Easily automate your Mac using Shortcuts and Apple Intelligence.
Shortcuts has been available on Mac since macOS Monterey, but it’s one of those utilities that many Mac users have never explored. At first it may seem too complicated. You have to know which actions to choose and how to link them, then hope that everything works out.
But macOS 27 Golden Gate changes that with Describe Shortcut, which lets you type exactly what you need and let shortcuts do the heavy lifting for you with AI. This doesn’t always work, but it makes the app much easier to use, especially if you’re not an expert.
If you’re not familiar with Shortcuts, it’s an automation tool where you create scripts to manage tasks on your devices. Apple’s own example is a shortcut that sends a text message to your spouse with an estimated arrival time based on traffic when you leave work. But you can get much more complex, like a shortcut that checks your calendar and the weather to give you a summary of what to expect today.
The possibilities are numerous, and now with macOS 27, it is much easier to master the application.
Creating shortcuts on your Mac is easy
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Creating a new shortcut takes a few seconds. Open it Shortcuts application on your Mac and click the icon More to enter a prompt. The more details you provide, the more likely the app is to successfully complete your shortcut. A command like “Clean up my downloads” may be too vague for the app to understand what you actually want. Instead, try something like “Every Friday, move everything in my Downloads folder older than 30 days into a folder called Archive.” You’re more likely to end up with a working shortcut when you provide clear details.
This is a good example of how shortcuts are useful for tasks you often forget to do; no one really cleans out their Downloads folder unless they’re trying to free up space. Additionally, you can check the result immediately by opening the folder and looking at what moved. If the shortcut has moved too far, re-enter the prompt with even more specific details.
A shortcut can also be useful for summarizing long text with Apple Intelligence. Try something like “Take the text from my clipboard, summarize it in three sentences, and save it as a new note.” » Then copy a long article or email, run the shortcut and you will have the short version in Notes.
Make your shortcuts easier to reach
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If a shortcut isn’t part of your regular routine, there’s a good chance you’ll forget about it after a while. Fortunately, you can assign a keyboard combination to a shortcut or pin it to the menu bar so you never forget it.
Choose the shortcut you want to adjust and click To modify. Go to Shortcut Details menu (the one with the information icon) and select Add a keyboard shortcut. To add it to the Control Center or Menu Bar, open Control center on your Mac (top right) and select Edit controls. There, all you need to do is add the Shortcuts app action, and you’re ready to go. Explore the Automation The tab is also a good idea for creating a seamless workflow of shortcuts that run autonomously when you need them.
Shortcuts aren’t the only part of macOS 27 that works on your behalf. Visual intelligence has its own key combination: Shift+Command+Space. After tapping it, select a window on the screen and ask Siri to answer questions about it or take action, like adding an event to your calendar. Try it on an email containing a date, for example. Siri can also run your shortcuts via voice, speaking of which.
Shortcuts and Siri AI require Apple Intelligence, which means you need a Mac with an M1 chip or later – Intel Mac users are out of luck. Additionally, some limitations may apply when using Apple’s AI models in Shortcuts. More complex prompts might reach a limit more quickly.
