Apple’s New Shortcuts App Adds AI-Powered Workflow Builder

Apple is giving its Shortcuts app a significant artificial intelligence boost. Instead of manually dragging and dropping actions to build an automation, users will now be able to simply describe the workflow they want using a natural language prompt. This new feature, part of the latest software update, aims to make complex task automation accessible to a much broader audience.

The core functionality works by interpreting a user’s written request. For example, typing “Send my current location to my wife every evening at 6 PM” will generate a complete shortcut that pulls the location data, formats it, and schedules the message. The AI handles the logic behind the scenes, translating plain English into the app’s native action blocks. This eliminates the steep learning curve that has historically kept many iPhone and iPad owners from building their own automations.

Early testers report that the system is surprisingly accurate for common tasks, though it can struggle with highly specific or niche requests. The AI appears to rely on a library of pre-built action templates, which it stitches together based on the prompt’s intent. For power users, the option to manually edit and fine-tune the generated workflows remains intact, ensuring that advanced customization isn’t sacrificed for convenience.

This update positions Shortcuts to compete more directly with other AI-powered productivity tools while staying deeply integrated into Apple’s ecosystem. The company is clearly betting that removing friction from the creation process will lead to a surge in user-generated automations. Whether this translates into a more efficient experience for the average consumer or simply a novelty that wears off remains to be seen, but the shift toward conversational workflow creation is a notable step forward in making device automation feel less like coding and more like conversation.