Newsletter

What’s New in Shortcuts – Issue #004

October 4, 2020

Welcome to Issue 4 of “What’s New in Shortcuts?”

Since iOS 14 dropped, I’ve completely changed my Home Screens, Apple Watch faces, and Shortcuts folders – why not a new office layout too? When everything is in flux, sometimes it’s just nice to control your own space…

Gotta love that UltraWide lens for room shots.

Here’s what’s new in Shortcuts this week – new issues coming every Sunday going forward!

HOW TO KEEP UP WITH THE NEWS

This month has been a doozy – and we’re only done with the first week. Here’s a few ways you can use Shortcuts to stay up-to-date on the latest news:

“Hey Siri, check Apple News”
With so much going on each day, it can be hard to keep track of timely information as well as your regular sources – use this and my other news shortcuts to dive in as needed.
“Hey Siri, check the front page”
Want to see how the day’s new is covered? Run this shortcut to grab a copy of the New York Times’ front page for any date.
“Hey Siri, remind me to vote”
If you don’t have a plan yet, Siri can help you make one – check out the other activism shortcuts you can use nowadays too.

ACTIONS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT

Shortcuts is full of handy actions that let you control your iOS devices in unique ways not otherwise accessible or even available at all – here’s a few examples:

FaceTime
Want better audio quality for your calls? Set the FaceTime action to “FaceTime Audio” and use it instead of the “Call” action.
Get Current Location
Want to tap into your phone’s GPS? Use Get Current Location and Get Details of Locations to grab your exact Latitude and Longitude coordinates.
Log Workout
Missed your workout or weren’t wearing an Apple Watch? Just add it to Health directly with Shortcuts.

DEEPER USES OF APPLE’S FALL UPDATES

I finally got my sync issues resolved—some conflicts from a June beta cropping up again seemed to be the issue—so my library is intact again. Meanwhile, I’m feeling the power of iOS 14 and watchOS 7 grow on me:

“Hey Siri, c hange Watch face”
This new free shortcut contains a series of menus for quickly changing your Apple Watch to a different face – you can even give them custom names. Plus, scroll to the bottom of this email for a sneak peak of my Apple Watch faces!
“Hey Siri, open Shortcuts”
This is the simplest of shortcuts, but I’ve been using it for one reason – to open back into Shortcuts from anywhere using Back Tap.
“Hey Siri, Red Five standing by”
I’m loving flying around in an X-Wing in Squadrons – and I happened to get into a certain beta that makes it quite the unique experience… on my iPhone. (I couldn’t resist on this one)

CATALOG UPDATES

I can’t believe it’s officially been one-month since I launched my membership – the support has been incredible and I look forward to sharing all my best stuff with you all. Here’s what’s new this week:

Spending as much time on Twitter as me?
Now you can get in and back out as quick as needed with my new set of Twitter shortcuts.
Having trouble focusing? Try Endel
My go-to tool for zoning in anytime I need to is the Endel app, an admittedly pricey tool but one that I can use to directly change my mood and create an intentional environment to live within – so of course I pressured them nicely into adding Shortcuts support.
Want to see my desk setup?
My production process has undergone a renewal, which also meant time for a new office layout. I shared the wide angle at the start of this email, but members can see the quick top-down V1 shot – I’ll be sharing links to everything in the coming weeks too!