Apple's Shortcuts Beta App Gains iCloud Syncing, Other New Features

[MacRumors]

Apple's Shortcuts app has been in beta testing and available to developers since July, and over the course of the beta testing period, Apple has been slowly adding new features through Shortcuts beta updates.

The latest beta, number four, is a significant update that introduces iCloud syncing for Shortcuts for the first time. Prior to today's beta, Shortcuts created on one device wouldn't sync to another, an issue that's now been solved.

According to the update's release notes, Apple has also fixed issues that prevented Shortcuts that change system settings, access the clipboard, or use current location from working. Shortcuts that include Health actions are also now able to open the Shortcuts app when run from Siri, something that wasn't available before.

MacStories has dug into the new beta and says that in addition to these changes, there have been major improvements to dictating text.

Big improvements to the Dictate Text action in Shortcuts beta 4 - dictation can now stop automatically after a pause AND you can dictate from the widget (!!). This is very very good. pic.twitter.com/fFEI6kLW2y - Federico Viticci (@viticci) August 30, 2018

For those unfamiliar with Shortcuts, it's a new Siri feature that lets you create multi-step shortcuts using first and third-party apps that can be activated by Siri voice command. So, for example, you can create a shortcut to do something like turn on the thermostat at home using the Nest app, text your roommate that you're on the way with Messages, and open up the Maps app with directions home all with a single "I'm going home" Siri command.

Shortcuts are deeply customizable, with third-party apps able to expose a series of quick actions to Siri that can be incorporated into your Shortcuts recipes.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.​

Prior to releasing the Shortcuts app to the public, Apple plans to add other features, such as the ability to share shortcut links and a more expansive list of actions.

Shortcuts will be released when iOS 12 sees its official launch. Until then, the Shortcuts app is limited to developers.

Article Link: Apple's Shortcuts Beta App Gains iCloud Syncing, Other New Features

 

[barkomatic]

This sounds like a pretty exciting app and I'm eager to try it out.

 

[stoopkidblues]

So do we know if Apple is going to have its own Shortcuts app alongside Workflow or Workflow will just “update” and turn into the new Shortcuts app?

 

[anubis72]

This sounds like a pretty exciting app and I'm eager to try it out.

Good luck, I requested an invite to try out the beta since the first beta was made available and I never got it.

Who do I have to pay off to get the damn beta???

 

[KrispE00]

I bet this is delayed at least until 12.1 update.

 

[nitramluap]

Wake me up when they integrate HomeKit sensors and commands...

 

[BWhaler]

I can’t wait for shortcuts, it feels like old school apple which made great tools to empower the rest of us.

Dare I say, all of MacOS and iOS this year is starting to feel like old school apple. Except pushing out FaceTime, which is the new, bad Apple.

I am hopeful that Apple has seen the error of their ways. Now let’s see if they can make great laptops with great keyboards again in 2019. That gives them enough time to fix the trainwreck bad Mac lineup.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

I bet this is delayed at least until 12.1 update.

Didn't apple announce at WWDC that it wouldn't be in the initial iOS 12 release?

 

[xDENTALPLANx]

Although this sounds like a really exciting feature, without owning any HomeKit devices, I’m struggling to think of a good use for it

 

[sven3]

Apple's Shortcuts app has been in beta testing and available to developers since July, and over the course of the beta testing period, Apple has been slowly adding new features through Shortcuts beta updates.

The latest beta, number four, is a significant update that introduces iCloud syncing for Shortcuts for the first time. Prior to today's beta, Shortcuts created on one device wouldn't sync to another, an issue that's now been solved.

According to the update's release notes, Apple has also fixed issues that prevented Shortcuts that change system settings, access the clipboard, or use current location from working. Shortcuts that include Health actions are also now able to open the Shortcuts app when run from Siri, something that wasn't available before.

MacStories has dug into the new beta and says that in addition to these changes, there have been major improvements to dictating text.

​

For those unfamiliar with Shortcuts, it's a new Siri feature that lets you create multi-step shortcuts using first and third-party apps that can be activated by Siri voice command. So, for example, you can create a shortcut to do something like turn on the thermostat at home using the Nest app, text your roommate that you're on the way with Messages, and open up the Maps app with directions home all with a single "I'm going home" Siri command.

Shortcuts are deeply customizable, with third-party apps able to expose a series of quick actions to Siri that can be incorporated into your Shortcuts recipes.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.​

Prior to releasing the Shortcuts app to the public, Apple plans to add other features, such as the ability to share shortcut links and a more expansive list of actions.

Shortcuts will be released when iOS 12 sees its official launch. Until then, the Shortcuts app is limited to developers.

Article Link: Apple's Shortcuts Beta App Gains iCloud Syncing, Other New Features

 

[agsystems]

-in Federico - we trust - if Apple it’s listening to his feedback the app will be killer - he is an IPad and workflow power user.

 

[nerfjames]

This update now lets you send Messages without user interaction with the new “Shown When Run” toggle, which can be turned off.

 

[stoopkidblues]

This update now lets you send Messages without user interaction with the new “Shown When Run” toggle, which can be turned off.

I figured that Apple would allow non-Siri envoked actions like Workflow so this is great!

 

[dchdch]

Anyone know how well Shortcuts work when CarPlay is in the mix? For example, can you create a Shortcut that sends a text without the CarPlay Messages app breaking the Shortcut? Because the same definitely breaks in Workflow.

 

[roland.g]

I thought Shortcuts sounded great. Almost like an iOS Siri Scripts idea I had. However, I saw Siri Scripts as a phone wide implementation of a recording of your screen actions so that you could automate any sort of repetitive task. Shortcuts is much more limited in that it requires the App developer to implement APIs to work with Shortcuts.

 

[jonnysods]

I'm excited for this, there's a few ways this could save me a bit of time!

 

[Smigit]

I saw Siri Scripts as a phone wide implementation of a recording of your screen actions so that you could automate any sort of repetitive task. Shortcuts is much more limited in that it requires the App developer to implement APIs to work with Shortcuts.

I think it'll be far more powerful than you asked for due to the fact the APIs will allow developers to hook in and make the interactions predictable and reliable, where trying to blindly click around the OS is a terrible way to do scripting as apps update or sometimes network commands take a while to return which breaks such solutions. APIs also allow shortcutting past UIs and in some cases potentially security screens etc that mimicing clicks wouldn't be suited to.

Screen recordings a pretty bad way to do automation unless you are doing super super simple things like "open this app", you manage the application being screen scraped (such as software development testing - which makes things more predictable as you control changes) or you are ok investing the time into maintaining those automations. As soon as apps get updated (and how often do some do that?) it falls apart quickly because a control moved or the underlying control ID changed. I manage some software at work that does single sign-on via screen scraping and have had to deal with some applications randomly generating control IDs each load etc. Hell, on a mobile what happens to a screen based automation if the display is rotated and controls change or are hidden?

API is the way to go. Hell ideally some interactions can be API'd without the supporting app even being displayed.

Screen recordings also not a good way to get data out of a system if you want to pull data from one place and send it elsewhere.

 

[roland.g]

I think it'll be far more powerful than you asked for due to the fact the APIs will allow developers to hook in and make the interactions predictable and reliable, where trying to blindly click around the OS is a terrible way to do scripting as apps update or sometimes network commands take a while to return which breaks such solutions. APIs also allow shortcutting past UIs and in some cases potentially security screens etc that mimicing clicks wouldn't be suited to.

Screen recordings a pretty bad way to do automation unless you are doing super super simple things like "open this app", you manage the application being screen scraped (such as software development testing - which makes things more predictable as you control changes) or you are ok investing the time into maintaining those automations. As soon as apps get updated (and how often do some do that?) it falls apart quickly because a control moved or the underlying control ID changed. I manage some software at work that does single sign-on via screen scraping and have had to deal with some applications randomly generating control IDs each load etc. Hell, on a mobile what happens to a screen based automation if the display is rotated and controls change or are hidden?

API is the way to go. Hell ideally some interactions can be API'd without the supporting app even being displayed.

Screen recordings also not a good way to get data out of a system if you want to pull data from one place and send it elsewhere.

Good points. However, that means that the usefulness of Shortcuts relies completely on the developer to make those actions available to the user. And the developer then determined which actions it thinks are worthy of being included. Not real world use driven.

 

[TheSkywalker77]

Can't wait for them to release it to the public! I'm excited to try it out.

 

[rbgatti]

Does anyone know if these shortcuts can be scheduled to run on a specific time?

 

[andycarver]

Will this replace workflow or will workflow update to shortcuts?

 

[ignatius345]

Although this sounds like a really exciting feature, without owning any HomeKit devices, I’m struggling to think of a good use for it

At the very least, it could be good to make shortcuts for things Siri doesn't intuit very well.

 

[stoopkidblues]

Will this replace workflow or will workflow update to shortcuts?

I don’t think anyone really knows. Asked the same since the beta’s gone live but just guesses so far. Most are saying it’ll be released separately but I’d think Workflow will just “update” and become Shortcuts since it’s Apple-owned.

 

[stoopkidblues]

Will this replace workflow or will workflow update to shortcuts?

I don’t think anyone really knows. Asked the same since the beta’s gone live but just received guesses so far. Most are saying it’ll be released separately but I’d think Workflow will just “update” and become Shortcuts since it’s Apple-owned.