How do I open the shortcuts app?

Find the Shortcuts app on your iPhone — it has an orange icon with white squares that form a diamond shape. If you cannot find it, swipe down on the home screen and type "Shortcuts" in the search bar. Tap to open the app. You will see two tabs at the bottom: Shortcuts (manual shortcuts) and Automation (automatic shortcuts triggered by events).

How do I go to automation and create a new one?

Tap the Automation tab at the bottom of the screen. Tap the plus (+) button in the top right, then tap New Automation. You will see a list of triggers — conditions that cause the automation to run. Browse the list and tap the trigger type you want to use.

How do I configure the trigger?

Each trigger type has specific options. For Time of Day, choose the time and which days of the week it should run. For Arrive (location), type your home or work address. For Connect to Wi-Fi, choose your network name. For App (when you open an app), choose the app from a list. Tap Next after setting the trigger.

How do I add actions to your automation?

After setting the trigger, the app will ask you to add actions — the things you want to happen. Tap Add Action. A search bar and categories of actions will appear. You can search for specific actions like "Do Not Disturb," "Set Volume," "Send Message," or "Open App." Tap an action to add it to your automation. Tap the action to configure its details (for example, choose whether to turn Do Not Disturb On or Off).

How do I choose whether to run automatically or ask first?

At the end of setup, the app will ask whether to run the automation automatically or ask before running. Choose "Run Immediately" (formerly called "Don't Ask Before Running") to have it work without interrupting you. Tap Done to save. Your automation will now run on its own whenever the trigger condition is met.

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Apple Shortcuts is a free app that comes installed on every iPhone running iOS 13 or later. It lets you create small programs — called shortcuts — that perform multiple steps automatically with one tap or with no tapping at all.

You can run a shortcut manually by tapping it (great for things you do often), or you can set it up to run automatically based on a trigger — like the time of day, your location, or when you connect to a specific Wi-Fi network. Automatic shortcuts are called Automations in the app.

Here are some real examples of what shortcuts can do for you:

"When I arrive home" — automatically turn off Do Not Disturb and connect to your home Wi-Fi.

"Good morning" — a single tap that opens the Weather app, reads today's calendar out loud, and sends a preset good morning message to a family member.

"Driving mode" — one tap that turns on Do Not Disturb while Driving, starts your navigation app, and plays your podcast.

"Low battery alert" — when battery drops below 15%, automatically turn on Low Power Mode.

You do not need to know any coding to use Shortcuts. You pick actions from a list and connect them together. The app provides hundreds of ready-made gallery shortcuts you can download and customize without building anything from scratch.

Shortcuts you create can be run from your home screen, from Siri (say the shortcut's name to activate it), from the Share Sheet in any app, or automatically via Automations. This guide walks you through creating your first simple automation.

How to Use the Apple Shortcuts App to Automate Things on Your iPhone

Open the Shortcuts app

Go to Automation and create a new one

Configure the trigger

Add actions to your automation

Choose whether to run automatically or ask first

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