Apple Shortcuts is a powerful automation tool, but it’s a bit lacking in built-in actions. It’s easy when you’re building something to feel stuck when you realize something isn’t possible. The free Actions app now helps by adding 141 actions, many of which Apple should have included in the first place.
I could spend the rest of this article just listing the functionality, but I’ll spare you that and just say it’s a lot. Highlights include many tools for converting units, a bunch of system integrations for checking things like whether a specific bluetooth device or wifi device is connected, and a bunch of features for working with images and lists. The app also works for mobile devices, including iPhones and iPads, as well as Macs. A few actions only work on one or the other, but the vast majority work on all devices.
To get started, simply install the app and create a new shortcut. The best way to get a feel for the new features is to go to Shortcuts, create a new shortcut, and view actions by app. You will find everything under “Shortcuts”,
Credit: Justin Pot
I had a great time playing with this. The first workflow I created turns any featured text into an image with a random Unsplash image as the background. Here’s how the shortcut works:
Credit: Justin Pot
And here’s a random picture I made using it:
Credit: Justin Pot
And that’s just the beginning as far as pictures are concerned. You can, for example, get the average or dominant color of an image, which could be useful for automating your font selection. You can also blur the image.
There are also some handy tools for automating URLs. For example, you can get the title of any web page if you have the URL. I used this to create a plugin that quickly grabs the title of the latest Lifehacker article and outputs the link in markup format, along with the title.
Credit: Justin Pot
There is much more to explore. There are device-specific things like checking which bluetooth devices are connected, which apps are currently open, and if mobile data is turned on. The best way to figure out what you can do, as with shortcuts in general, is to dig in and try it out.