The Shortcuts app has extended been one particular of Apple’s lesser-utilised offerings, and that is a shame, due to the fact it can supercharge your iPhone’s capabilities. With a single tap, you could turn on your clever lights, raise the temperature on your clever thermostat, and start out an energetic playlist—and that is just one particular instance.

Like the macOS version, the mobile Shortcuts app is primarily an automation tool that can combine a lot of tasks into one particular action that you launch with a tap or a word to Siri. Introduced in 2018 alongside iOS 12, the app is constructed into the iPhone’s operating program, so you will locate it on one particular of your household screens or in the App Library. From the app’s Shortcuts tab, you can start out manually creating your personal shortcut, or set up a prebuilt one particular from the integrated shortcut gallery or the net.

1. Get your self in the mood to concentrate

The Reading Mode shortcut begins by asking you how extended you’d like to study for. David Nield

A fantastic way to start out making use of Shortcuts is to set up one particular created by somebody else—you can generally open the tool up to see how it functions and adapt it to your wants if essential. Go to the Gallery tab in the app, appear for a shortcut known as Reading Mode, and set up it by tapping the plus icon on the shortcut’s thumbnail.

Reading Mode is a fantastic instance of how shortcuts combine a number of actions: It turns on Do Not Disturb, switches to dark mode, opens your reading app of decision and even begins the Apple Music playlist you specify. Tap the 3 dots on the shortcut entry as soon as it is installed to customize any of these actions.

two. Edit photos in batches

Shortcuts can promptly apply the very same edits to a number of photos. David Nield

As you get extra confident with Shortcuts, you can start out creating your own—it aids to consider about tasks and groups of actions you do repeatedly on your telephone. To produce a shortcut from the Shortcuts tab, tap the plus icon in the major proper corner and hit Add Action to get began.

[Related: Edit gorgeous photos right on your phone]

If you want to, say, automate a series of photo edits you do once again and once again, decide on Apps, Pictures, then Pick Pictures. From the All Actions list, choose Resize Image as the subsequent action, and enter the preferred size. The final action is Save to Photo Album. Tap Accomplished to save your shortcut.

That is a simple instance, but there are lots of other image editing actions obtainable, which includes the potential to eliminate backgrounds and rotate photos, so you can combine them as you have to have.

three. Use ChatGPT with Siri

Place ChatGPT on your iPhone, with aid from Siri.

It is challenging to steer clear of ChatGPT at the moment, and the AI chatbot can be utilised in tandem with Siri on your iPhone. Initial, register a free of charge account with ChatGPT developer OpenAI, then grab an API crucial from its website. API (application programming interface) keys are basically identification codes that let one particular system (Shortcuts) operate with a further (ChatGPT).

With the crucial in hand, open the SiriGPT shortcut in your iPhone’s net browser and tap Get Shortcut. In the Shortcuts app, choose Set Up Shortcut, paste or variety in your API crucial, and decide on Add Shortcut.

If you’d like to launch this shortcut making use of your voice, you will most likely want to rename it to anything simpler—do so by pressing and holding it, then selecting Rename. Launch the shortcut with a tap or a voice command, and ChatGPT will be at your disposal.

four. Let somebody know when you will be household

Shortcuts can text on your behalf. David Nield

One particular of the added benefits of operating shortcuts on your iPhone rather than your Mac is that it offers a considerably extra precise repair on your place. That can come in handy for all types of automations.

Head to the Gallery tab and appear for the Dwelling ETA shortcut. When you set up and run it, it’ll operate out how extended it need to take you to drive household, and then text your estimated time of arrival to the make contact with of your decision.

[Related: 14 tricks for getting more out of the underrated Apple Maps app]

Open the shortcut from the Shortcuts tab by tapping on the 3 dots on its entry, and you will be capable to simply modify the address the shortcut defaults to, as properly as the make contact with(s) who get the message about your ETA.

five. Appear back on your day

You can decide on the inquiries and responses to aid you reflect on your day. David Nield

If you tap Gallery in the Shortcuts app and use the search function, you need to locate a shortcut known as Reflect on the Day that does specifically what its name suggests. You will be asked to answer inquiries about how your day has been, and you can also set ambitions for tomorrow.

Your responses will be stored in the Notes app, so you can track your progress more than time, and the shortcut will also set reminders for the subsequent day so you do not overlook your ambitions. To edit the inquiries the shortcut asks you at the finish of each and every day, open it up by tapping the 3 dots on its thumbnail.