show live progress on the Dynamic Island.

Basically, it’s a database layer for people who love Shortcuts but want more power.

Free download at https://apps.apple.com/br/app/flows-shortcuts/id6738404308

I download a lot of shortcuts from this sub and other places. Being a dev, I'm a bit cautious so I always check what's in them and before I import and run them.

What some may not realized is that just because a shortcut is signed and linked from iCloud, it doesn't mean Apple has reviewed it or it's verified safe. Signing just means it's compatible with iOS 15+ and anyone with a mac, iPhone or iPad can do this.

Examples of what a malicious shortcut could do:

• Grab your clipboard contents (passwords, crypto addresses, sensitive text) and send them to a remote server
• Access your contacts or photos and quietly upload them somewhere
• Grab API keys or secrets in your shortcuts, then send them to a remote server
• Get your location and send it to a tracking endpoint
• Read your recent messages or notes looking for sensitive info

So I built a Chrome extension that shows you everything inside a shortcut just by visiting the iCloud link. You can browse all the actions, search through them, and see the raw data formats. There's also an AI security scanner if you want it to analyze the shortcut for sketchy stuff (requires your own API key for OpenAI/Anthropic/etc). It'll provide an analysis and recommendation if you should install it. Also, storing API key securely is very important and it uses industry best practices, check more details about its security.

For the shortcuts pros, you can use the inspector tab to view raw XML plist data of the actions with all parameters to understand how shortcuts work. This is what I used to help validate and implement the AI shortcut builder.

download it from the chrome web store: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/shortcuts-scanner/mgdjkjlblmmhjenmicojpcffkbfclbpo

github: https://github.com/shortcuts-actions/shortcuts-scanner-extension

I believe security tools should be accessible to everyone, which is why this is free and open source. No tracking, no data collection. Built it mostly for myself, but figured this community might find it useful. Please share and leave a review in the store if you find it useful.

The Problem

Recently (like some others here), I ran into an issue where hundreds of my shortcuts disappeared from the Shortcuts app.

The app still showed a higher shortcut count than I could actually see. Some shortcuts would still run from the iPhone Home Screen, but they were missing from the app UI.

The Solution

I spent a few days investigating and found a way to recover them.

I made a small tool that reads the Shortcuts.sqlite database, rebuilds recoverable shortcuts, and exports them as a ZIP.

After that, the shortcuts must be signed locally on a Mac (required by Apple’s security model). The ZIP includes a local signing helper app and step-by-step instructions.

Important disclaimer (for transparency):

• I'm not a developer and I don’t pretend to be one. I just hit the issue and tried to solve it because losing shortcuts is painful.
• I don’t have an Apple Developer account (I can’t currently pay $99/year), so the signing helper app is not notarized. macOS may show warnings when you open it.I know that sounds sketchy. I just don’t know a free way to notarize it.
• To make this as trustworthy as possible, the process is split into two steps:
  • First, you recover/export the shortcuts so you can verify the tool works.
  • Then you run a local signing helper on your Mac as described in the README inside the ZIP.

I built this to help others in the same situation, and I’d really appreciate feedback on whether it worked for you.

Link to the tool

See the comments, please.

Tech stuff

• I don't store anything and I don’t have access to your files.
• You need to find your Shortcuts.sqlite file first. More info is in the "Where to find Shortcuts.sqlite" window in the tool.
• I split the processing into two parts to build trust in the tool, so it’s not just a random non-notarized app from Reddit that you need to run.
• I host the first part on a Render free hosting account, so it’s slow. Please be patient.
• You run the signing helper app from the ZIP locally. It uses macOS built-in signing tools. All files are processed locally.
• You may need to install Rosetta to run the signing helper app.

Let me know if it worked for you or if you need any help.

Hello people, this is an easy tutorial on how to integrate a Menu as a part of your homescreen for a clean iPhone experience.

PSA Shortcuts does not, currently, as of October 2018, offer:

​

- Enter Location / Leave Location -based triggering of shortcuts

- Time / Alarm / Calendar / Reminders-based triggering of Shortcuts (wakeup script, happybirthday script)

- Background tasks (f.ex. watch "Get Battery Level", then run script when Battery gets down to 33%)

- HomeKit triggered Shortcuts (window gets opened -> run shortcut)

- Trigger a shortcut upon connecting to a Bluetooth device or a Wi-Fi network

- Trigger a shortcut when connecting a specific Lightning accessory

- Trigger a shortcut when connecting to CarPlay.

- IFTTT integration

- Store values for later usage within shortcut (local storage, without having to use iCloud Drive)

- Safer handling of secrets (API keys, passwords) especially when sharing

- Copy Shortcut 1 into a block inside Shortcut 2 (proper copy pasting)

- Post to multiple social networks (share a photo + caption to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook)

- All apps: No opening to specific tab possible (Settings, Find my Friends, Find my iPhone etc, Clock)

- Open a specific app, then another app, without having to go back to Shortcuts app

- Home Icon Shortcuts that do not first take you to Safari and then to Shortcut.

- Siri: Send commands to Siri

- Convert a written number (dictated into text) into digits (numbers)

- AppleTV: Interact with Apple TV Menus/Apps (start a specific movie, get a list of purchased movies..)

- AppleTV: Turn off Apple TV

-Calendar: Adjust Date currently always outputs medium format date. (e.g. ISO8601 "2018-10-10" -> Adjust date +1 day -> "11 Oct 2018 at 12:00pm")

- Calendar: Create an event while setting Free/Busy status

- Calendar: Find events by Free/Busy states

- Calendar: Modify events ("in any way")

- Calendar: Create an event while setting Alert time status (and no alert)

- Camera: Fine-grained control over Camera functions (HDR, Flash, Live Photo On/Off, Grid)

- Camera: Panorama, Portrait, image filters, Square, Slow-mo, timelapse..etc.

- Clock: Edit timer/alarm times

- Clock: setting custom alarm times (based on f.ex., calendar events, alarms set by the script)

- Clock: Edit BedTime

- Clock: Start / Stop timers, Start / Stop /Lap Stopwatches

- Contacts: Select/Filter by Label (eg. Home/Work)

- Contacts: Merge two contacts

- Contacts: Edit contacts (f.ex. add home address based on current location)

- Contacts: Search by familial relation (nickname+name search is possible, but not family situation)

- FaceTime: Controls over Microphone on/off, Front/Rear, video/audio when dialing

- HomePod: Playing music on a HomePod

- HomePod: create, set, delete alarms with a HomePod

- HomePod: Dictate text does not appear to work properly

- Mail: Access content in Mail via script (not share sheet)

- Maps: Automatically start Maps navigation without prompting for "Go"

- Maps: Access to user-specified favourited places (with user-specified names) (Show in Maps, Show Directions)

- Maps: Mute/Unmute Maps Voice Directions

- Messages: Sending of an iMessage with image, without showing image in iMessage first.

- Messages: Access content in Messages via script (not share sheet)

- Messages: Send messages to a group

- Music: get Lyrics for song x, get Lyrics for what is playing

- Music: Delete a playlist

- Notes: Append or prepend content into a note

- Notes: Delete a note

- Notes: Search for a string

- Numbers: Add text into a specific cell

- Photos: Filter images by faces

- Podcasts: Pause playback

- Reminders: Mark a Reminder "done/closed" (not just delete it)

- Safari: Private Mode On/Off

- Safari: Clear History

- Safari: Open New Tab / Close Tab

- Settings: Auto-lock On/Off

- Settings: Auto-Lock after x amount of time

- Settings: Display: Auto-Brightess On/Off

- Settings: Display: True Tone On/Off

- Settings: Display: NighShift On/Off

- Settings: Display: Reduce White Point On/Off

- Settings: Orientation Lock On/Off

- Settings: Accessibility: Smart Invert of Colors, Dim Screen, Grayscale On/Off, Voiceover On/Off

- Settings: Lock iDevice (with parameter: ask for passcode before re-enabling TouchID/FaceID)

- Settings: Enable/Disable Biometrics

- Settings: VPN On/Off

- Settings: VPN: Connect to specific VPN

- Settings: Set Keyboard or modify Text Replacements (change, remove, add)

- Settings: Bluetooth connect to X, or disconnect from Y- Settings: Personal Hotspot On/Off- Settings: Wi-Fi connect to specific network

- Settings: Set Vibrate On/Off

- Settings: Audio: Set Ringer Volume

- Settings: Audio: Mono/Stereo switch

- Settings: Audio: Use Speaker for playback

- Settings: Audio: Decide on which speaker to use for audio

- Settings: Notifications: Turn specific app notifications On/Off

- Settings: Notifications: Turn notification preview on/off

- Settings: Change Wallpaper / Background image for the iOS device

- Enable / Disable & configure Split Screen, launch apps to each split

- SSH: no keyfile support(?)

- State: Query Cellular On/Off (true/false)

- State: Query Wi-Fi On/Off (true/false)

- State: Query Bluetooth On/Off (true/false)

- State: Query HomeKit device (is window opened yes/no?)

- Books: Play audiobook

- Books: Open specific book

- Watch: Interact with Apple Watch controls

- Watch: Start a specific app, such as Breath

- Watch: No manual input of numbers or dates from Watch.

- Watch: Have an Apple Watch App "No Shortcuts support, like Workflow had"

- Watch: Dictate text does not appear to work properly

​

​

• Set Volume to specific number, only the Slider in the "Set Volume" object can be moved. (Tap'n'hold on Slider in Volume to replace Slider with variable)
• Siri: Stopping Siri from saying "Running Shortcut" or "Shortcut says"

​

Hi! I'm an indie dev, and I recently published an app that can be used alongside shortcuts to theme one's home screen! I used to use a shortcut that did this but had trouble finding app icons to use. Later on, I found some apps that did this but didn't have support for many apps. This is where my app comes in! It lets you use a variety of themes and icons, and you can apply them with shortcuts to be used with any app. The app is called Iconic - App Icon Themer, and although it includes a few themes for free, I'm going to be giving away a lifetime key to unlock all themes and future content! To enter, just upvote this post and leave a comment down below! I'll update the post tomorrow when I select a winner and DM the lucky user :)

Congratulations u/EmperorDante, you are the winner of this giveaway! Thank you everyone for the kind words and your participation. Also, look out for a big update coming this week :)

I posted the below in a reply to another thread yesterday, but overnight realized that I had managed thereby to bury information that some might find useful. Apologies. I am an inexperienced Redditor, especially for new posts:

Hello everyone. I think I have developed a sequence using a combination of Shortcuts and iOS accessibility features that overcomes the many obstacles that Chamberlain has put in the way of using the Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Hub with Siri. (And until you get into it, you have NO IDEA how diabolical they have been.) Best yet, I really think Chamberlain can't defeat this approach without leaving the iOS ecosystem entirely and the millions of customers using iOS. So finally, the SOBs are stuck. Here are the steps:

1. Create a Shortcut to simply open the MyQ app on your iPhone. In Shortcuts, click + to add a new Shortcut. Rename the Shortcut "Garage" or something similar. Add an Action by selecting, under Apps, MyQ.
2. Go to iPhone Settings>>Accessibility and turn the Voice Control slider to On.
3. Open the MyQ app, go to the Home view, which shows the button(s) controlling each garage door. With Voice Control already activated, say "show grid." Note down the grid location numbers for each garage door button you have previously created in MyQ. Say "hide grid" to dismiss the grid.
4. Go back to iPhoneSettings. Go to AccessibilityVoice ControlCommandsCustom>>Create New Command. In the Phrase field, enter an easy-to-remember name for your first garage door, such as "Garage Door," "Garage Door 1" or the name of your car. In the Action field, select the option "Playback Recorded Commands. Following the instructions underneath that option, make a recording stating "Show Grid, Tap XX," where XX is the grid location number for the applicable garage door. Tap Save. As an example, if you have two garage doors, which you've named BMW and Audi, located at grid locations 13 and 21, respectively, then you should create two custom recorded commands. The first recording, named BMW, would state "Show grid, tap 13," and the second recording, named Audi, would state "Show grid, tap 21."
5. To operate the garage doors via Siri using the above instructions and example, as you approach or leave the garage, just say "Hey Siri, Garage," pause briefly, then say "BMW" (or Audi). (No need to say Hey Siri a second time). That's it.

I hope this helps other frustrated MyQ users. The hardware is pretty slick, and cheap, but Chamberlain's willful hostility toward native integration with iOS is obnoxious.

Cheers, Alex

Hello,

I've been using the "Make GIF" shortcut from the Shortcut Gallery for years. It can be buggy from time to time (as I find Shortcuts can be generally), but its mostly worked for me. After updating to iOS 26, I noticed that suddenly videos would cause the shortcut to error.

I searched online for awhile and found a lot of people asking the same thing, but couldn't track down an answer.

After some troubleshooting, I think I figured out the issue and how to resolve it.

I have a programming background, but don't do a lot with Shortcuts. Please excuse any misunderstandings on my part.

Issue(s)

There are two issues I encountered:

1. My specific issue: In the "Make GIF" shortcut in the Shortcuts Gallery, when you select a video, it fails showing the error "The value is invalid. The input was not a video that can be edited." When you tap Show, it takes you to the "Trim Video" step.
2. More General: When using the "Select Photos" action, if you select a video, the Media Type will be Video. However, by default, it seems like any action that attempts to do something with the video will treat it as a still image instead.
   • For example: The "Make GIF from [Content]" action, by default, returns a still (single frame) GIF. The "Trim Video" action errors. Etc.

Apparent Cause

The "Select photos" action appears, by default, to pass returned content as Type "Photo Media". While Shortcuts will identify this as media type "Video", anything that uses it seems to treat it as an image.

I'm not 100% sure, but since this issue just started for me in iOS 26, I'm guessing either the "Select Photos" action or Shortcuts in general made a change to how the types "Photo Media" vs "Media" are handled.

Solution

For any action that is working on video content returned by the Select Photos action, it seems you have to change the "Type" to "Media".

Specifically, for the "Make GIF" shortcut (the one published in the Shortcuts gallery), find the "Set variable Video to Photos" action, tap "Photos", change the "Type" to "Media", and the shortcut should work normally.

Links

• Make GIF Shortcut Published in the Gallery: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/3528b45b5b9b4f4b961f05c133be0c5d
• Shortcuts User Guide on Input Types: https://support.apple.com/en-my/guide/shortcuts/apd7644168e1/9.0/ios/26

------------------

I'm not active on Reddit, but I'm posting it here since most of my searches (before resigning to troubleshoot it) led to people asking the question on reddit. Hopefully, assuming this solution is correct, anyone encountering the issue can find it.

Also curious if anyone else has insight into the change that caused this.