How to Use Siri Shortcuts in iPhone?

With every new iOS update, Apple finds new ways to make Siri more useful and resourceful. With the latest update, users are now able to create and customize their own shortcuts even with third-party apps. For example, you can scan a barcode of product in a shop and check the availability in Amazon, Walmart and other stores that support the function. So, in this guide, we have written in-depth about how to effectively utilize Siri shortcuts and maximize your productivity everyday. In order to make use of the shortcut function your iPhone must be running the iOS version later than 12.

What is Siri?

Siri is the AI assistant for Apple devices and is controlled by voice activation. The phrase “Hey Siri” activates Siri and opens the dialogue box for you to speak the command you want Siri to carry out. Siri first debuted on the Apple platform in 2011, since then it has been fitted with many cool features and actions making it powerful and useful.

So, you want to begin setting your own shortcuts but you don’t know where to start? Go over to Siri and search and start creating your shortcuts right away. Siri shortcuts give you the flexibility to create and personalize your own shortcut and activation phrase and you can set as many as you want. The important thing is to set a phrase that you can remember when you want to use. In addition, Siri also recommends suggestions based on your usage.

How to Setup Siri Shortcuts in iPhone?

You can set up personalized shortcuts for Siri to perform actions quicker and can be activated by a special pre-recorded phrase. To add a shortcut:

• Go to “Settings” on your iPhone and tap on “Siri & Search” option.
• You can see different options like suggested shortcuts and tap “All Shortcuts” option for an extended list of shortcut actions across different apps.

• Let’s say you want to open alarm clock using Siri shortcut. Tap on the blue plus sign against the clock app.

• Record a special phrase by tapping the red record button. The special phrase activates the shortcut when you speak to Siri.

• In our case, we record a shortcut as “open alarm”. Click “Done” to save the shortcut.

Now that you can anytime use “open alarm” to Siri to directly open the clock app. Also, you can edit the Siri shortcut anytime to change the phrase.

Setting Up Shortcuts with Third-Party Apps

The steps we outlined above only show how to set up a shortcut in Siri. As we said earlier in this guide third party apps also have been given access to Siri shortcuts functionalities. Here, we would show you how to add Twitter to your shortcuts since Twitter app supports this function.

• Tap on the “Settings” app on your iPhone, scroll the settings page.
• Click on “Siri and search” option.
• Scroll till you find the Twitter icon and click on it.

• Click on “shortcuts” then click on any of the suggested shortcuts. We use the “New Tweet” shortcut in this example.

• Using the record button, save the voice command to use whenever you want to create a new tweet. For example, you can use the phrase as “new tweet”.
• Click done and save your command.
• Once you say “Hey Siri, new tweet” your Twitter app opens with the new tweet section for you to write.

Using Siri Shortcuts

In order to properly utilize the shortcut you have added, say the pre-recorded phrase you saved to activate your shortcut. For example, if you saved the phrase “call a cab” (as a shortcut for your Uber app), you just have to say “Hey Siri, call a Cab”

The “Hey Siri” is to ensure that Siri is listening so it can carry out the command and call a cab through your Uber app. This is the simple way you run your shortcut commands on Siri. So as long as you remember your pre-recorded activation phrase using Siri shortcuts would be easy as pie. Remember, you should enable “Listen for “Hey Siri”” option under “Siri & Search” settings.

Deleting or Editing a Shortcut

The same way you can add shortcuts, you can delete them as well. If you get tired of a particular shortcut you can delete it by following these steps:

• From your settings go to “Siri and search”
• Click on my shortcuts.
• Scroll to find and swipe left oner the shortcut you want to delete.
• Tap the delete button.

Turning Off Suggested Shortcuts

If you don’t want to see any suggestions from Siri or you don’t want to see suggestions or shortcuts from some specific apps, just go to Settings, then click “Siri & Search” option. Now you can edit all your suggestion preferences.

Conclusion

Siri shortcuts is a great and dynamic way to interact with your iPhone. Using Siri to navigate your phone, call a cab, make a new tweet or fetch your travel plans are just some of the possibilities that using shortcuts offer you. Apple through Siri has made it possible for you to make your everyday tasks simpler by just adding shortcuts.