Apple Shortcuts AI: Create Automations with Natural Language
Shortcuts now uses AI to create automations from natural language descriptions. No more dragging actions — just describe what you want and let Apple Intelligence build it.
Shortcuts has always been powerful but intimidating. You could build complex automations by chaining together actions, but the process felt like programming without writing code. Most people tried it once, got confused, and never opened it again.
At WWDC 2026, Apple addressed this problem head-on. Shortcuts now uses Apple Intelligence to let you describe automations in natural language. Instead of figuring out which actions to chain together, you just say what you want.
> [!PULL] > Shortcuts now uses Apple Intelligence to reason over your natural language description and assemble all the required steps automatically.
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How It Works
The concept is simple: describe a shortcut in plain English, and Shortcuts builds it for you.
Here's the example Apple showed: "When I'm leaving work, message Pedro 'I'm on my way' with my ETA."
Shortcuts then pulls together the system and app actions you need:
1. Create a trigger: When you leave your work address 2. Calculate your ETA home using Maps 3. Send it with Messages to Pedro
That's it. You describe the automation, and Shortcuts figures out the technical implementation.
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Editing with Conversation
What makes this particularly useful is that you can refine your shortcuts through conversation. After Shortcuts creates the initial automation, you can describe changes:
"Also play my favorite podcast"
Shortcuts adjusts the automation to include playing a podcast after sending the message.
This conversational approach makes Shortcuts accessible to people who would never have built automations manually. You don't need to understand triggers, actions, or conditional logic — just describe what you want.
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Real-World Examples
Here are some practical shortcuts you could create:
Morning Routine: "When I turn off my alarm, turn on the kitchen lights, start brewing coffee, and give me a summary of my day"
Leaving Work: "When I leave work, text my partner I'm on my way, calculate my ETA, and play my commute playlist"
Weekend Mode: "On Saturday morning, turn off all alarms, disable work notifications, and show me local restaurant recommendations"
Meeting Prep: "Before my next meeting, show me the agenda, open the relevant document, and set my status to Do Not Disturb"
The power is in the natural language interface. You don't need to know what actions are available or how to connect them — just describe the outcome you want.
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Why This Matters
Shortcuts has always had a discovery problem. The app is incredibly powerful, but most people never scratch the surface because the learning curve is too steep.
Natural language descriptions solve this problem by removing the barrier to entry. If you can describe what you want, you can create a shortcut.
This is particularly important as Apple Intelligence brings more capabilities to the system. The more things your devices can do, the more valuable automation becomes. But automation is only valuable if people actually use it.
> [!PULL] > The best technology is the kind you actually use. Shortcuts with AI makes automation accessible to everyone, not just power users.
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Integration with Apple Intelligence
Shortcuts with AI doesn't exist in isolation. It integrates with Apple Intelligence's other capabilities:
This integration makes natural language shortcuts more powerful than they'd be on their own. The AI understands your context and can make intelligent decisions about how to execute your requests.
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The Catch
Natural language shortcuts are powerful but not perfect. Complex automations with multiple conditions might not translate perfectly from natural language. You might still need to tweak the results manually.
Also, this feature requires Apple Intelligence, so it's limited to newer devices. If you're running an older iPhone without Neural Engine support, you're stuck with the traditional Shortcuts interface.
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The Bottom Line
Shortcuts with AI transforms Apple's automation tool from a power-user toy into something everyone can use. The natural language interface removes the learning curve, and the integration with Apple Intelligence makes the resulting shortcuts more capable.
If you've avoided Shortcuts because it seemed too complicated, iOS 27 gives you a reason to give it another look. Just describe what you want, and let the AI handle the technical details.
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