Shortcuts app is now in Beta

[Sciomar]

If there would be a shortcut shop/marketplace where people can buy premade shortcuts (complicated ones with embedded code or something) then that might slightly help.

I see shortcuts as a pacifier, a compromise until Apple can improve the actual “AI”. Unless I’m missing something here..?

Nice in theory but I’d worry about individuals embedding malicious code or maybe just making it send your private data or conducting hidden bank transactions in the background of some shortcut. Not sure Apple would have the QA staff to sift through all the shortcut strings that could potentially be put up for sale.

These digital assistants aren’t true AI but they’re improved from where they started. We’re not at the Jarvis level yet.

 

[ButteryScrollin]

If there would be a shortcut shop/marketplace where people can buy premade shortcuts (complicated ones with embedded code or something) then that might slightly help.

https://sharecuts.app

 

[gwang73]

Anyone seeing bad battery life with the shortcuts app? My iPhone X was getting warmer than usual after I installed the app and worse battery life. Uninstalled the app and it's returned to normal.
Wondering if it's just me or if others have experienced this as well.

 

[j-a-x]

Anyone seeing bad battery life with the shortcuts app? My iPhone X was getting warmer than usual after I installed the app and worse battery life. Uninstalled the app and it's returned to normal.
Wondering if it's just me or if others have experienced this as well.

No problems here.

 

[GreyOS]

Is anyone able to tell me if Shortcuts can be used to enable/disable Airplane Mode based on location?

 

[j-a-x]

Is anyone able to tell me if Shortcuts can be used to enable/disable Airplane Mode based on location?

You can definitely enable and usable airplane mode but I’m not sure you can automatically trigger a Shortcut via geofencing. I think you have to click a button or ask Siri to trigger it. Please chime in if I’m wrong.

 

[GreyOS]

You can definitely enable and usable airplane mode but I’m not sure you can automatically trigger a Shortcut via geofencing. I think you have to click a button or ask Siri to trigger it. Please chime in if I’m wrong.

Sounds about right, I realised after posting I was mixing up Workflow (which gives a rough idea of Shortcuts functionality) with IFTTT, which has geofence triggers (but not system level access for airplane mode)

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

You can definitely enable and usable airplane mode but I’m not sure you can automatically trigger a Shortcut via geofencing. I think you have to click a button or ask Siri to trigger it. Please chime in if I’m wrong.

I believe Siri can already toggle airplane mode, without having to create a custom shortcut.

 

[j-a-x]

I believe Siri can already toggle airplane mode, without having to create a custom shortcut.

Sure but he wanted to toggle airplane mode at a specific location. Can Siri do that? I can say “remind me to get my coat when I arrive at home” but can I say “turn on airplane mode when I arrive at home”?

I think a combination of geofencing and workflows/shortcuts but not sure if Apple will let us do that.

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

Sure but he wanted to toggle airplane mode at a specific location. Can Siri do that? I can say “remind me to get my coat when I arrive at home” but can I say “turn on airplane mode when I arrive at home”?

I think a combination of geofencing and workflows/shortcuts but not sure if Apple will let us do that.

Sure but he wanted to toggle airplane mode at a specific location. Can Siri do that? I can say “remind me to get my coat when I arrive at home” but can I say “turn on airplane mode when I arrive at home”?

I think a combination of geofencing and workflows/shortcuts but not sure if Apple will let us do that.

I understand that he wanted to add the geofencing bit, and what the difference is. I was just throwing it out there because some peole seem to be creating Siri Shortcuts with things that are already native. In fact, it looks like the Shortcuts gallery, much like the workflow gallery has several things that are already Siri native.

 

[gwhizkids]

I understand that he wanted to add the geofencing bit, and what the difference is. I was just throwing it out there because some peole seem to be creating Siri Shortcuts with things that are already native. In fact, it looks like the Shortcuts gallery, much like the workflow gallery has several things that are already Siri native.

Almost everything right now involves stuff Siri can do natively. That will change as more third party apps are exposed. Plus, Shortcuts allows concatenation of different functions in one Workflow/shortcut. In iOS 12 I can use Siri to turn on Wi-Fi and to turn on the flashlight. Now I can do them both together with one Siri command.

 

[j-a-x]

I understand that he wanted to add the geofencing bit, and what the difference is. I was just throwing it out there because some peole seem to be creating Siri Shortcuts with things that are already native. In fact, it looks like the Shortcuts gallery, much like the workflow gallery has several things that are already Siri native.

Agreed. That’s just silly. But if you could chain two or three native commands together or trigger one native command in a novel way that might be cool.

 

[gwhizkids]

Agreed. That’s just silly. But if you could chain two or three native commands together or trigger one native command in a novel way that might be cool.

Here you go!

 

[Armen]

Is the shortcuts app available for the PB or is it still only on dev portal?

 

[gwhizkids]

Is the shortcuts app available for the PB or is it still only on dev portal?

Still only on Dev portal. And it’s invite only via Test Flight.

 

[Armen]

Still only on Dev portal. And it’s invite only via Test Flight.

Bleh. Hopefully it makes it into PB3. I wanted to see what Apple's take was on it. The workflow app I found wasn't quite that simple to setup specific functions if you did not understand the input strings and logic.

 

[bobwhitewo3b]

Is the shortcuts app available for the PB or is it still only on dev portal?

At this point, I don't think that you can expect Public Beta access to the beta Shortcuts app until the developer group has full access to it. At present, developers can only request access to the app and can not immediately download it. Apple appears to be screening access and/or metering the app's availability at this point. When/if Apple decides to give a developer access to the shortcuts app they send that developer a TestFlight invitation for the shortcuts app.

I think that when you hear that Apple has opened full access to the shortcuts app for all registered developers then you can start getting excited about a possible public beta access to the app.

 

[gwhizkids]

Bleh. Hopefully it makes it into PB3. I wanted to see what Apple's take was on it. The workflow app I found wasn't quite that simple to setup specific functions if you did not understand the input strings and logic.

This app is Workflow, but with additional calls for native iOS services and functions. It can do simple things (such as turning on the flashlight and turning off your wifi), but is also capable of much more complex functionality, as you note (enhanced by the deep iOS access).

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

I think what I’m really waiting for is third party functions and donations.

That will be required before I could create a shortcut that issues a command to the Google Assistant app?

Im itching to have my security system arm when I tell Siri good night (currently turns off all lights and A/C but adding the non-HomeKit security system would be awesome).

 

[ZEEN0j]

I think what I’m really waiting for is third party functions and donations.

That will be required before I could create a shortcut that issues a command to the Google Assistant app?

Im itching to have my security system arm when I tell Siri good night (currently turns off all lights and A/C but adding the non-HomeKit security system would be awesome).

That would be nice. But a better solution is Homebridge. Have you looked into that? With Homebridge you can add unsupported products to HomeKit. You get all devices in the home app and you could just add that into your good night scene.

Only caveat is that someone (I don’t code) has to have added support for your product. Check npmjs.com or GitHub. If you get it working that way you have full Siri support and automaton.

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

That would be nice. But a better solution is Homebridge. Have you looked into that? With Homebridge you can add unsupported products to HomeKit. You get all devices in the home app and you could just add that into your good night scene.

Only caveat is that someone (I don’t code) has to have added support for your product. Check npmjs.com or GitHub. If you get it working that way you have full Siri support and automaton.

Thanks for the suggestion, I've heard about Homebridge but have been worried that future updates would bork it. I might seriously have to look into that though.

 

[gwhizkids]

That would be nice. But a better solution is Homebridge. Have you looked into that? With Homebridge you can add unsupported products to HomeKit. You get all devices in the home app and you could just add that into your good night scene.

Only caveat is that someone (I don’t code) has to have added support for your product. Check npmjs.com or GitHub. If you get it working that way you have full Siri support and automaton.

Thanks for the Homebridge tip. I’ve got several non-HomeKit devices and all have plugins. This will be great!

 

[Feenician]

Thanks for the suggestion, I've heard about Homebridge but have been worried that future updates would bork it. I might seriously have to look into that though.

I’ve been running it for over a year on a little Raspberry Pi I bought for it. At first I was using it for three things: -

- Multiple people presence logic, before Apple added it natively to HomeKit. A rather complex setup using dyndns, webhooks for geofencing when out of home and wi-fi polling when in home. Sounds rather complicated but it wasn’t difficult to set up and it worked extremely reliably. I removed it when Apple added the functionality to HomeKit.

- Garage door: Before Chamberlain (finally) released their HomeKit system, Homebridge was really the only option. Again, works extremely reliably. Saw no need to throw money at Chamberlain to fix a problem I no longer have.

- Fake/virtual switches. These show up as switches in HomeKit but have no real world device. Essentially I’m using them as logic gates for more elaborate automations. At the risk of repeating myself, completely reliable.

The ironic thing about this setup is, apart from Lutron Caseta stuff, these are the only HomeKit devices that have never given me any grief with “Not Responding” messages.

I also use that little Pi as a home VPN. They are well worth the small investment if you don’t have one.

With all this said I don’t think HomeBridge can easily answer all needs. There are going to be some devices where either the protocol is too obscure/proprietary/secure that you cannot (easily) emulate it, or devices which have physical limitations. An example of the latter are cheapo robovacs with only IR connectivity*. Deep links in apps could certainly solve the former issue, though not the latter.

*though I’m working on a for-fun project to do exactly that with the Pi, an IR LED and mqtt software.
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Thanks for the Homebridge tip. I’ve got several non-HomeKit devices and all have plugins. This will be great!

Highly recommend getting a Pi to run it on too.

 

[gwhizkids]

Highly recommend getting a Pi to run it on too.

I got Homebridge working for my Wemo plug (hey, starting small!). I am hung up on my MyQ SmartHub garage door system, though. Not sure which plugin to use.

 

[Feenician]

I got Homebridge working for my Wemo plug (hey, starting small!). I am hung up on my MyQ SmartHub garage door system, though. Not sure which plugin to use.

I remember there being a few. Let me check what I’m using and I’ll updated this post.

Ok. So I used homebridge-chamberlain

https://www.npmjs.com/package/homebridge-chamberlain

I remember now selecting this one because you don't have to mess with ApplicationID and it's just a little simper to set up than home bridge-myq as a result.

Testament to how stable all this is: I couldn't even remember the directory I installed it in on the Pi. I just never have to touch it!