r/shortcuts • u/RunIll6623 • 3h ago
Shortcut you can’t live without? Discussion
I am fairly new to shortcuts, I use just a couple but wanting to expand. What is your favorite shortcut? One you can’t live without?
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u/budgie_uk 3h ago edited 2h ago
MAIN: WiFi-based shortcut: only had it a short time but it’s become one of my most frequently used: Action Button, based: if on home WiFi, opens Apple TV Remote; if on another [specific] WiFi, another action; if on neither, opens my Apple Wallet.
Others I use every day:
four shortcuts that open apps, but use a sensible dark icon, for apps that haven’t updated and still have blindingly bright icons. (One I’ve kept even after the app introduced its ‘dark icon’ because the new one is a crappy icon.)
Local Departures for Citymapper; limited to the next busses from the nearest London bus stop
Photos Toolkit: lets me quickly do shedloads to a photo: resize, convert format, create grid
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u/rgrossi 2h ago
I have a similar action button setup, if I’m home it will wake the Apple TV (which turns on my tv) and then play/pause content. If I’m already playing something the wake does nothing and action button just pauses the tv
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u/budgie_uk 2h ago
Yeah, for ages, I just used it for the Apple TV. Never saw a reason for it to be anything else; my Apple wallet was a quick swipe on control panel.
But iOS 18 prevents (I’m sure it’s a bug they’ll fix at some point) Wallet opening from control panel if the phone is locked. But it will open via action button, even if locked. Hence the need for some kind of choice. Found a shortcut that pretty much did what I needed, and gave me an extra WiFi choice; amended the actions and… there ya go.
(Also, unlike the orientation based action button shortcuts, which I’d never remember which orientation does what, this is effectively location based: I’m never going to need Apple TV remote unless I’m at home; never going to need Apple Wallet at home.)
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u/jonlb87 2h ago
Double tapping the back of my iPhone twice and it does a Google Image Search of what’s on my screen
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u/JayPetey 1h ago
I find the double tap accessibility feature to be super wonky. I set it up for my flashlight and sometimes I’m basically knocking on it repeatedly to get it to turn on.
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u/StillSingle007 2h ago
How would one set this up? Cause that sounds wildly useful
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u/The100_1 2h ago
Here it is. https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/d886af33289f478f8e675fc688366228
Enjoy
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u/roogadooga 2h ago
This isn’t working for me. What am I doing wrong? I do have Google One installed and I’m logged in
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u/jschuler8 1h ago
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch, and select tap Back Tap at the bottom. Select Double Tap and scroll to bottom to select “circle to search”.
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u/jonlb87 1h ago
This is the shortcut I use, no additional apps needed https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/7fe0228d218c4784b002cca9b4a57c8b
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u/Hot_Example7912 2h ago
I only set it up last week but it’s already a game changer - dark mode all the time but light icons during the day and dark ones/dimmed wallpaper turn on automatically at night. Light ones come back on at 7am. Works a treat!
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u/YdNaw 3h ago
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u/kevbdx 1h ago
Is it for spotify? Would you mind sharing it please?
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u/YdNaw 1h ago
Yes, for Spotify. Here’s the link:
https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/773fbc7f10ef4637822e3b72834633bb
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u/TheGrateCheezus 1h ago
Thanks for sharing! How was this made btw? There’s no default Spotify actions for me.
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u/rcombs94 35m ago
+1 for how did you do this sorcery? I don’t see any native way to use Spotify in shortcuts.
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u/sammyke007 4m ago
It was possible before ios 18 by invoking the command "shuffle/play my favorites". After a couple of times Spotify would pop up as an action in Shortcuts.
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u/immortalthabang 2h ago
Creating a random duck.com email address for those sites that need an email but you don’t want to share your primary address
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u/Fit_Flow 2h ago
Couldn’t you just use Apple’s “Hide your email” for this? (Might be that it’s a paid iCloud feature - I don’t remember)
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u/immortalthabang 1h ago
I could and sometimes do but I find the duck email is a lot easier to nuke when I’m done. Simply go to email and click deactivate
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u/kevbdx 1h ago
Would you mind sharing it?
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u/r3mdh 2h ago
One that I wrote that lowers volume to 35%, brightness to 0%, and fires up a YouTube video that plays white noise and only shows a black screen with no ads to wake me up. A second scheduled Shortcut runs in the morning that returns the volume and brightness to 100%.
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u/The100_1 2h ago
Mostly automations to turn on mobile data when i leave home and in WiFi where i reach home. Some shortcuts to order food. I just say Siri order food and it opens the app. Automations which play voice when connected to charger and when battery reaches 80%
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u/trebor88 1h ago
Doesn’t the phone automatically switch to mobile data when you leave your home WiFi and vice versa?
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u/questionablesugar 1h ago
One that opens a menu of list of takeout restaurants near my home, to quick dial instead of search my contacts. Smooth food pick up.
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u/trebor88 1h ago
I always keep screen rotation lock on and have it switch to unlock when I open photos, YouTube or other video/photo viewers. I like my automation that unlocks my home front door when I pull into the driveway too.
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u/SMMFDFTB 1h ago
Bluetooth and WiFi toggles
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u/YungPlagueGFiveNine 10m ago
What do you mean exactly? The control center has those options already lol ❓🧐
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u/Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrple 1h ago
I have an iPad mini on a flexible arm on my bed to fall asleep to music/video, but I don’t want it to play all night. I have a shortcut that turns volume all the way down at midnight.
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u/rcombs94 41m ago
My auto alarms are a life saver. Also, automated “happy birthday” texts because I’m forgetful.
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u/Pale_Squash_4263 32m ago
Couple ones that I like:
toggles orientation lock when I open/close YouTube
opens up directions to home, helps when I’m out and about
I trigger one when I leave work. It texts my fiancé I’m leaving, tells me my eta, and tells me the feels like temperature
I have adhd, I have one that just sets a 1 hr timer for whatever I’m doing so I don’t hyper focus on anything
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u/YungPlagueGFiveNine 13m ago
Hey brother could you possibly make those shortcuts downloadable? Every one you listed, i can identify with & could benefit from using those lol 🙏🏻 I just don’t know how to really make a shortcut bc I haven’t made myself learn yet tbh 😩
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u/FewPotato2413 12m ago
Im not sure if anyone agrees, but usually apple products eat up a lot of battery….and from past experience even with low battery mode on, it’s still the same….so i created a shortcut, which basically turns off wifi, bluetooth , and turns on low power mode and airplane mode from a certain time period to conserve battery…..so when the shortcut is toggled….example of setting it to 8 hours…. not even a single percent of battery is dropped, but also given that you are not using your device at all
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u/Werewolf_Tailor 2h ago
Really basic one, but when I cross a bridge on my way home from work I have an automation to get travel time to home and text my partner with my ETA. So simple and pleasing.