Apple will let you build workflows using AI in its new Shortcuts app
Apple is adding AI to Shortcuts in iOS 27 so users can describe automations in plain language and have the app assemble the steps.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
At WWDC 2026, Apple showed a new Shortcuts experience that uses Apple Intelligence to turn plain-English prompts into automations. The update is meant to make the app less technical and let users edit shortcuts by describing changes.
Apple is turning Shortcuts into a helper that can listen to plain words and build the steps for a task. It is like asking a robot to set up a domino chain instead of placing every domino by hand.
Analysis
What Apple showed
Apple used its WWDC 2026 keynote to preview a new version of Shortcuts that leans on Apple Intelligence. Instead of forcing people to manually pick app actions, variables, and other building blocks, the app will let them write a prompt describing the automation they want.
How it works
The example Apple gave was a shortcut that would notify a partner when someone leaves work and include an estimated time of arrival. According to the presentation, Shortcuts would interpret the request, create the automation, access a stored address, calculate the ETA with Apple Maps, and send the message through Messages. Apple also said users can edit an existing shortcut by describing changes in plain language, such as adding a podcast to play on the way home.
Who it is for
Shortcuts has traditionally been aimed at power users who already understand how to stitch together app actions. Apple’s pitch here is that AI should make the same capabilities easier to reach for non-technical users, without requiring them to understand the underlying mechanics.
The updated Shortcuts app is scheduled to arrive with iOS 27 later this fall.
Key points
- Apple previewed an AI-powered update to Shortcuts at WWDC 2026.
- Users will be able to describe an automation in natural language instead of assembling it manually.
- Apple said the system can also edit shortcuts when users describe changes.
- The company showed an example involving leaving work, calculating ETA, and sending a message.
- The updated Shortcuts app is expected with iOS 27 later this fall.
If the feature works as shown, more people could automate everyday tasks without learning a complicated builder. That could make Shortcuts a practical tool for common things like messages, reminders, and route-based actions.
The feature still depends on Apple Intelligence understanding requests correctly and choosing the right actions. If it misunderstands a prompt, the automation may not do what the user intended, which could limit trust and usefulness.
