Shortcuts is the best Apple app you’re not using – and iOS 26 makes it even more powerful

At WWDC 2025, Apple showcased multiple new functionalities coming to its Shortcuts app. While most of these features were part of the MacOS 26 announcement, the Shortcuts app on iPhone will receive this update, too. The Shortcut app can use AI directly and enables developers to access Apple’s on-device large language model (LLM). This means you can use AI-based Shortcut features without requiring an active internet connection.

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Apple’s Shortcut app is one of the most underrated system apps across the industry. It’s a built-in automation tool that can help make your Apple device truly your own by creating custom commands and actions. Not many users are aware of its capabilities because it can be overwhelming to use. But Apple is now supercharging it with AI, and that can make the Sortcuts app easier to use for more people. 

Apple Intelligence within Shortcuts could be a game-changer for power users

The updated Shortcuts app offers better AI integration across multiple apps and dedicated actions for features like Writing Tools and Image Playground. Apple will let you directly tap into AI, either on-device or with Private Cloud Compute, to generate responses within the Shortcuts app. 

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For example, if you are a student, you can compare an audio recording or transcription of your class lecture with your notes to see if you missed any key points. It reminds me of when I used to carry my Microsoft Surface Pro 5 to lectures and record my French lessons while taking notes and play them later to better understand the new language. All of this now works simultaneously and is just a few taps away. 

The updated Shorcuts app will also allow you to use ChatGPT “for its broad world knowledge and expertise” to provide further responses. You can now run Shortcuts automatically on MacOS; for example, to save a file to a specific folder, connect a display, or perform a Shortcut at a specific time of day. I imagine setting up a Shortcut to turn on my lamp when I open Google Chrome on my Mac after sunset.

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The Spotlight integration is a welcome addition for power users. Instead of just searching the web or bringing up apps, the universal search and launcher feature you open with CMD-Space can now be used to perform actions. From creating notes, adding files, or playing music, you can do it all with keyboard shortcuts. For example, at WWDC, Apple’s Craig Federighi demonstrated using “sm” to quickly send a message. 

I think it’ll be useful for times when I’m in the middle of writing stories but have to reply to urgent texts or reach out to a specific contact on my phone. It’s not a new feature, per se. After all, apps like Alfred have offered similar functionalities for years, but it’s now baked right into macOS.

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