The Shortcuts application is receiving multiple enhancements in iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe that unleash entirely new potentials for automation on Apple devices. Here’s what to expect.
## Liquid Glass Design and Updated Icon
Shortcuts in iOS 26 kicks off with a refreshed app icon. The previous lighter blue shades have been replaced with a more uniform pink-purple aesthetic.
Upon launching the app, Liquid Glass rejuvenates Shortcuts in various aspects as well. The navigation tab bar of Shortcuts is now floating and transparent due to Liquid Glass, and UI components such as buttons and menus have all been redesigned.
## Robust New Apple Intelligence Actions
A standout feature of the Shortcuts app in iOS 26 is the newly introduced set of Apple Intelligence actions. While creating a shortcut, users now have nine Apple Intelligence actions available:
– Use Model
– Open Visual Intelligence
– Create Image
– Adjust Tone of Text
– Make List from Text
– Make Table from Text
– Proofread Text
– Rewrite Text
– Summarize Text
Many of these actions are self-explanatory and leverage the Image Playground and Writing Tools functionalities introduced last year. However, ‘Use Model’ is unquestionably the most thrilling of the recent additions.
Shortcuts provides users with three model choices:
1. Private Cloud Compute
2. On-Device Model
3. ChatGPT
As you can imagine, the ability to connect directly to these models via Shortcuts opens up a plethora of new automation possibilities.
According to Apple’s press release:
> For instance, a student could create a shortcut that utilizes Apple Intelligence models to contrast an audio transcription of a class lecture with their notes, and incorporate any significant points they might have overlooked. Users also have the option to engage with ChatGPT for its extensive world knowledge and proficiency.
iOS 26 also provides several Apple Intelligence shortcuts readily available in the Gallery section, including a Morning Summary shortcut, one that recommends recipes based on available ingredients, another that condenses a PDF’s content, and more.
## Automation Section Debuts on the Mac
On iPhone and iPad, the Shortcuts app has long included an Automation tab for running shortcuts automatically. Now, this feature is extending to the Mac as well.
macOS Tahoe introduces a new Automation section within Shortcuts that allows you to configure shortcuts to activate based on criteria such as:
– time of day
– a file being relocated into a particular folder
– external display connection
– and more
Mac users have previously been able to execute automatic actions in the background through other methods, but incorporating this feature into the Shortcuts app is a welcomed improvement.
What new features of the Shortcuts app are you most eager about? Share your thoughts in the comments.
