Apple has added brand new Shortcuts to iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch with its latest round of software updates across its platforms.
Apple confirmed (opens in new tab) in a new support document that in iOS and iPadOS 16.2, macOS 13.1, and watchOS 9.2 the company has added new default actions including a new Books app, as well as tweaks and improvements to existing actions and reliability improvements to the Shortcuts editor and library.
New actions for Books include Shortcuts to; Open Book, Play Audiobook, Change Book Appearance, Change Page Navigation, Change View in Books, Open Collection, Search in Books, and Turn Page.
Hands-free reading
These Shortcuts are fantastic for hands-off leisurely reading, and can also be a great addition for users with accessibility needs who want to enjoy reading on their devices.
Apple has also added a new action that lets you switch between your wallpapers on iOS 16, as well as a new ‘Get Wallpaper’ Shortcut that returns all of the wallpapers added to the Lock Screen on iOS.
Updated actions include:
- Set Wallpaper Photo can now set photos for wallpapers that use iOS 16’s new widgets and customization options
- Get Battery State can now check charging state (charging, connected to charger)
- Edit Calendar Event can now set invitee status (declined or accepted)
- Find Calendar Events can filter events by number of attendees
- Find Health Samples can now return sleep phases (core, deep, REM) on iOS
- Set Parked Car now accepts locations other than the current location
- Speak Text runs more reliably when a shortcut is invoked as a part of an automation
- Start Timer now prompts to select a duration when set to “Ask Each Time” and run via Siri
Apple’s Shortcuts app can be used for all sorts of incredible quick actions on your iPhone, and is also the tool behind the fabulous Home Screen customization craze that started in iOS 14. You can read how to customize your app icons with the Shorcuts app here.
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