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Siri Shortcuts iOS Power Users Will Love

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You may or may not be a fan of Siri but you can’t deny the fact that the development of Siri through the years has made it very useful to a lot of people. One of its most useful features today is its Shortcuts feature. Aside from using the typical shortcuts already prepared by Apple, people are also allowed to develop their own shortcuts. This means that it’s more of a community feature now and people can share these shortcuts with other users.

In case you don’t know how to add shortcuts on your iPhone, simply follow these steps:

  1. Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Go to the Gallery tab.
  3. From the list, you will find the Shortcuts from Your Apps section. Tap on See All and all the shortcuts available on your iPhone should appear on your screen, whether that’s made by Apple or offered by third-party apps.
  4. If you want to add a specific shortcut, tap Add (represented by a plus sign) next to the shortcut.
  5. Then, tap Add to Siri. To test run your shortcut, simply announce “Hey Siri” and pronounce the shortcut name.

Now, if you’re curious about what Siri Shortcuts are very useful to your daily tasks, here are some that iOS power users will love. For shortcuts not made by Apple, simply download them and they should be included in your Gallery of Shortcuts. Make sure you toggle “Allow Untrusted Shortcuts” on in the Settings.

Intelligent Power

If you’re a long-time iOS user, you probably already know of its “Low Power” mode feature. This function helps preserve your iPhone’s battery. When you enable this feature, it disables unnecessary functions on your iPhone that may be draining your battery, such as mail fetch and background app refresh. This feature can come pretty hand on days when you’re out and about and realize that you’re running low on battery and you forgot to bring your power bank with you.

With this shortcut, you get to be more specific with the “Low Power” mode. For one, you can specify exactly at what percentage of your battery life should the “Low Power” mode turn on. Plus, there’s also a “Super Low Power” mode that automatically turns off your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile data. This will help in dramatically preserving your iPhone’s battery life.

Travel Time to Address

Having trouble with copying between your maps app and Safari? If so, this shortcut would definitely be useful for you. The Travel Time to Address shortcut enables users to choose an address on any app and enable this shortcut from the Share Sheet. This is such a convenient way for you to copy the address in between apps with ease.

To ensure that you get to properly use this function, add this shortcut to your Shortcuts app. Once it has been installed and added, you simply have to highlight the address you want to copy and then tap on “Share.” The Share Sheet should automatically open and there you can enable the “Travel Time to Address” shortcut.

Directions to Next Event

In today’s times, it’s common to cramp up your calendar with tons of events. Your Calendar app must be brimming with your hectic schedule and meetings. In case this situation confuses you as to which event comes next, this shortcut is here to help. It integrates seamlessly with your Calendar app so using it is such a breeze. It can quickly direct you to a specific event or meeting.

When you enable this shortcut, it’ll show a pop-up menu of your upcoming events. What’s great is it even shows you the set location of each event. When you open an event, this shortcut will open your maps app so you’ll know right away where to head next. Aside from your iPhone, you can also use this shortcut on your iPad and Apple Watch.

Remind Me at Work

While it’s great that you can use shortcuts created by the community, you also shouldn’t ignore Apple’s ready-made shortcuts. These are immensely useful, too. An example would be the Remind Me at Work shortcut. When you’re setting this shortcut up for the first time, it’ll prompt you to enter your work address.

Once this shortcut is enabled, you can set any reminder on your iPhone that corresponds to this address. Every time you arrive at that location, this shortcut will trigger your set reminders for the day. This also applies to your home address or any other. It’s especially useful for people who constantly forget their to-do list. With this shortcut, you’re sure to be reminded of your important tasks for the day.

Pulled Over by Police

In case of an emergency and you need a recording of what’s happening, what do you do? You won’t always have to fumble your phone to turn on your camera. Thankfully, there’s this shortcut called Pulled Over by Police. While it does sound like it only applies to when you’re getting pulled over by the police, this shortcut actually applies to different kinds of situations. As long as you find yourself in a dire situation, you can immediately have your iPhone record what’s happening to you.

You simply have to tell Siri, “I’m getting pulled over,” and this shortcut will automatically turn on the front camera of your iPhone and take a video. Then, this video will be sent to your chosen contact. In case you want to, you can change the actual command of this shortcut to whatever phrase you think is easier for you to say. This shortcut can really come in handy, especially when you feel that you might need some sort of evidence later on.

RSS Reader

Do you like reading articles? If so, this shortcut called RSS Reader might interest you. This shortcut allows users to create a dedicated RSS feed. You can add your favorite news sources from the internet and this shortcut will show you the latest articles it can find online. Plus, you can adjust the screen space that it’ll take up on your phone as well as how many articles should be listed. That way, you won’t have to go to different news sources to get your updates because it will all be listed down by this shortcut for you.

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Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

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