Master Apple Shortcuts: A Complete Guide
▼ Summary
– Apple Shortcuts can automate phone tasks like sending texts or ordering coffee, but the system is more complex than it initially appears.
– The Vergecast episode features a discussion between Stephen Robles, who advocates for Shortcuts’ utility, and David, who finds them overly complicated.
– Victoria Song reviews Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, noting their impressive hardware but questioning their practical desirability and functionality.
– Stephen Robles shares insights on creating effective Shortcuts, the role of AI in enhancing them, and improvements needed for the system.
– The episode includes a segment on affordable earbuds, addressing the challenge of finding high-quality, inexpensive options and soliciting listener experiences.
Imagine a world where your phone anticipates your needs before you even ask. It could send an automatic text to your partner with your estimated arrival time as you leave the office, silence all notifications the moment you open a book, or even guide you to a favorite local coffee shop and place your usual order. This isn’t science fiction; it’s the potential of Apple Shortcuts, a powerful automation tool built into iOS. While the promise is incredibly appealing, the actual experience often involves a steep learning curve that can leave many users feeling frustrated.
In a recent episode of The Vergecast, host David Pierce welcomed Stephen Robles, a podcaster and creator who has built a career around simplifying and demonstrating the practical uses of Shortcuts. Their conversation highlighted a fundamental divide: David represents the average user who finds the system overly complex and unintuitive, while Stephen champions its capabilities, showcasing how it can genuinely streamline daily routines. Their discussion wasn’t just theoretical; it delved into the real-world friction between powerful features and user-friendly design.
Before diving into the intricacies of Shortcuts, the episode also featured an update from The Verge’s Victoria Song on her extensive testing of the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses. After wearing them consistently for several weeks, she provided a detailed breakdown of their performance. She confirmed the hardware is undoubtedly impressive, but raised critical questions about its practical necessity and the specific problems it solves for the average consumer. The appeal of having a screen in your glasses is clear, but its day-to-day value remains a topic of debate.
Returning to the main topic, Stephen Robles shared insights from his deep experience with Apple Shortcuts. He walked listeners through some of his most effective and creative automations, explaining his process for brainstorming and building new ideas. A significant part of the conversation focused on the future, particularly how artificial intelligence could revolutionize Shortcuts by making them more contextual and easier to create through natural language commands. Stephen also outlined specific improvements he believes would make the system more accessible. David Pierce, meanwhile, provided the counterpoint, voicing common grievances about the clunky interface and the difficulty of discovering what’s possible without a technical background.
The episode wrapped up with David fielding a listener question from the Vergecast Hotline about the headphone market. The caller wondered why it’s so simple to find a pair of decent, inexpensive earbuds, yet remarkably challenging to identify truly high-quality ones without a significant financial investment. This led to a call for audience participation, asking listeners to share their experiences with impulse purchases from unknown brands that surprisingly delivered excellent performance.
(Source: The Verge)
