I Built and Ran Automations on an iPhone, iPad, and Mac by Talking to Them
I Built and Ran Automations on an iPhone, iPad, and Mac by Talking to Them
Publish Date: 2026-06-09 13:45:00
Source Domain: www.pcmag.com
CUPERTINO—Since its introduction in 2018, Shortcuts has been an untouched gem of the Apple ecosystem. The powerful ability lets you set up multi-step task automations, effectively if-this-then-that routines, among your cadre of devices. A burgeoning community of productivity hackers has formed around Shortcuts, sharing their recipes for success across forums, social media, and even podcasts. I’ve used Shortcuts to spoof some of my favorite native Android routines on iOS, like calling up Google through Siri for home control.
Apple caught on to all of us, which is why it’s using Apple Intelligence to make Shortcuts even more approachable than before. When it arrives later this year, iOS 27 will help you construct your own automations using natural language. I sampled the experience at Apple’s WWDC event. It’s the easiest time I’ve had setting up a shortcut, though you’ll still need a fundamental understanding of what your devices can do before you can go making Shortcuts.
How to ‘Describe a Shortcut’
The whole process of describing a Shortcut into fruition is as straightforward as it sounds. In the Shortcuts app, you press the button to create one, but instead of setting up the routine within the offered parameters, there’s an empty text box. That’s where you type out what you hope to accomplish. If you want to go the old-school way, you can expand a tucked-away side panel to open the formula and configure it manually.
Tech editors react to Apple’s WWDC 2026: What did we learn?
After seeing a demo of Describe a Shortcut at WWDC, I do not recommend configuring anything manually again. I used Describe a Shortcut to create three different automations on the iPad, the Mac, and the iPhone. Apple guided me through an initial…
