As Apple’s latest offering, the Shortcuts app has been touted as a way to streamline and automate life – but what is it, and how does the app actually work?
Like it or not, our lives are inextricably linked to the smartphones that live in our pockets and how we choose to use them. Industry titans such as Apple know just how much consumers value the quality, performance, bells and whistles of their smartphones, and make conscious efforts to improve their functionality as a means to keep consumers hooked.
If you’re on a mission to get more out of your day or to perhaps get back on top of that ever expanding to-do list, one of the lesser known ways to do so for Apple users includes making the most of the Shortcuts app. Whether you need help organising a project or simply need assistance with ‘getting in the zone’, understanding how the brand’s in house app works can turbocharge the way we use our iPhones on a day to day basis.
What if we told you that your humble iPhone had the power to automate your morning routine? From turning your smart home’s lights on, triggering your morning alarm and even playing your favourite podcast, the Shortcuts app can quite literally enable users to take ‘shortcuts’ in the real world.
With the release of iOS 12 in late 2018, Apple updated its incredibly useful Workflows app and rebranded it under the name Shortcuts. In a nutshell, Shortcuts allows users to run detailed workflows, which help them accomplish complicated tasks in less time.
The simplest way to trigger a shortcut is to open Shortcuts on your device, before tapping a shortcut from the main screen. Alternatively, users can also ask Siri to run it for you by saying “Hey Siri” followed by the name of your desired shortcut. As long as you use the same Apple account on all your devices, users can sync the shortcuts across multiple devices, such as an iPhone, iPad, Mac or even an Apple Watch.
Once you learn the basics, the Shortcuts app has the potential to open up a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to regular tasks that you might use your Apple device for. In fact, the Shortcuts app actually works in conjunction with over three hundred built in actions, and can be paired with a wide range of other apps such as Contacts, Calendar, Maps, Music, Photos, Safari, Health and even Camera.
In addition, the Shortcuts app makes suggestions to you exactly when you need them. Siri is incredibly good at learning your routine, and often suggests easier ways to perform common tasks via the Lock Screen or in the Search function. To use a Siri Suggestion, just tap it on the Lock Screen. Alternatively, swipe left on your screen to show Search, then tap the Siri Suggestion. These are then added to the Shortcuts app on your behalf and saved for future use.
For almost all iPhone users, apps are now integral in going about our day to day lives. From social media, internet banking, navigation and even finding love – if you can think of it, there’s usually an app for it. As such, it makes sense that there would also be an app designed to streamline this heavy usage, which is when getting to know the Shortcuts app can be a true gamechanger.
Talk Technology With The Professionals
SOS Phone Repairs are specialists in high-quality, cost-effective phone repairs, tablet repairs, and PC repairs, all backed with a six month warranty. Founded in 2015 in Coffs Harbour and now with over sixteen outlets located all over Australia, our primary driving factors remain the same: people and phones.
Whether it’s to get a few more years out of your trusted iPhone, to fix one up to sell, or to repurpose an old one as a gift, repairing a smartphone might just be easier and cheaper than you think. However, if you’re in the market for a new smartphone, SOS Phone Repairs also stocks a wide variety of refurbished handsets at a fraction of the cost of a brand new one. While each has been carefully restored to perform at their best, all refurbished smartphones purchased through SOS also come with a twelve month warranty, and can be purchased at any of our sixteen store locations.
If you are on the hunt for a quote, diagnostic, or even just some good old fashioned, friendly advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or give us a call today at SOS Phone Repairs.
