What Are Siri Shortcuts?

Siri Shortcuts let you combine multiple app actions into a single tap or voice command. Examples: a morning routine shortcut that turns off your alarm, reads the weather, opens your to-do list and plays music — all with one "Hey Siri, good morning." Or a shortcut that logs a glass of water in Health every time you tap it.

Creating Your First Shortcut

  1. 1

    Open the Shortcuts app

    The Shortcuts app comes pre-installed on iPhone (iOS 12+). Search for "Shortcuts" if you cannot find it.

  2. 2

    Tap the + button to create a new shortcut

    Tap + in the top right. You are now in the shortcut editor.

  3. 3

    Tap Add Action

    The action library opens — browse by app or category, or search for what you want. Examples of actions: Send Message, Open App, Get Weather, Set Brightness, Play Music, Show Notification, Log Health Sample.

  4. 4

    Add and configure your actions

    Tap an action to add it. Tap the blue highlighted fields within each action to configure the specifics — who to message, which app to open, what text to show. Add more actions by tapping + below the last one. Drag to reorder.

  5. 5

    Name it and add to Home Screen

    Tap the shortcut name at the top to rename it — this is also the Siri trigger phrase. Tap the Share icon → Add to Home Screen to create a tap-to-run icon on your home screen. Choose a custom icon and colour.

  6. 6

    Run it via Siri or the app

    Say "Hey Siri, [shortcut name]" to trigger it by voice. Or tap it in the Shortcuts app or on your Home Screen.

Automations — Run Shortcuts Automatically

Shortcuts → Automation tab → New Automation. Choose a trigger: Time of day, When I arrive/leave a location, When I connect to a specific WiFi network, When I open an app, When my battery reaches a percentage, and more. Set the actions to run. Automations run automatically when the trigger fires.

Useful starter shortcuts to tryLow battery alert — sends a message to a contact when battery drops to 20%. Log water — adds a glass of water to Apple Health. Text ETA — calculates your travel time and sends it to a contact. Wi-Fi password — displays your home WiFi password as text. Daily focus — turns on Focus mode, opens your calendar and plays a playlist.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Shortcuts Gallery (inside the Shortcuts app → Gallery tab) has Apple-curated shortcuts. The website routinehub.co and subreddits like r/shortcuts have thousands of community-created shortcuts covering almost any use case. Tap a shared shortcut link and it opens in the Shortcuts app ready to add.
Yes — many third-party apps have added Shortcuts support including Spotify, Carrot Weather, Bear, Fantastical, Drafts, Things 3 and many more. Check an app's settings for a Shortcuts or Siri option to see what actions it exposes. The more apps with Shortcuts support, the more powerful your automations can be.