The Shortcuts app was long considered a tool for tinkerers who navigated through nested action lists. In iOS 27, a single sentence in plain English is all it takes, and Apple Intelligence assembles the appropriate sequence. This transforms an app previously reserved for advanced users into a tool that works without any prior knowledge.
Shortcuts have been an integral part of iPhone, iPad, and Mac for years, but the hurdle has always been the same: anyone wanting automation had to know the right actions, stack them in the correct order, and manually link parameters. The first step with Apple Intelligence in the previous generation already showed where AI-powered shortcuts are headed – iOS 27 takes this idea to its logical conclusion. Instead of manually selecting actions, you describe in your own words what you want to happen, and the system handles the rest. The functionality ranges from a single action to multi-stage routines with triggers based on time, location, or an incoming message.
Simply describe a keyboard shortcut
Getting started begins at the familiar point: In the Shortcuts app, tap "New Shortcut." In iOS 27, instead of the empty editor, a new interface called "Describe Shortcut" will open. There you'll find a text field asking what the shortcut should do. In this field, you formulate your request in natural language - a single step is sufficient, but multiple parameters are also possible.
Apple Intelligence then translates the description into concrete actions, arranges them correctly, and combines everything into a finished shortcut. Here are some examples that work with a single description:
- Every evening, set the alarm for the next day based on the first calendar appointment, activate the sleep focus, and dim the bedroom light.
- Display the first appointment, today's weather, and upcoming reminders in the morning.
- Turn on the porch lights at night as soon as you receive a notification that a food delivery is arriving.
- Upon leaving work, send an estimated arrival time to a specific contact and then start a podcast.
- Create an overview of the day's appointments and to-do list, and provide suggestions on what should have priority.
- Disable orientation lock when opening an app and re-enable it when closing.
- Display a three-line summary of today's tech news.
Triggers are not limited to manual launches. A sequence can be activated at a specific time of day, in a particular location, upon an app action, during a system function such as a screenshot, or upon receiving a notification. What a shortcut triggers ranges from controlling system functions to opening and controlling individual apps.
Refine the process
After dictation, the app displays every action the shortcut will perform. If the result is satisfactory, you can test it directly using the play button; the finished sequence is automatically added to your personal shortcuts. If it's not quite what you need, the "Describe a change" interface can help. Here, you type in your own words what should be adjusted or added, and you can repeat this step as many times as necessary until the result is correct.
A completed shortcut can then be started from several directions: via Siri, from the app itself, from the control center, or via the action button.
Manual intervention is required when the AI reaches its limits
The AI-powered shortcut creation is still in beta and doesn't always achieve the desired result immediately. That's precisely why the traditional method remains: Every created shortcut can be opened to a manual editing view, allowing users to add more complex actions or fine-tune individual steps without AI. Conversely, an existing shortcut can be modified at any time using Apple's Intelligence Mode. Thus, both approaches complement each other rather than being mutually exclusive.
New triggers for automation
iOS 27 expands the conditions under which an automation starts automatically. The following triggers have been added:
- When a message is received
- When a screenshot is taken
- When a keyboard is connected
- When an Apple Watch workout begins
These actions have been added
Beyond the triggers, iOS 27 brings a whole range of new actions to the app. They are spread across Apple's own programs:
- Automate a recording in the Notes app
- Send messages to a group conversation
- Revised "Get Screen Content" action that pulls contextual information from the display (such as text, titles, or links)
- Select an entry from a list
- Delete conversations or messages in the Messages app
- Mark messages as read
- Search in the news app
- Open the message inbox
- Send a tapback response
- Automatically enhance photos
- Delete albums and photos
- Mark photos as favorites
- Hide photos
- Open a photo
- Create a group in Memories
- Create a section in Memories
- Deleting groups, lists, and sections in Reminders
- Edit a list in Memories
- Switching the mute function on hearing aids
- Switch movement instructions in the vehicle
More powerful AI models in the background
Shortcuts in iOS 27 access improved Apple Intelligence models with broad general knowledge. In practical terms, this means a model can search the web for its answer. Three levels are available: an on-device model, a cloud model, and a Cloud Pro model. Cloud Pro is the only level that actively searches the internet and is therefore used for queries that require up-to-date information from the web.
This blurs the line between pure automation and genuine AI querying. For example, combining a daily summary with current news allows a single shortcut to simultaneously process system data and retrieve web content. Apple's plan to open its AI architecture to providers like Gemini and Claude demonstrates how deeply external models can be integrated in the future.
Storing and updating data
Shortcuts in iOS 27 can now store and update data for the first time. This allows values to be recorded across multiple iterations - for example, adding entries to a list or updating a counter. What previously required external apps or workarounds via the Files app is now handled directly by the Shortcuts app.
Automations are no longer a separate category
Apple has streamlined the app's structure. Automations no longer occupy a separate section; their triggers have been moved directly under the general Shortcut actions. Users who previously switched between the "Shortcuts" and "Automation" tabs will now find both in one place – a small step that makes the app noticeably clearer.
On iPhone, iPad and Mac
The "Describe Shortcut" feature is not only included in iOS 27, but also in iPadOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate. Across all three platforms, the process of creating a shortcut via description works the same way, allowing users to directly transfer workflows learned on their iPhone to their iPad and Mac.
Which devices and languages are supported
The AI features of the Shortcuts app require an Apple Intelligence-enabled device. This includes the iPhone 15 Pro and later, iPads with an M-series chip or the iPad mini with A17 Pro, and Macs with Apple Silicon. The iOS 27 compatibility overview summarizes which devices the new generation supports and which features are reserved for which hardware.
German is included from the start in terms of language support. English, Danish, Dutch, French, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, and Korean are also supported.
One point remains relevant for users in the EU: The completely redesigned, AI-powered Siri will not initially launch on iPhones and iPads in the EU. We have explained in detail elsewhere why these features are dependent on the Digital Markets Act in the EU. The Shortcuts app itself and its AI-powered creation are not affected to the same extent as the new Siri generation – those who want to be on the safe side should check availability directly on their own device after the update.
Who benefits most from the new Shortcuts app?
For beginners, iOS 27 is the perfect time to explore the app: The initial hurdle that has deterred many for years has largely disappeared. If you've previously avoided Shortcuts because manually creating them seemed too fiddly, now's the time to take a second look. Those already working with complex workflows won't lose anything – the manual editor remains fully functional and can be combined with the description feature. For inspiration for your first routines, look to tried-and-tested everyday automations, which can now be replicated much more quickly in iOS 27.
Shortcuts in iOS 27 – the most important information at a glance
With iOS 27, the Shortcuts app transforms from a specialized tool into an everyday app. Instead of manually piecing together actions, you describe the desired workflow in your own words, and Apple Intelligence assembles it – you can refine it further with additional descriptions or manually. New triggers, numerous additional actions, custom data storage, and web-enabled AI models significantly expand the possibilities, while the streamlined structure without a separate automation section simplifies operation. All of this is available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with Apple Intelligence-enabled hardware.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Shortcuts in iOS 27
In the Shortcuts app, tap "New Shortcut." The "Describe Shortcut" screen will open, where you can describe in your own words what you want to happen. Apple Intelligence will select the appropriate actions and assemble a complete sequence.
AI-powered description creation requires an Apple Intelligence-enabled device—that is, an iPhone 15 Pro or later, an iPad with an M-series chip or an iPad mini with an A17 Pro chip, or Macs with Apple Silicon. Older devices can still use the app, but not the description feature.
Yes. German is one of the supported languages. Other supported languages include English, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese.
Yes. The classic editor remains fully intact. Every process can be fine-tuned manually, and conversely, an existing shortcut can be adjusted again at any time via Apple Intelligence mode.
New triggers have been added for when a message is received, a screenshot is taken, a keyboard is connected, or an Apple Watch workout begins.
Yes, provided the Cloud Pro model is used. It is the only one of the three tiers (On-Device, Cloud, Cloud Pro) that actively searches the internet and is used for queries that require up-to-date information from the web.
AI-powered content creation is not affected to the same extent as the new Siri generation, which will not be available on iPhones and iPads in the EU at launch. It is recommended to check availability directly on your own device after the update.
