1. How To Use Siri Shortcuts
2. Siri Shortcuts App On Mac Pc

Based on your routines and how you use your apps, Siri also suggests shortcuts on the Lock screen and when you start a search. To turn off shortcut suggestions for an app, go to Settings Siri & Search, tap the app, then turn off Suggest Shortcuts. For information about how to manage, re-record, and delete shortcuts, see the Shortcuts User Guide. Sep 17, 2018  Observations. Shortcuts is slightly confusing in iOS 12. There’s this new Shortcuts app, but there is also a section in Siri’s settings called Shortcuts.(Go to Settings Siri & Search All.

In the iPad vs Mac debate, people often ignore the power Shortcuts bring to the table. If there's one feature that I want to see in the next iteration of macOS, it's the support for Shortcuts. Before you say it, yes I know Mac is more configurable, and you can do all sorts of things with Apple Script. But the big benefit of Shortcut is that you don't need to learn a new language to use it. While the use of scripting languages can enhance Shortcut's power, most users can build shortcuts using simple actions. And if you want more advanced shortcuts, you can just search and download them. There are hundreds of shortcuts available for download. In this article, I have compiled a list of 20 best Siri Shortcuts that you should use on your iPhone and iPad in 2020.

Best Siri Shortcuts for iOS Shortcuts App in 2020

Before we begin, let's start with a clarification. The term 'Siri Shortcuts' is not exactly right. When Apple introduced the Shortcuts app with iOS 12, apps were allowed to donate integration to Siri. You could find those hooks by going to Settings. iOS 12 also suggested these shortcuts as tips. So, there was the Shortcut app. The actions that you build were called shortcuts. And the actions that the system suggested and could work with Siri were called Siri Shortcuts. With iOS 13, Apple updated the Shortcuts app, and now all shortcuts can be assigned a Siri catchphrase. So, there is nothing as Siri Shortcut now. That said, since people are more familiar with this term, I am going to use it to avoid any confusion.

If the above explanation confused you even more, forget everything and remember that shortcuts and Siri Shortcuts are the same things for this article.

How to Add Siri Shortcuts

If you have never used Siri Shortcuts before, I suggest you click on the link to read our Getting started guide on Shortcuts. It will help you understand the basics of the app, and you will be able to use it more confidently. If you don’t want to read the article, you at least need to know how to add these shortcuts to your library. First go to Settings → Shortcuts and enable the toggle next to “Allow Untrusted Shortcuts” option. Next, click on the download links in the article, then click on “Get Shortcut”. It will open the shortcut in the Shortcuts app. Now scroll down to bottom and click on “Add Untrusted Shortcut” button.

Now that you know how to add shortcuts to your app, let’s get to our list.

1. Super-Low Battery Mode

If you don't want your iPhone or iPad to die at the most unfortunate times, Super-Low Battery Mode is the shortcut you should use. While the low-power mode on iOS devices does good enough job for normal days, sometimes you need that extra hour or two of usage off your iPhone, and the low-power mode doesn’t cut it. Enter the Super-Low Battery Mode shortcut.

Using the Super-Low Battery Mode shortcut you can enable super low-power mode. When run, it not only stops background processes and activates native low power mode, but also turns off WiFi, and mobile data. It also turns on Airplane Mode and set both brightness and volume to 0. I use it when my iPhone’s battery falls below 10%. After running it, I know that I have a few hours, and if I want to make a call or send a text, I deactivate it by running the shortcut, make that call, and run it again.

2. Safari Auto-Scroll

I have already written about the Safari Auto-Scroll shortcut in a previous article. As its name suggests, the shortcut allows you to auto-scroll webpages on Safari. This is very handy when reading long articles. You can set the scroll speed, so the scrolling is neither too fast nor too slow. Using this shortcut, you will be able to read articles on Safari hands-free. This is a handy shortcut, and I use it multiple times a day. You should try it.

3. App Launcher Shortcut

The app launcher shortcut allows you to launch apps. This is a simple shortcut that you can create yourself. If you have not used any shortcuts, let it be the first shortcut you create. I find this shortcut handier than stuffing apps in folders. This way, my home screen looks cool, and I have access to all my apps. For example, I have created a simple app launcher shortcut to launch all my audio apps. It lives in my Dock and allows me to launch the audiobook app, the podcast app, and the music app of choice. If you want to learn how to create an app launcher shortcut. click on the link to find out.

4. Exif Photo Details

This is one of the best Siri shortcuts that I have discovered. When you take a photo on your iPhone, it contains many details such as location, the file size, photo dimensions (width and height), file extension, camera information, creation date, and more. This shortcut will show you all those hidden data points. It even shows white balance and exposure data. That can come in handy while editing a photo. Pretty much every information that your photo contains is revealed using this extension.

5. Time Machine

This Siri Shortcut is a fun one. It's a simple shortcut that shows the photo that you have taken exactly one-year before on your iPhone. This is a fun way to relive your memory and see what you were doing a year back. It's not exactly useful, but I like to run it once every few weeks just to relive the memories.

6. Alarms with Intervals

This shortcut helps you set up multiple alarms with intervals. If you are someone who hits the snooze button, this Siri shortcut will help you out. You select the start time and number of alarms you want, and it will set up and enable all those alarms for you. By default the alarms are set 5 minutes apart. But you can open the shortcut setting and change it to desired value. I have set the intervals to 15 minutes. This is one of the best Siri Shortcuts for people who find it hard to wake up with a single alarm.

7. Send Delayed Text

iMessage still has no built-in message scheduling functionality. Well, this shortcut brings that feature to your iPhone. When run, you are asked to input the message and the scheduled time. After that you can forget about it as it will automatically send that message for you. There are some caveats that you have to keep in mind though. First, you can only send text messages as there's no field to attach images, emojis, or any other media file. Second, it works when the Shortcuts app is running in the background. If you have a habit of clearing apps (which you shouldn't), this will fail.

8. UControl V2

This is one of the best Siri Shortcuts, and I use it constantly. Think of it as your Control Center but better. I run it from the Shortcuts widget area and use it to do things like turning off WiFi and Bluetooth, muting the phone, enabling do not disturb, and more. Since you cannot turn off WiFi or Bluetooth from Control Center, this shortcut comes in handy. If you just want the capability of turning on/off Bluetooth and WiFi, I have published an article that shows how you can create a shortcut yourself. Click on the link to read it. Or you can just download and use this shortcut, and enjoy all the features that it brings.

9. Do Not Disturb Timer

I love the do not disturb functionality on my iPhone. It lets me work in peace when I want. That being said, one problem with DND on iPhone is if you forget to disable it, you are going to miss out on important notifications. That's why I use this Siri shortcut. The shortcut allows you to set a timer for do not disturb. For example, if I enable the DND timer for 60 minutes, it will automatically disable it after the time expires. I don't have to manually disable it. This is one of the best Siri Shortcuts, and it has made my life easier.

10. Social Media Downloader

This is a handy shortcut that lets you download photos and videos from several social media apps like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and more. If you like a post or video that you want to save offline for consuming later, this is the perfect shortcut for you. With one click, it will download the media to your Photos app. There are many such shortcuts on the internet, but this is the one that works consistently across multiple websites. If this doesn’t work for you, you can also try a second shortcut named “Ultimate Downloader”. I have linked both the shortcuts below.

Download Social Media Downloader / Download Ultimate Downloader

11. Video to GIF Converter

I love this shortcut. As the name suggests, it allows you to convert videos into GIFs. You can convert any video in your Photos library to GIFs. Once you tap on the shortcut, it opens the video library. You select the video you want to convert, crop the clip to your desired length, and tap the Save button. The shortcut will convert the video to GIF and save it to the Photos app. There was a time when creating GIFs was hard, not anymore. I have also added a second shortcut below that allows you to convert your Live Photos to Gif.

Download Video to GIF Converter / Live Photo to Gif Converter

12. Dark Safari

Another beloved Siri Shortcut that I want to share is Dark Safari. Since the introduction of Dark Mode on iOS 13, I love using it at night. It reduces strain on my eyes and ensures that I am not blinded by bright light when I open an app. That said, when reading articles on Safari, the dark mode fails. This shortcut will help you solve this problem. It creates a black background with bold white text to make reading easier on the eyes. Unlike other similar shortcuts, it doesn't invert the colors, rather actually changes the colors of a website. This will improve your late-night reading.

13. MusicBot Shortcut

If you want to see the real power of shortcuts and what you can do with it, check out the MusicBot shortcut. Created by Federico Viticci of MacStories, this shortcut lets you perform several actions such as play/pause songs, play specific playlists, create and play smart mixes, find out new music releases by your favorite artists, and more. You should read the MusicBot article on MacStories to understand this shortcut in detail. If this doesn't blow your mind, I don't know what will. The only caveat here is that it works with Apple Music. So, Spotify subscribers have no luck. Talking about Spotify, I have shared a cool Alfred workflow that is like MusicBot for Spotify on Mac. Don't forget to check it out.

14. Apple Frames

Another powerful shortcut created by Federico is Apple Frames. It allows you to apply frames to your iOS screenshots. All the framed images that you see on my articles, including this one, are created using this shortcut. Needless to say, this single shortcut has helped this website more than any third-party app or service. This is my favorite Siri shortcut for obvious reasons. I know most people won't need it, but I couldn't refrain from sharing a shortcut that has helped me the most.

15. Weather Report

This is a simple shortcut that lets you display the weather forecast in a simple report. Since it uses the native Weather app, you don't have to install any third-party app to make it work. I like that it displays a detailed version of what you can get from the weather actions in Shortcuts, displaying 11 bits of data from the current weather.

16. Log Weight / Water / Caffeine

This is a simple shortcut that allows you to easily log your weight into the Health app without launching the app. Tap on the shortcut, enter your weight and hit save. I have a habit of logging my weight daily, and this shortcut makes it easier. Similarly, the other two shortcuts help you log your water and caffeine intake.

Download Log Weight / Download Water Logger / Download Caffeine Logger

17. Network Tools

Diagnosing WiFi network problems on your iOS devices can be hard. This shortcut will help alleviate that problem to some extent. Using this shortcut, you can test network ping, see the location of your physical IP, lookup network information, and even share your WiFi using QR code. I find this Siri Shortcut to be quite handy in certain situations.

18. Delete Completed Reminders

Apple Reminders doesn't give you a way to delete completed reminders in batch. You can show completed reminders, but can't delete them in batch. This shortcut helps you clear completed reminders in one go. Just tap the shortcut and it will ask you to confirm the deletion. The deletion confirmation message will pop-up multiple times. This is a safety measure to ensure you don't delete them by mistake. Once you confirm, all the completed reminders are deleted.

19. View clipboard

This is a simple shortcut that lets you see what you've copied in your iOS clipboard. It's handy when you have copied something and want to read it without pasting. A good thing about this Siri shortcut is that it works with the universal clipboard too. So, if you have copied something on your Mac and want to see if it's available on iOS or not, you can run this shortcut to check it out.

How To Use Siri Shortcuts

20. Explore nearby landmarks

This is a handy shortcut to explore nearby landmarks. The shortcut takes your current location as input and searches for nearby destinations noted as Landmarks. You can then select a landmark, and it will open it in Maps. This can help you find interesting things to do or places to visit when you are traveling somewhere.

Get More Siri Shortcuts

If you want more wonderful Siri Shortcuts to enhance your workflow and even automate things, there are several places where you can get a collection of shortcuts. Below are the links to websites that create and maintain a library of awesome Siri Shortcuts:

I find most of my favorite Siri Shortcuts on these websites. You can check them out, download the shortcuts, and share your favorite ones in the comments.

Best Siri Shortcuts to Use in 2020

That ends our article on the best shortcuts that you can use for the iOS Shortcut app in 2020. These shortcuts will help you get things done faster. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Shortcuts can also use third-party apps to do automation and other powerful things. If you like this article and want to learn more advanced shortcuts tricks, let me know in the comments.

Siri on the Mac goes even deeper into your software than it does on iPhone and iPad. It can search for files, check your system settings, and understands contextual language, so you can ask one question and follow it up with a related one right after.

How to enable Siri on the Mac

When you first set up your Mac or update it to a new version of macOS, you will be asked if you want to use Siri on the Mac. If you didn't enable it at that time, you can do so manually at any time from System Preferences.

1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen.

2. Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.

3. Select Siri.

4. Tick the box on the left side of the window to Talk to Siri.

5. Select a language.

6. Select a Siri Voice

7. If you don't want Siri to speak, turn off Voice Feedback.

8. Select the Mic input from the internal one or an external accessory.

How to enable 'Type to Siri' on the Mac

In macOS High Sierra and later, you can type your search query to Siri instead of having to ask it out loud. So if you're in a meeting and trying to find that spreadsheet your boss just asked you for, you can ask Siri to find it for you without having to interrupt what's being said.

How to use a keyboard shortcut to activate Siri

You can click on Siri in your app Dock or the Menu bar at the top of the screen. But if you prefer keyboard shortcuts, you're in luck — Siri likes them, too.

1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen.

2. Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.

3. Select Siri.

4. Under Keyboard Shortcut, select a keyboard shortcut to use. By default, you hold down Command-Space, but you can also select from Option-Space, Function-Space, or you can customize it with the key combination you prefer.

When you have a keyboard shortcut assigned, you can simply press and hold the two assigned keys until Siri pops up.

How to use Siri on Mac with AirPods or supported Beats headphones

Epson r200 print cd software mac. If you have your AirPods or a pair of Beats headphones that support voice-activated Siri (currently only the Powerbeats Pro), you can call on Siri for help.

1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen.

2. Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.

3. Select Siri.
4. Tick the box for Listen for 'Hey Siri' on headphones.

5. Tick the box for Allow Siri when locked if you want to trigger Siri by voice while your Mac is locked.

How to pin Siri results to Notification Center

All of your Siri search results can be pinned right into Notification Center. This can be very helpful if you are keeping track of documents for work — or you simply want to add pictures of Oscar Isaac to your Today view.

1. Click on the Siri icon in the Menu bar or Dock, or use your keyboard shortcut to activate Siri.
2. Tell Siri to find you a file, document, or perform a web search.

3. When the search results appear in Siri's window, click the Plus (+) button next to the search results.

The Siri search results will be pinned to the Today view of your Notification Center. To remove it, hover over the search section in Notification Center and click on the X.

Here are some things that Siri can do on the Mac

Siri can search for files

Siri has access to the files and documents on your computer. You can search for files based on date, and even narrow the search in a second query.

• 'Find files I worked on last week.'
• 'Just the ones from Saturday.'
• 'Just Pages documents.'

You can also search for emails, contact information, calendar events, directions, Notes, and more.

• 'Do I have any new emails?'
• 'What's on my schedule today?'
• 'How do I get to the Apple Store?'
• 'Find [X name] Note.'
• ' What is my mom's address?' (If you ask for contact information for a relationship, Siri will ask who that person is, by name.)

Siri can tell you more about your Mac

Siri also has access to your System Preferences, storage information, and more. If you need your serial number or want to know how much storage you have, Siri is on the case.

• 'How much space do I have left in iCloud?'
• 'How big is my hard drive?'
• 'How much memory do I have?'
• 'How fast is my processor?'

Currently, Siri doesn't seem to be able to tell you your screen size, display resolution, or how old it is.

Siri can search your Photos library

Siri can dig through your tens-of-thousands of pictures in Photos to find specific content, like your cat, food, or the lake. You can also search for pictures based on location and date.

• 'Show me pictures of my cat.'
• 'Show me pictures of my kids.'
• 'Show me pictures of my trip to Disneyland.'
• 'Show me pictures of my trip to the lake last summer.'

If it is indexed in the Photos app, Siri can find it.

Siri can also search for images on the web

You are not relegated to pictures in your Photos library: You can search the entire online universe for whatever images you want. You just have to add 'on the web,' so Siri doesn't try looking in your Photos app for it.

• 'Search the web for pictures of Narwals.'
• 'Show me pictures of Oscar Isaac from the web.'

You can drag and drop any photo from a search query into any document, which is great for creating presentations.

Siri can adjust your Mac's settings

Siri can control many of your Mac's settings, like screen brightness, volume controls, Wi-Fi settings, and more.

• 'Turn WiFi off.'
• 'My screen is too bright.'
• 'Turn on Do Not Disturb.'
• 'Turn on the screensaver.'
• 'Put my Mac to sleep.'

Siri can open your apps

Siri can open any app on your Mac, including third-party programs. Just say, 'Open [name of app]', and you'll be whisked away to your app of choice.

Siri can keep you in touch

If you want to send a message in Messages, Siri can do more than just open the app: It can also dictate and send the message for you. Just say, 'Send a Message' and then dictate the message you want to send.

Siri also works with FaceTime. Ask Siri to 'FaceTime [name] and it will connect you automatically.

Siri can give you the score

Did you know Siri is a sports fan? Go ahead. Ask it which team will win the next big game. You can ask Siri for the schedule of upcoming games, the current standings of a league, the team roster of tomorrow's match, and player stats. Siri knows about football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, and, as of macOS 10.2.4, cricket. Here's what Siri knows about sports:

• Soccer: Italian Seria A, English Premier League, Dutch Eredivisie, Major League Soccer, French Ligue 1, Spanish La Liga, and German Bundesliga
• Baseball: Major League Baseball
• Football: NCAA Football, NFL
• Basketball: NCAA Basketball, NBA, WNBA
• Hockey: NHL
• Cricket: IPL and ICC

For each of those sports, Siri can provide:

• Scores
• Standings
• Schedules
• Team Rosters
• Player stats

If you want to know about a sports team, game, or league, just say, 'When do the West Indies play next?' or 'Who won the A's game last night?'

Siri will jam out to your tunes with you

Siri has access to Apple Music and your music library. If you want to hear a specific song or album, or just want to relax to any genre of music, Siri can help.

• 'Play me some tunes.'
• 'Play the top 10 songs of 1962.'
• 'Play metal songs from the 80s.'

Thanks to Shazam integration, Siri can also tell you what song is playing so you don't have to open iTunes to find out. Because Siri has access to your system settings, it can adjust the volume, pause, skip, and replay songs.

As of macOS High Sierra, when you're using Apple Music, Siri learns your style and can create custom playlists based on what you like. For example, it can create the perfect playlist for your weekend backyard BBQ or workout. It also answers music trivia like identifying members of a band, or what was the first album an artist put out.

With support from Safari, Maps, and Find My Friends, Siri on the Mac can actually plan your evening for you. Ask about movies playing nearby, including their current rating; find out if there are any restaurants where you can book a table; and with Find My Friends enabled, you can even find out if your crew is putting one back at the local pub.

• 'What movies are playing tonight.' When you click on a movie, you will be directed to Fandango on the web.
• 'Is 'Sully' any good?' You'll get a Rotten Tomatoes rating and a link to watch the trailer on movietrailers.apple.com.
• 'Find reservations for dinner tonight at seven.' Siri can't book the reservation, but when you select a restaurant, you will see the Maps info card and can call or visit the website to make reservations.

Set Smart Reminders with Siri

You don't have to get specific when asking Siri to set reminders for you: Since the Reminders app works with dates, times, and locations, you can get notified in a number of ways.

• 'Remind me to take out the garbage when I get home.'
• 'Remind me to finish typing my resume tomorrow.'
• 'Remind me to walk the dog every morning at 7:00 AM.'

Siri also has an uncanny ability to recognize the app you're using thanks to its machine learning algorithms and can set reminders based on what you are doing currently.

• 'Remind me to look at this tonight.'
• 'Remind me to respond to this email after lunch.'

Siri can control your HomeKit accessories

With the arrival of macOS Mojave and the Home app for macOS, Siri on the Mac has gained the ability to control your HomeKit scenes and accessories, just like it can on your iPhone or iPad. This includes everything from lights to thermostats.

• 'Turn off the lights in my bedroom.'
• 'Set the temperature to 72 degrees.'
• 'Set my Goodnight scene.'

Ask Siri anything

Siri has a wealth of knowledge built into its ever-increasing intelligence. It knows a lot about sports, music, geography, astronomy, and more. If Siri doesn't know the answer outright, it can find more information for you with a quick search of the web. You can ask Siri anything — and the more you ask, the more Apple will (anonymously) learn about what users need from Siri.

Have a question about Siri on the Mac? Let us know in the comments.

Updated March 2019: Added steps for adding Siri voice-activation on Mac when using supported headphones.

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Siri Shortcuts App On Mac Pc

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