Here are 5 popular and useful AI Shortcuts you can use on your iPhone to streamline tasks and enhance productivity. Some of them are also available on Mac, while others requires the ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude app installed on iPhone.
Apple’s Shortcuts app is a powerful tool for automating tasks on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. With the integration of AI, particularly through models like GPT-4o, Gemini, Deepseek R1, the capabilities of Shortcuts have expanded significantly.
Summarize Articles and Webpages Instantly
This is arguably the most frequently cited and time-saving AI shortcut. Imagine being able to distill a lengthy article into a concise summary in seconds! While browsing with Safari, you can run shortcut from the share sheet.
It proceeds to extract the essential text, often fetching the article’s body or using JavaScript for the full content, and sends it to ChatGPT. The AI then generates a brief summary, typically capped at 120 words, providing you with the core takeaways.
The summary is then presented for quick review. You can copy it to the clipboard, or save it to a note. This functionality is a boon for anyone dealing with information overload, allowing for rapid comprehension and significant time savings.
2. AI Text Generator: Your Personal Writing Assistant
This versatile shortcut transforms your iPhone into a powerful writing aid. Imagine being able to generate social media posts, write product reviews, polish existing text, brainstorm ideas, and craft blog posts—all with a tap.
Need a snappy tweet? A quick review? A creative blog post introduction? This shortcut handles it all. By streamlining the writing process, it frees you from writer’s block and allows you to communicate effectively and efficiently.
You don’t need an API key to make this shortcut work. It requires ChatGPT app to be installed and logged in.
You can set Double-tap or Action button to run the shortcut. When needing to post a product review quickly, double-tapping the iPhone back activates the shortcut. This shortcut will generate a complete product review and copy to clipboard, so you can easily post it.
3. AI Message Reply
This shortcut automates responding to text messages using AI. It can analyze incoming messages and generate contextually relevant replies using AI models like ChatGPT or Deepseek.
The Deekseek version requires no setup. If you have ChatGPT installed on your iPhone, you can also get the ChatGPT version. Once you have the shortcut, feel free to edit the prompt in the shortcut for your preference.
Follow the following steps to set up the Automation for automatically replying text mes
- Start Automation & Choose Message Trigger:
Open the Shortcuts app, go to the Automation tab, tap +, select Create Personal Automation, then scroll down and tap Message. - Set Message Sender:
Tap Sender (or “Choose”), select the specific contact who will trigger the automation, and tap Done. Then tap Next. - Select Your Shortcut:
Choose the AI Message Reply shortcut that you get to run. - Enable Automatic Running:
Tap Next. Crucially, turn OFF the toggle for Ask Before Running. Confirm by tapping Don’t Ask when prompted. This allows the shortcut to run automatically. - Save Automation:
Tap Done.
Now, when the selected contact messages you, the shortcut will be triggered and send a reply automatically. You may also modify the shortcut for email auto reply.
4. AI Image Renamer – Rename Images on iPhone And Mac
Efficiently manage your images with the AI Image Renamer shortcut. This tool analyzes image content and suggests relevant names, making photo organization a breeze on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Say goodbye to generic file names like “IMG_1234.”
The AI Text Generator leverages sophisticated models, Deepseek R1 to be exact, to understand your input and produce descriptive filename. No API key or setup required.
On iPhone, you can select a few images from Photos, Files, or other apps and run the shortcut from the share sheet. You can also run it from Shortcuts app, then it will ask you to select a few images to continue.
On Mac, you can select a few images from Finder app and run the shortcut from Quick Actions. If no input, it will ask you to select a few files from Finder to continue.
5. YouTube Summarizer: Get the Gist of Videos Quickly
This shortcut helps you quickly grasp the key points of YouTube videos. Trying a few AI models for YouTube summary, I find the Gemini works the best. You may use Gemini API key or the Gemini app for YouTube summary.
You may refer to the video below to see how it works.
- Run the shortcut from the YouTube share sheet or copy YouTube video URL to run it.
- The shortcut will bring the Summary generated by Gemini.
- Save the summary to Notes if needed.
If you don’t have Gemini API, you can set double-tap or Action button to run this shortcut. While watching a YouTube video, double tap on the back of your iPhone, the shortcut will copy the prompt and bring you Gemini app. What you need to do is paste the copied prompt and run.
Compared to other YouTube Summarizer shortcuts, this one also works if the video has caption disabled.
Exploring Additional AI Shortcut Capabilities
Beyond these core shortcuts, there’s a world of possibilities:
- Content Generation and Social Media Automation: Automate generating social media posts from articles, brainstorm blog post ideas, and even create scripts for podcasts.
- Auto Text Message Reply: Use AI to generate quick and appropriate replies to text messages, saving time and effort.
- Calendar Management: AI Shortcuts can help schedule events using natural language processing, extract data from screenshots, and even reorganize your schedule.
- Image Processing and Vision AI: Use AI to analyze images, solve math equations, and even identify objects from your camera.
Getting Started with More AI Shortcuts
Many AI Shortcuts rely on the ChatGPT app and may use the “Ask ChatGPT” action. Some require an API key for services like OpenAI. You can find pre-built shortcuts on platforms like RoutineHub and through shared links. Building your own shortcuts is done within the Shortcuts app, though it may require some experimentation.
Tools like the AI-based Shortcut generator like Shortcut Builder can assist in creating and optimizing shortcuts.
Why AI Shortcuts are Transforming the iPhone Experience
The marriage of Apple’s Shortcuts and AI is a game-changer for iPhone users. By automating mundane and repetitive tasks, AI Shortcuts free up valuable time, allowing you to focus on what truly matters. Whether it’s summarizing lengthy articles, generating content on the fly, or managing your schedule, these tools bring a new level of efficiency to your daily life. Moreover, with advancements in AI, these shortcuts are becoming increasingly intelligent and adaptable, understanding context and delivering tailored results.
The Future of AI Shortcuts
The integration of AI with Apple Shortcuts is a rapidly evolving field. As AI capabilities and Apple’s platform advance, we can expect even more sophisticated integrations and powerful automation. Future iterations may include natural language shortcut creation and deeper system-wide AI assistance.
By leveraging these AI-powered Shortcuts, you can unlock the full potential of your iPhone and streamline your daily tasks. Embrace the future of automation and experience the power of AI right at your fingertips.