Our phones are full of useful functions, such as remembering passwords, reading real-world text, and storing hundreds, if not thousands, of photos.
But there are a lot of things it can do that you probably didn’t know about — and some of those things don’t require tapping anything.
Shortcuts can include quickly sending a text, double-tapping the back of your phone to take a screenshot or automatically playing your favorite music after your morning alarm.
Watch the video to see how easy it is to access app shortcuts!
Morning routines
Shortcuts are an easy way to do some things you do all the time, but faster.
Post on social media, find a hike or check the stats of your favorite baseball team just by pressing the app icon on Android or iPhone.
This will bring up the list of available shortcuts, but not all apps have them.
If you want to take it a step further, you can make your own on iPhones.
Your device can automatically play your favorite music after your alarm goes off, brew your coffee (if you have a smart coffee pot) and tell you what time to leave to get to work on time.
How do I create automatic shortcuts?
Creating your own shortcut is similar to coding. You design a custom sequence that tells your phone ‘if/when action x happen, do y and z.’
There are so many possibilities for this feature and shortcuts can be created based on your needs, preferences or whims.
It can be a little confusing but don’t be afraid to play around with it.
These actions can be activated only by your iPhone or iPad joining a specific wifi network, arriving or leaving a specific location, or receiving an email from a specific man.
To create an automatic shortcut on your iPhone:
- Open the Shortcuts app on the iPhone.
- Tap “Automation”
- Select “Create Personal Automation”
- Select the action you want
- Set the parameters you want and tap “Next”
- Add more actions and repeat as needed
- Tap “Next”
- Review your sequence and tap “Done” when you’re satisfied
You can also create sequential programs for any smart products in your home, such as turning on the lights when you’re close to home, or changing the temperature when you leave for work.