iOS 27's Revamped Shortcuts App: Seven Practical Automation Ideas
Apple's upcoming iOS 27 update overhauls the Shortcuts app with an AI feature that builds automations from spoken descriptions. A Wired writer tested the beta and created several everyday-useful shortcuts.
Apple is preparing to release iOS 27 this fall, and alongside improvements to Siri, one of the most notable changes is a revamp of the Shortcuts app. Previously seen as intimidating due to its manual scripting requirements, the app now includes an Apple Intelligence feature called "Describe a Short," which lets users create automations simply by describing what they want conversationally. The app then generates the automation flow, which can be refined with follow-up prompts. Manual scripting remains available for power users.
While testing the iOS 27 beta, the reviewer encountered a few minor glitches during generation, but overall found the feature fun and useful to experiment with.
Practical examples
Among the automations built was a habit-breaking shortcut that asks whether the user really wants to open an app like Instagram, closing it automatically if the answer is no. Another checks the air quality index each morning and sends an alert if it exceeds a set threshold. A location-based shortcut checks battery level when leaving home and reminds the user to grab a power bank if it's below 50 percent.
Other automations included a plant-watering log accessible via a home screen icon, automatic text extraction from screenshots, a "just landed" text sent to a partner after turning off airplane mode, and sound recognition that pauses music playback when a doorbell or knock is detected.
The author notes these are just a few basic examples of the much wider range of automations possible with the updated app.
