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Eneco

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 1, 2018
153
23
I’ve spent hours now trying to get my shortcuts sync with my Watch and it is a nightmare. I did a lot of googling and it seems a lot of people are experiencing the same issue.

Running iOS 18 and watchOS 11.

Here are my settings:

- Settings -> Name -> iCloud -> Saved to iCloud -> Shortcuts -> enabled
- Settings -> Apps -> Shortcuts -> iCloud Sync -> enabled
- Shortcuts -> Selecting any shortcut -> … -> i -> Show on Apple Watch -> enabled
- iCloud Drive -> Shortcuts -> folder is existing but empty

What I did so far:

- Delete Shortcuts app and reinstall it
- Delete Shortcuts folder on iCloud Drive
- Delete shortcuts and re-import them
- Toggle Shortcuts in iCloud off and on
- Toggle “iCloud Sync” in shortcuts settings off and on
- Restart both iPhone and Watch

Nothing worked, I just can’t get to sync ANY shortcut to the watch. Does anyone know a magic trick I didn’t try so far?
 

Eneco

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 1, 2018
153
23
Good to see I'm not the only one. The shortcuts app isn't listed in the app list in my Watch app either, but I'm not sure it should. Because not all apps show up there (e.g. Now Playing / Alarms / Timer / Compass etc.). I guess when an app does not have any settings to adjust, then there is no entry for it.
 

KeepCalmPeople

macrumors 65816
Sep 5, 2012
1,464
664
Los Angeles, California
I just found a possible workaround, at least for my situation. Since I have an Ultra 2, in the Watch app there is a setting for the Action Button action. I tried to select 'Shortcut' but it wouldn't let me select it, and defaulted to 'None'. When I clicked on the Action Button on the watch, it asked me if I wanted to set it up to do something (since it was set to 'None'), and I was able to select 'Shortcut' there, and select the shortcut I had created for the Action Button.

Also - make sure that when you create a shortcut in the app on your phone, long press the shortcut and click on Details, then make sure 'Show on Apple Watch' is selected. I expect you've already checked this...
 

Eneco

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 1, 2018
153
23
Glad to hear you found a way around it. Unfortunately I don't have an Ultra and can't do the same. But maybe it is helpful for someone else as well.
 

hukashi

macrumors member
Aug 5, 2018
32
26
I am having this same issue. i have a genius bar appointment today to see if they can put a fresh copy of the OS on my watch. I feel the current copy on my watch is corrupted. I used to see the shortcuts app on the apps list before. I went to unpair and repair my watch and that app just disappeared.

I honestly think this is a huge software issue happening during installs of updates. It wipes out certain parts of code I think, Thats the only way I can explain the shortcuts app no longer being there.

Man watchOS 11 seems to be a hot mess so far. I can't even locate my watch on find my either or ping my watch from my phone. The control center icon for ping my watch is greyed out.
 

Eneco

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 1, 2018
153
23
Let me know how your appointment went and what you found out.

I personally don't think it has any to do with watchOS 11 or any OS at all and is a much bigger issue related to the iCloud itself. Because I can't sync shortcuts between any of my devices. I have 2 Macs, an iPhone and a Watch and none of them sync. Shortcuts are set up correctly on all devices to sync properly, yet none of them do. No shortcut from any device is appearing on another device.

So there seems something seriously broken and it can't be the OS of all of these devices. It has to be something with the iCloud itself.
 

hukashi

macrumors member
Aug 5, 2018
32
26
So I am back from the Apple Store and have a chance to report back.
I spoke to “genius” and explained all the issues, all the steps I’ve gone through so far which is a unpair and re-pair 3 times first time restored from back up, and the other two setup as new.

He said he couldn’t replace the watch since I’m out of warranty. The one year I don’t get AppleCare, go figure. But he can send it out to local repair center and have them reflash a fresh copy of watchOS on it. I said that’s all I want anyway.

So they shipped it out and I should get a Call in a few days to say what they did or get permission for any other repairs necessary.

Hopefully they just reflash and ship it back to store for me to pick up and all the damn issues are resolved. If it’s not, this just means the software is bugged to hell and Steve Jobs is turning over in his grave annually.
 

Eneco

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 1, 2018
153
23
Do you have any other devices like a Mac or an iPad and if so, do the shortcuts sync with these devices?
 

hukashi

macrumors member
Aug 5, 2018
32
26
Yes i have a macbook pro and my shortcuts work fine on it. They are all synced just fine.
 

hukashi

macrumors member
Aug 5, 2018
32
26
Reporting back.

According to the repair status, all they did was check and say nothing is wrong with it. What I asked for was for them to put a fresh copy of watchOS on it. They never listen. Useless waste of time.

I guess I'll just have to wait for 11.1 to see if it fixes my "SOFTWARE" issues.

Apple's updates this year are garbage cuz they have AI on the brain. Which still isn't here yet. Apple got us good with this trash this year.
 

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hukashi

macrumors member
Aug 5, 2018
32
26
I just got my watch back. They said that they did in fact put a fresh copy of the software on the watch as per the notes that they tech left on my repair.

However, after getting home and pairing the watch, I am still in the same place. Nothing has been fixed.

Here's to hoping iOS18.1 and watchOS11.1 fixes these damn bugs. Apple really needs to slow down again and do a bug fix release. These idiot devs keep making the same mistakes. But I don't think it's there fault. They are probably rushed into getting "Apple Intelligence" in this super buggy software. The execs want it and the devs are now super stretched thin.

This happens when the higher ups goof and go a route and then have to back track and pivot last minute to play catch up on AI with the rest of the competition.

BUG EVERYWHERE.

iOS 18 and watchOS 11 are trash updates. Can't wait for iOS19 and watchOS 12.
 
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Eneco

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 1, 2018
153
23
Thanks for the updates. I'm sorry to hear they couldn't fix the issue, but I think there is still hope, that it really is just a software bug and that a future update will solve the problem for you.

Whereas my situation is completely messed up, as none of my devices sync shortcuts. So there seems to be something terribly broken with iCloud, which is way harder to fix or troubleshoot.
 

hukashi

macrumors member
Aug 5, 2018
32
26
Hey I have another update for you. I updated my phone to the new 18.1 RC and it fixed the ping my watch thing in control center. And the shortcuts and accessibility are selectable in my action button settings for the watch! TWO things have been fixed. Funny how an iOS update fixed that, but I’ll take it.


Maybe new watch 11.1 RC will fix the rest? I wonder why they didn’t release it today? I hope it’s not so borked that they can’t release it yet.
 

hukashi

macrumors member
Aug 5, 2018
32
26
Just installed the new 11.1 RC and still no go on the find My fix for my watch. I may try something different this time. I may unpair the watch and then remove it from my account. Then re-pair the watch and add it back. I have a feeling the icloud sign in for the watch is wonky and messing things up.

Maybe!?!?!?

We'll see.
 

Eneco

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 1, 2018
153
23
Good to hear that at least your Shortcuts are working again after the update. I will update as well, but I highly doubt, that it will fix my issue, as this seems to be more of a general iCloud problem than just an OS bug that can be fixed with an update.

Let me know if unpairing your watch did improve things. What I read so far online was, that unpairing did mostly nothing in terms of troubleshooting a problem. But maybe I does this trick with this one 🤷‍♂️
 

hukashi

macrumors member
Aug 5, 2018
32
26
yeah I plan to do this later tonight as I am still working. But the plan is a bit more than just in pairing and re-pairing. I will also go into my phone settings and completely remove them from my account. I think the problem is stemming from there. I think I need to re-add them to my iCloud account in order for me to be able to locate them with precision finding.
 

hukashi

macrumors member
Aug 5, 2018
32
26
So frustrating. It literally worked for like 2 minutes. Then Find My just borked again. I think the find my issue is on their end. The backend of this must have some data mismatches or something. I have no idea now.

Apple, if you seeing this, get to work fixing these bugs. I don't need apple intelligence which won't be as good as google or chatgpt. I just want my expensive devices to work as you advertised.
 
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