iOS 18 brings a smattering of new and updated features to your iPhone, along with fresh ways to change the way your phone looks. But there is more to the update than meets the eye. One app that has seen the introduction of some exciting additions is workflow tool Shortcuts.
How to Access Shortcuts Easily
The Shortcuts app offers a large library of preset shortcuts and ways to customize actions and variables. To add any shortcut that is already available to you, go to the Shortcuts app and tap on "All Shortcuts" in the Shortcuts tab. Then, click on the "+" (plus) sign and search for the action (shortcut name) you are looking for. You can rename your shortcut, assign an icon and color, and even duplicate it.
An easy way to access your favorite shortcuts is to bookmark them on your home screen. You can do this by going to the Shortcuts tab and tapping on the three dots next to a shortcut. Now tap the drop-down menu and choose "Add to Home Screen."
Another way to quickly access your most-used shortcuts is to add them to the new iOS 18 Control Center and access them with a single tap. To add available shortcuts, swipe down on your iPhone screen from the upper right corner. Tap the "+" plus icon in the top-left corner, and tap on "Add Control."
You can then search for a shortcut that you have set and move it around to any of the categories available in the Control Center. Tap outside the controls to exit the editing mode.
Once you are all set, here are the new iOS 18 shortcuts that you need to check out.
1 Magnifier Shortcuts
Four new Magnifier shortcuts can now be added to your Shortcuts collection, which include "Describe This," "Open Reader," "Start Point & Speak," and "Start Activity."
"Describe This" gives you a vocal description of whatever is in your camera view. "Open Reader" is a quick way to open Magnifier's reader to read aloud any text that is detected in your iPhone's camera view. "Start Point & Speak" is a similar shortcut, which reads out text that you point to.
Primarily accessibility shortcuts, there's no reason anyone can't get some use out of the new features. Add these shortcuts to your home screen to quickly identify items or read text that you can't see. This can come in handy when you are out, say, shopping and want to know the names of items you have never seen before. This can also act as a way for you to easily read tags or any items that contain text that is hard to read or small fonts.
2 Freeform and Journal Shortcuts
Two underrated iPhone apps that I have been using regularly are collaborative whiteboarding app Freeform and Apple's diary app Journal, which let you use some creative elements, and even use new features like Math Notes.
A few new Freeform shortcuts, such as "Create Board" and "Open Board" are now available for you to start working on new Freeform boards with a single tap. Journal has three new shortcuts, "Create Entry," "Create Audio Entry," and "Search Entries" that you can add to your Shortcuts collection. These open up a note on top of your screen, or take you to the app if something needs to be recorded.
I find these shortcuts can fit right at home with the long list of productivity shortcuts that you can find in the Shortcuts Gallery tab.
3 Set Music Focus Filter
One of my favorite new iOS 18 shortcuts is the "Set Music Focus Filter" action, which tells your Music app how to behave when a given Focus mode is enabled. This can be customized for different Focus modes, like "Do Not Disturb," "Work," "Mindfulness," or a custom Focus mode that you have created.
To use this, create a new shortcut and add "Set Music Focus Filter" as an action. From here, you can tap on the highlighted "Set" variable to choose whether you want to turn on, turn off, toggle, or clear the music focus filter when a specific Focus mode is turned on. Tap on "Do Not Disturb" to choose between Focus modes.
4 Accessibility Shortcuts
A new accessibility shortcut that can be really handy is "Set Hover Text Enabled," which lets you turn on or off the Hover Text accessibility feature to display a larger version of the text on your screen. Although only available on macOS, this new shortcut can be very useful when you are working on your Mac with documents or data sheets with a lot of information that is difficult to read.
Another accessibility shortcut you can use is "Set Switch Control Switch State," available on iOS and visionOS. This lets you easily manipulate switches on both, taking away any hassles or interruptions.
5 A Wallet Shortcut
Apple Wallet is an app that offers great convenience, allowing you to easily tap or show your saved cards with two clicks of your home button. But if you have a habit of saving multiple cards, you might want an easy way to view specific cards or passes in a better way (especially if they are not your default card or pass) than what your wallet offers.
A new shortcut makes life easier, and with a single tap, you can directly open your selected card or pass in the Wallet app. The action "Open Card" lets you select which card or pass you want to open, and by adding this shortcut to your home screen or Control Center, you have quicker access to your Wallet.
This shortcut can be useful for gallery or institution passes, or in cases where your Face ID for Wallet is facing issues.
Two new actions, "Create A Folder," and "Create iCloud Link for Shortcuts" have been updated. These make it easier for you to perform in-app specific actions (creating a shortcut folder for sorting, and an iCloud link for any shortcut you choose) without opening the drop-down menu under each shortcut.
If you like to build custom shortcuts, there is something in store for you with the iOS 18 update. A few actions are updated, which means there is a change in the way you use certain variables and actions:
The "If" variable now supports selected time and date values inline. It also allows the evaluation of multiple conditions at once, combining them with "Any" or "All." "Match Text" indicates invalid regular expressions above the keyboard "Open Smart List" can now open any Reminders List.7 Where Can You Use These Shortcuts?
All these new shortcuts can be accessed on any iPhone that is compatible with iOS 18. They are also available on all iPads that run iPadOS 18. A few shortcuts, like those for Freeform, "Set Hover Text Enabled", "Create Folder" and "Create iCloud Link for Shortcut" are available on all Macs running macOS 15 Sequoia.
Plus, an old shortcut that is now updated to be available on watchOS is "Recognize Music."
The best part about the Shortcuts app is how much you can do with it. Apart from the extensive collection of simple actions that you can choose from, the "Automations" tab also lets you build custom shortcuts from scratch, which can transform the way you use your iPhone.