Handy iPhone and iPad Shortcuts You Should Check Out - GeekWebGuides
Skip to Content

Handy iPhone and iPad Shortcuts You Should Check Out

With the launch of iOS 13, Apple introduced Shortcuts support and the Shortcuts app, adding a whole range of new functionality to the iPhone. Shortcuts have continued to be popular since their debut, and in iOS 14, the addition of Home screen widgets made it even easier to get to your Shortcuts, so we thought we'd round up some of our most useful Shortcut options for iPhone and iPad.

  • Photos Toolkit - Photos ToolKit is an all-in-one shortcut that can resize images, convert images to different formats, rotate images, combine images in a collage, make GIFs, and more.
  • Make PDF - As the name suggests, the Make PDF shortcut can turn documents and webpages into PDFs.
  • Apple Frames - Apple Frames from from MacStories' Federico Viticci adds frames to screenshots taken with your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch and makes them look nicer. It's a favorite that we use often here at GeekWebGuides.
  • Dictate to Notes - With Dictate to Notes, you can use voice dictation to create a note in the Notes app, which is useful for jotting down quick thoughts without having to type something out.
  • YouTube PiP - If you want to be able to watch YouTube in Picture in Picture mode on the iPhone, this is the app for you. With an app called Scriptable, when you run YouTube PiP through the Share Sheet, it will open a YouTube video in a floating window.
  • Music Finder - To identify a song that's playing nearby you can use Shazam, but Shazam saves music to Apple Music, which is not ideal if you're a Spotify user. Music Finder identifies a song and saves it to your Spotify playlist.
  • Set AirPlay - Set AirPlay makes it easier to swap between your iPhone and your other AirPlay devices, saving you a few taps if you want to switch sources quickly.
  • Url Shortener - URL Shortener makes long and unsightly URLs shorter, which is useful when you need to share a naked URL. It lives in the Share Sheet, so all you have to do is select the Shorten URL option when viewing a website and it will generate a short URL. Alternatively, you can copy a link and run it from the Shortcuts app, which will shorten the last copied URL.

Do you have a favorite Shortcut? Let us know in the comments and we may feature it in a future video.

Popular Stories

iPhone Duo Trio

Here's What Apple's Apps Look Like on the iPhone Duo

Tuesday October 20, 2026 11:12 am PDT by
With just three days to go until the iPhone Duo is released, Apple is getting ready for the launch. Behind the scenes, the App Store now has screenshots of Apple's built-in apps running on the Duo. We've seen some apps in marketing materials, but images of the ones we haven't seen give us an idea of what it will be like using the iPhone Duo day to day. Many apps are shown in landscape...
Apple Creator Studio iWork suite

Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]

Thursday October 22, 2026 11:01 am PDT by
Apple has temporarily removed Keynote, Pages, and Numbers from the App Store, just after releasing an update that added iPhone Duo support and a new Intelligent Assistant. It is not clear if the apps were removed intentionally, or if it is a bug. Apple has not said when the apps will be reinstated, but if it was in error, they should return soon. Update: The Mac versions are back without...
M5 MacBook Pro

RIP, MacBook Ultra

Monday October 19, 2026 9:37 am PDT by
Apple today sent out invites for an experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, and the "Pro and tell" tagline on the invitation likely means that the rumored MacBook models with touch-enabled OLED displays will stick with MacBook Pro branding instead of the once-rumored "MacBook Ultra" name. The long-rumored "iPhone Ultra" ended up being named iPhone Duo, so speculation that Apple...

Top Rated Comments

ericgtr12 Avatar
73 months ago

It’s still there, just press and hold on the space bar.
Dude! Thanks so much, tip toes out with dunce cap on :oops:
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pdaholic Avatar
73 months ago

One thing I really miss is the ability to force touch to move the cursor around, it feels like removing that was a step backwards.
It’s still there, just press and hold on the space bar.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73 months ago
I wish I could find a good use for shortcuts on either my iPhone or iPad. The only one I ever used regularly was texting my wife "on my way" when I left work, which I haven't used in roughly a year. I'll have to check some of these out.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73 months ago
Don’t use shortcuts at all and strangely I after watching the video I feel like I have to spend all weekend to get these to work...
Am I getting old? 😅🙃
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73 months ago
When my son is gaming, in his upstairs room, with headphones on, it's usually difficult to get a message through to him (like Dinner's ready). So I use this shortcut:
-Send message to <my-sons-profilename> through Discord (the preferred message app for gamers, I also have a profile)
-Flash the smartbulb in his room on/off twice - then he knows some sent him a message.

Better than yelling really loud :-)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wbeasley Avatar
73 months ago
so the concept sounds great but then you see very few comments about how life changing these are... too much effort?
do i really want a button to "phone home i'm running late"? which you can pretty much do even with a quick chat to Sire.

it sort of feels like a solution looking for a problem.

widget are in the same boat.
i have a few on an Android phone.
but do i want to move all the icons around to whack a few space grabbing widgets?
anything I use often I put on the bottom app tab or the home page.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
iPhone Duo Launch Begins as First Orders Reach Customers
iPhone Duo Launch Begins as First Orders Reach Customers
6 hours ago
1Password for Agents Keeps Your Passwords Hidden From AI
1Password for Agents Keeps Your Passwords Hidden From AI
7 hours ago
iPhone Duo 24 Hours Later: Your Questions Answered
iPhone Duo 24 Hours Later: Your Questions Answered
7 hours ago
Apple's iWork Apps Get 'Intelligent Assistant' and iPhone Duo Support
Apple's iWork Apps Get 'Intelligent Assistant' and iPhone Duo Support
8 hours ago
Apple is Apparently Considering a Slightly Larger iPhone Duo
Apple is Apparently Considering a Slightly Larger iPhone Duo
8 hours ago
Giant iPhone Duo Displays Coming to Four Apple Stores
Giant iPhone Duo Displays Coming to Four Apple Stores
9 hours ago
Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]
Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]
10 hours ago
Apple Updates More Apps With iPhone Duo Support
Apple Updates More Apps With iPhone Duo Support
11 hours ago
Apple Will Label Apps 'Made for iPhone Duo' in App Store
Apple Will Label Apps 'Made for iPhone Duo' in App Store
13 hours ago
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
14 hours ago
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
15 hours ago
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
15 hours ago
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
16 hours ago
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
17 hours ago
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
17 hours ago
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
21 hours ago
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
22 hours ago
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
22 hours ago
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
22 hours ago
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
23 hours ago
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
23 hours ago
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
1 day ago
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
1 day ago
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
1 day ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
1 day ago
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
1 day ago
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
1 day ago
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
1 day ago