Shortcuts help & discussion

[sjinsjca]

Thanks for this thread. In Shortcuts (and Workflow before it) I can get the contents of a web page via the Get Details of Safari Web Page action. I can then feed this to a Send Email action.

But this fetches the full HTML version of the web page. I want the Reader Mode version. How can I get this?

 

[GreyOS]

Thanks for this thread. In Shortcuts (and Workflow before it) I can get the contents of a web page via the Get Details of Safari Web Page action. I can then feed this to a Send Email action.

But this fetches the full HTML version of the web page. I want the Reader Mode version. How can I get this?

I couldn’t figure out a way, sorry.

If you’re viewing the page in reader mode and share to Mail, you get the reader copy in the email. I’m guessing that’s what you were trying to replicate in a shortcut.

 

[yass31]

A maybe stupid question but how do I give voice feedback by Siri in a shortcut? Can I just let Siri say something?

I tried "Show result" but it just shows popups.

You can try "Speak text" but it will say the text even if you start the shortcut from the widget.
That's weird because I have "Show result" in some shortcuts and Siri says to me the content when I start a shortcut with it.

For example, I read on the forum that Siri on the HomePod couldn't know the iPhone battery %.
By telling my HomePod 'iPhone Battery' now it is capable to tell me.

 

[jaredlipsitz]

Does anyone know if there is a way to program the shortcuts app to read the news? I know I can ask Siri to "read me news from NPR" etc, but want to have this programmed into a step of my workflow.

Thanks!

 

[Leggee]

When sending your ETA to someone is there anyway the current location can be seen as a map rather than text?

 

[GreyOS]

When sending your ETA to someone is there anyway the current location can be seen as a map rather than text?

Pass Current Location into the Get Maps URL action and it produces a link that will open up Maps. I couldn’t find a way for th link to appear as a preview in the conversation but it’s better than nothing.

 

[Leggee]

Thanks. That's where I'm at just now.

Pass Current Location into the Get Maps URL action and it produces a link that will open up Maps. I couldn’t find a way for th link to appear as a preview in the conversation but it’s better than nothing.

 

[JeroenVdb]

You can try "Speak text" but it will say the text even if you start the shortcut from the widget.
That's weird because I have "Show result" in some shortcuts and Siri says to me the content when I start a shortcut with it.

For example, I read on the forum that Siri on the HomePod couldn't know the iPhone battery %.
By telling my HomePod 'iPhone Battery' now it is capable to tell me.

View attachment 783468

I created the exact same Shortcut but the "Show result" isn't read by Siri (the text and Siri are in Dutch).
I created a vibrating and some other actions bellow it and those are all done.

A already turned ON/OFF Siri, changed the device language also to Dutch (because Siri is in Dutch). Did some restarts...

 

[GreyOS]

A maybe stupid question but how do I give voice feedback by Siri in a shortcut? Can I just let Siri say something?

I tried "Show result" but it just shows popups.

And is it normal that actions like "Dictate text" open the Shortcut application? It should be nice if you stayed "inside" the Siri interface.

This is another thing which is inconsistent with Shortcuts. And it means it’s very hard to have conversations about it with everyone on the same page. So frustrating!

Here are some observations I’ve made which may be relevant to you:

- Speak Text uses Siri’s natural voice if you launch your shortcut through a Siri command. But it’s prefixed by “Shortcut says”

- Speak Text uses the more robotic early Siri voice if launched any other way (in the app, from the widget, etc.). It doesn’t prefix with “Shortcut says”.

- Dictate Text brings up a pop up if you launch it in the app or from Siri (where it will switch into the app first)

- Dictate Text doesn’t bring up a pop up if you launch it from the widget- you can dictate from the widget screen seamlessly.

 

[badatusernames]

Pass Current Location into the Get Maps URL action and it produces a link that will open up Maps. I couldn’t find a way for th link to appear as a preview in the conversation but it’s better than nothing.

Use "Get Images from Input" that will give you a PNG image of your location with a pin.

 

[GreyOS]

Use "Get Images from Input" that will give you a PNG image of your location with a pin.

I can’t get the picture into a message, it just says “Map of Location” in its place- any pointers?

Edit: oh I was directly adding the magic variable “Images” into the message body, which caused that. You just pass the step into Send message and it adds the pic automatically.

 

[AdamA9]

For something that really should be quite straight forward, I use am having some difficulties getting the order of the commands right. I want to share my ETA via iMessage with a command: 'heading home'.

I want to...

1. Grab my location and ETA to my house
2. Text my wife with my ETA
3. Open podcasts app

I cannot see how to go from Waze for the ETA to send a message and back to Waze again. Any idea?

EDIT: I can do step 1 and 2, but struggling to open the podcast app.

EDIT 2: Solved.

 

[GreyOS]

For something that really should be quite straight forward, I use am having some difficulties getting the order of the commands right. I want to share my ETA via iMessage with a command: 'heading home'.

I want to...

1. Grab my location and ETA to my house
2. Text my wife with my ETA
3. Open podcasts app

I cannot see how to go from Waze for the ETA to send a message and back to Waze again. Any idea?

EDIT: I can do step 1 and 2, but struggling to open the podcast app.

EDIT 2: Solved.

Share your Shortcut in the sticky thread for sharing and link to that post from here too. It’s always good to share solutions in case someone’s struggling with the same thing.

 

[AdamA9]

Share your Shortcut in the sticky thread for sharing and link to that post from here too. It’s always good to share solutions in case someone’s struggling with the same thing.

Will that not share the address and the name and number of the contact in my shortcut?

 

[GreyOS]

Will that not share the address and the name and number of the contact in my shortcut?

Good question- I’m not confident about all this. I think if you pull these details from a Contact object, that Contact doesn’t copy over. However if you added the address/number details manually it might copy over.

If you’re still interested in sharing I suppose you could create the link and click it yourself to see what happens, or you could duplicate it, remove all the personal details from the duplicate and share that. But fair enough if that’s too much bother.

 

[JeroenVdb]

Will that not share the address and the name and number of the contact in my shortcut?

You should use Settings -> "Import Questions" to enter sensitive information like address and contact information.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

I can think of one I'd like to use in two days' time.

"Download all my music."

Can that be done?

 

[AdamA9]

You should use Settings -> "Import Questions" to enter sensitive information like address and contact information.

I could just import my contact card with my address. I'll detail the steps here anyway, it's simple:

1. Add contacts and select yourself [note, you need yourself and your address on the contact card]
2. Add get details of contacts and select street address
3. Add get travel time and set it to current location, transport mode driving
4. Add send message and enter recipient and a custom message with the travel time insert from above
5. Add open app and add the application you want to open, in my case the podcast app

 

[GreyOS]

I could just import my contact card with my address. I'll detail the steps here anyway, it's simple:

1. Add contacts and select yourself [note, you need yourself and your address on the contact card]
2. Add get details of contacts and select street address
3. Add get travel time and set it to current location, transport mode driving
4. Add send message and enter recipient and a custom message with the travel time insert from above
5. Add open app and add the application you want to open, in my case the podcast app

Oh I thought you used Waze

 

[gwhizkids]

I started the Tips and Tricks thread for Shortcuts. This one is for help. But post your own tips and tricks for doing things over there. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/shortcuts-tips-and-tricks.2139602/

 

[KarimLeVallois]

I'm trying to set up a shortcut that automatically texts my lady when I arrive at work, any idea how to do this?

 

[badatusernames]

I'm trying to set up a shortcut that automatically texts my lady when I arrive at work, any idea how to do this?

Unfortunately, you can't automatically have that happen with just the Shortcuts app. However, if you combine your shortcut with an app like Launch Center Pro you can have it triggered by a location change (it will send you a notification; not quite automatic but it's the closest you can get now)

 

[gwhizkids]

I'm trying to set up a shortcut that automatically texts my lady when I arrive at work, any idea how to do this?

This cannot, unfortunately, be done yet with Shortcuts. It has no Geo-fencing capabilities.

 

[KarimLeVallois]

This cannot, unfortunately, be done yet with Shortcuts. It has no Geo-fencing capabilities.

Ah pants, I thought it could as you can set it to remind you at home, work etc.

 

[gwhizkids]

Ah pants, I thought it could as you can set it to remind you at home, work etc.

The Reminders geofencing capabilities are why I think it will eventually come to Shortcuts, too. That might have been too much to build in now, though. Shortcuts has plenty of areas where it still needs some work.