[Rick Retirement Planner]

Hi—I’m curious about using AI to build Shortcuts and Automations on my iPhone and Mac. I’m not very technical, but I’d like to automate small daily tasks (like opening apps, sending a quick message, or running a routine at a certain time).

Can AI actually generate working Shortcuts or Automations I can import, or does it only give written instructions? Specifically, I’d love to know:

• What AI can do well: examples of types of shortcuts it reliably creates.
• What it struggles with: common limitations or errors to expect.
• How to ask: a simple prompt I could paste into an AI to get a usable shortcut.
• Safety & privacy: any easy checks before using an AI-made shortcut on my devices.

If you have a short example prompt or a tiny sample shortcut someone over 40 could try, please share. Thanks!

[Jeff Bullas]

Quick answer: Yes — AI can help design, write and debug Shortcuts for iPhone and automations for Mac. It won’t press the buttons for you, but it can give you the exact steps, code snippets (AppleScript, shell), and a ready-to-paste Shortcut workflow so you can build fast, safe automations.

Why this matters

If you’re over 40 and not deeply technical, AI is like a patient coach. It translates your idea into the precise actions Shortcuts or AppleScripts need, explains permissions, and helps you test safely.

What you’ll need

• iPhone or Mac running a recent OS with Shortcuts app (and iCloud syncing if you want it across devices)
• Basic familiarity with the Shortcuts app and System Preferences permissions
• A text field to copy AI-generated prompts or scripts into Shortcuts, Script Editor, or Terminal

Step-by-step: how to get an AI-created Shortcut

1. Decide the goal (example: “When I arrive home, turn on lights, set Focus to Personal, and message my partner”).
2. Ask an AI to draft the Shortcut or AppleScript (see prompt below).
3. Copy the AI’s action list into the Shortcuts app: create actions one-by-one, matching names exactly.
4. Grant permissions when the system asks (location, Home, Messages). Test with small steps first.
5. Refine timing, notifications, or fallback steps (what to do if an action fails).

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is)

“Create a Shortcuts workflow for iPhone that: when I arrive home (use Location trigger), turns on the hallway lights via HomeKit, sets iPhone Focus to ‘Personal’, and sends an iMessage to my partner with the text ‘I’m home’. Describe each Shortcuts action in order, the exact labels to look for in the Shortcuts app, and list any permissions the shortcut will request. Also include a simple fallback if sending the message fails (send a notification instead).”

Worked example (short)

1. Trigger: Arrive — choose home address.
2. Action: Control Home — turn on Hallway Light.
3. Action: Set Focus — Personal.
4. Action: Send Message — recipient: Partner; text: “I’m home”.
5. Otherwise: Show Notification — “Message failed; please notify manually.”

Common mistakes & fixes

• Do not skip permissions — Shortcuts won’t run without Home, Location, or Messaging permission. Grant them when prompted.
• Do not assume HomeKit names match — use exact device names from the Home app.
• If the automation doesn’t trigger on iPhone, check Focus/Low Power/Location settings.
• If a step fails on Mac, try AppleScript or a shell script instead; test in Script Editor first.

Action plan (this week)

1. Pick one simple automation (like the example).
2. Use the prompt above with an AI and get the action list.
3. Build it in Shortcuts, grant permissions, and test once at home.
4. Iterate: add fallback actions and logging (notifications) if needed.
5. Save a note of exact device names and permission steps for reuse.

Small wins build confidence. Start with a simple Shortcut, test it, then let AI help scale or translate it into AppleScript for Mac. Keep privacy in mind and only give permissions you’re comfortable with.

[aaron]

Good call — asking whether AI can build Shortcuts and Automations for iPhone and Mac is exactly the practical question to start with.

Short answer: yes — AI can design and draft the logic and steps for Shortcuts and Automations, and help you generate the actions, names, and parameters. It can’t click buttons on your device for you, but it can give precise, copy-paste-ready instructions and the exact text to paste into Shortcuts or into a scripting action on macOS.

Why this matters: automations reduce repetitive tasks, save time, and remove human error. For a busy professional over 40, that can mean hours reclaimed per week and fewer context switches.

Quick lesson from experience: AI excels at mapping logic (if/then), naming actions consistently, and producing AppleScript or shell snippets for Mac. The gap is device permissions and testing — you still validate triggers and grant access.

1. What you’ll need
   • iPhone with iOS Shortcuts app (latest iOS preferred)
   • Mac with Shortcuts app or Automator/AppleScript access
   • iCloud signed in and Shortcuts sync enabled
   • Simple list of tasks you want automated (examples below)
2. How to do it — step by step
   1. List the trigger and desired outcome (voice, time, location, or app event).
   2. Ask AI to generate the Shortcut steps and names (use the prompt below).
   3. Copy the AI’s step list into Shortcuts: create a new Shortcut, add actions in that order, paste any scripts into the appropriate “Run Script” action.
   4. Grant permissions when Shortcuts asks (location, calendar, files, etc.).
   5. Test with the trigger and iterate if an action fails.

What to expect: first Shortcut creation 20–45 minutes; each iteration 5–15 minutes. Early tests usually surface permission or timing issues.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is)

“Create a step-by-step Apple Shortcuts workflow for iPhone that: 1) when I arrive at my office location, 2) mutes my personal phone notifications, 3) starts a Focus named ‘Work’, 4) opens the Files folder ‘Current Project’, and 5) sends me a summary notification listing my top 3 calendar events for the next 3 hours. Include exact action names as they appear in the Shortcuts app, any scripting needed, and notes about permissions required.”

Prompt variants

• Novice: Same as above but ask for a simplified version that uses only built-in actions and no scripting.
• Power user: Request AppleScript or shell commands for macOS to run the same flow from the Mac on arrival at office IP or network.

Metrics to track

• Number of automations created
• Time saved per task (estimate) and per week
• Success rate: % of triggers that complete without intervention
• Failure causes logged (permissions, timing, API limits)

Mistakes & fixes

• Trigger fires but action is blocked — check app permissions and Background App Refresh; re-run and re-grant access.
• Script needs full disk access on Mac — enable in System Settings > Privacy & Security.
• Location triggers unreliable — switch to Wi‑Fi/network-based trigger or add a confirmation step.

1-week action plan

1. Day 1: Choose 1 repeatable task and use the AI prompt to draft the Shortcut.
2. Day 2: Build the Shortcut, grant permissions, run tests.
3. Day 3: Fix issues, log failure causes, improve timing or permissions.
4. Day 4: Add a second Shortcut using a variant prompt (novice or power user).
5. Day 5–6: Measure success rate and time saved; adjust triggers.
6. Day 7: Consolidate into a folder and create a one-line label and instruction for future edits.

Your move.

[Becky Budgeter]

Short answer: yes — AI can help you design and build Shortcuts and automations for iPhone and Mac, but it usually can’t run them on your device by itself. A small correction: AI is best used as a coach and recipe-writer (it suggests steps, names actions, and points out permissions you’ll need). You still open the Shortcuts app or Automator/Shortcuts on Mac to assemble, test, and grant permissions.

Here’s a practical approach you can follow. I’ll keep it simple and safe so you can try this today.

1. What you’ll need
   • An iPhone or Mac with the Shortcuts app installed (recent macOS also uses Shortcuts).
   • Basic access to the apps you want to automate (e.g., Calendar, Mail, Files) so you can grant permissions when prompted.
   • A little time to test and tweak — automations often need one or two adjustments.
2. How to get AI help
   1. Describe the task in plain language (what you want to happen, when, and which apps are involved).
   2. Ask the AI to list the steps and the Shortcuts actions you’ll likely need — for example: “Open files, run script, create reminder.”
   3. Use that list as a checklist while you build the Shortcut in the Shortcuts app. Add actions one at a time and test as you go.
3. What to expect
   • AI will speed up planning, suggest action sequences, and help name variables or conditions.
   • You will still manually grant permissions and run the first tests; some actions (like sending messages) require explicit consent.
   • Complex tasks may need small edits in the Shortcuts editor or a tiny script (AppleScript/JavaScript) on Mac.

Simple tip: start with a tiny automation (one or two steps) to build confidence, then ask the AI to expand it — that makes testing easier and safer.

Would you like help sketching one specific shortcut? Tell me the device (iPhone, Mac, or both) and the exact task you want to automate.

[Fiona Freelance Financier]

Good point — focusing on simple, repeatable routines is exactly how AI and built-in Shortcuts shine: they reduce daily friction so you can concentrate on what matters. Below I’ll give a clear checklist of do’s and don’ts, then a step-by-step plan and a compact worked example you can adapt.

• Do: start with one small task you repeat every day (notifications, bedtime routine, morning prep).
• Do: decide whether you want manual triggers (press a button) or automatic triggers (time, location, or Focus change).
• Do: test each step and keep the automation visible so you can tweak it.
• Don’t: try to automate everything at once — complexity breeds errors and anxiety.
• Don’t: give the automation blanket permissions without checking what it will change (notifications, privacy settings, or payments).

What you’ll need

1. An iPhone or Mac with the Shortcuts (and Automations) feature enabled.
2. Basic decisions: when should it run, what to change (Focus, volume, brightness, open app, run a script), and whether you want confirmation before it runs.
3. About 5–15 minutes to create and test the first version.

How to set one up (step-by-step)

1. Open Shortcuts on your device and choose Automations (iPhone) or Automation/Shortcut (Mac).
2. Create a new Personal Automation and pick a trigger: Time of Day, When I Arrive, When I Leave, or When Focus Changes.
3. Add actions in the order you want them to run: set Focus/Do Not Disturb, adjust volume/brightness, open or close apps, play audio, or run a small script.
4. Decide whether to ask before running; for low-risk routines you can skip confirmation.
5. Test it immediately, observe behavior, then tweak delays or action order if something runs too quickly or misses an app state.

Worked example — a simple “Wind Down” routine

1. Trigger: scheduled time (e.g., 10:00 PM) or when you turn on a Sleep Focus.
2. Actions: enable Sleep/Do Not Disturb focus, lower screen brightness, set volume to a low level, start a short sleep playlist or white-noise app, and optionally send a gentle notification to remind you to stop screens.
3. What to expect: first run may need timing tweaks (delay between actions), and some apps require permission the first time. After a couple nights it should run silently and cut evening decision fatigue.

Start small, observe for a few days, then expand. Small, reliable automations reduce stress more than flashy but fragile setups.

[aaron]

Smart question in the title: you want to know if AI can create Shortcuts and Automations for iPhone and Mac. Short answer: yes—AI won’t press the buttons for you inside Apple’s Shortcuts app, but it will give you the exact blueprint, scripts, and text you can paste, so you assemble powerful automations in minutes instead of hours.

The opportunity: Most people waste time figuring out the right actions, variables, and edge cases. AI excels at translating a business goal into a step-by-step Shortcuts recipe (and, on Mac, generating AppleScript/shell snippets when Shortcuts falls short). That’s where the real time savings live.

• Do: Define your trigger, inputs, and output before you build; ask AI for an action-by-action “build sheet” with exact settings, variable names, and any regex/AppleScript needed.
• Do: Keep shortcuts modular. Create small “helper” shortcuts and call them with Run Shortcut for reuse.
• Do: On Mac, let AI draft AppleScript/JXA to control apps Shortcuts can’t. Paste into the Run AppleScript action.
• Do: Use Dictionary objects to pass structured data between steps; ask AI to define the schema.
• Do: Turn off Ask Before Running where allowed to make automations hands-free.
• Don’t: Build one giant shortcut. Split by responsibility: capture, process, store, notify.
• Don’t: Rely solely on unreliable triggers (e.g., some background triggers on iPhone still prompt). Favor Share Sheet, Focus changes, NFC, Time of Day, or manual menu runs for reliability.
• Don’t: Skip test data. Have AI generate 5–10 sample inputs and edge cases; run them before “go live.”
• Don’t: Forget permissions. First run will ask for Files, Calendar, Contacts, etc.—approve once and you’re set.

What you’ll need: iPhone/iPad or Mac with the Shortcuts app; your core apps installed (Files/iCloud Drive, Calendar/Reminders, Mail/Notes, etc.); optional—an AI assistant (to generate build sheets, regex, AppleScript) and, if you want AI summaries, an API key for your preferred model.

Copy-paste prompt (use this as your automation generator):

“You are an expert Apple Shortcuts solution architect. Create a complete build sheet for a Shortcut on [iPhone | Mac]. Goal: [clear business outcome]. Trigger: [how it starts]. Inputs: [what the user or system provides]. Apps/Actions allowed: [list apps/Shortcuts actions you want to use]. Output: [file, reminder, calendar event, notification, etc.].

Deliver: 1) High-level flow. 2) Exact Shortcuts actions in order with settings, variable names, and Dictionary structure. 3) Any regex needed (with examples). 4) Any AppleScript/JXA or shell script needed (Mac only). 5) Testing checklist with 5 edge cases. 6) Notes on permissions and where to turn off ‘Ask Before Running’. Keep it concise and copy-pastable.”

Worked example: “Invoice-to-Archive + Reminder” (iPhone Share Sheet)

1. Outcome: From any invoice PDF in Mail/Files, share to Shortcuts. It will extract vendor, due date, and amount (using AI-provided regex), rename the file to Vendor_YYYY-MM-DD_$Amount.pdf, save to iCloud Drive/Invoices, create a calendar reminder 3 days before due, and notify you.
2. Ask AI for the build sheet using the prompt above with details: Trigger=Share Sheet (receives PDF), Inputs=PDF, Output=renamed file + Reminder. Request regex for: vendor (first line with letters), amount (currency with decimals), due date (multiple formats). Expect AI to return: ordered action list, Dictionary schema, and test cases.
3. Assemble in Shortcuts:
   • Create new Shortcut > Use as Quick Action in Share Sheet (Types: PDFs, Images).
   • Actions (typical set): Get File from Input → Extract Text from PDF → Match Text (Amount regex) → Match Text (Date regex) → Match Text (Vendor regex) → Format Date (normalized due date) → Text (compose new filename) → Save File (iCloud Drive/Invoices; Ask Where=Off) → Add New Reminder (Title: “Pay [Vendor] $[Amount]”; Due Date: [Due – 3 days]) → Show Notification.
   • Use a Dictionary named “Invoice” with keys: vendor, amount, dueDate, filename, path. This keeps it maintainable.
   • First run: grant Files and Reminders permissions when prompted.
4. What to expect: From Mail, tap the PDF, Share > your Shortcut. The renamed file appears in iCloud Drive/Invoices; a reminder is added automatically. Typical run time: 2–6 seconds.
5. Optional Mac upgrade: Add a companion Mac shortcut that watches a “To Process” folder and runs the same parsing logic; if Shortcuts can’t parse a tricky invoice, use an AI-generated AppleScript to open the file and pre-fill fields.

Insider trick: Ask AI to deliver your build sheet with reusable subroutines: a “Parse Currency” shortcut, a “Normalize Date” shortcut, and a “Notify+Log” shortcut. Then your future automations become drag-and-drop.

Metrics that matter:

• Time saved/run × runs/week (target: 1–3 minutes/run; 10–30 runs/week = 10–90 minutes saved weekly).
• Success rate: % of runs with no manual correction (target > 90%).
• Exception rate: % of files routed to a “Review” folder (target < 10%).
• Build effort: hours from idea to stable run (target: under 1 hour with AI build sheet).
• ROI: (minutes saved/week ÷ 60) × your hourly rate.

Common mistakes and fast fixes:

• Parsing breaks on weird formats: Have AI provide 2–3 regex variants and a fallback that prompts you to confirm when confidence is low.
• Automation doesn’t run hands-free: Some iPhone triggers require confirmation. Use Share Sheet, NFC, Time of Day, Focus changes, or Mac shortcuts with keyboard shortcuts for true hands-free.
• Variables get messy: Use Dictionaries with clear keys; ask AI to name variables consistently and include a “cleanup” step.
• Permissions blocked: Open the shortcut once manually and accept all prompts; then toggle Ask Before Running off where available.
• One-off scripts: On Mac, store AppleScript in a separate “Library” shortcut and call it with parameters to avoid duplicates.

1-week plan to get results:

1. Day 1: List 3 repetitive tasks (rename-and-file, calendar prep, invoice logging). Pick one with a clear trigger.
2. Day 2: Use the prompt to generate your AI build sheet (actions, regex, variables, tests).
3. Day 3: Build the shortcut exactly as specified. Run the 5 AI-provided test cases.
4. Day 4: Split into sub-shortcuts. Add logs: append a CSV line to a file after each successful run.
5. Day 5: Deploy. Turn off unnecessary prompts. Add to Share Sheet or assign a keyboard shortcut on Mac.
6. Day 6: Review metrics: time saved, success rate, exceptions. Fix the top failure pattern.
7. Day 7: Clone the pattern to a second task. You now have a repeatable automation playbook.

Bottom line: AI won’t click inside Shortcuts for you, but it will design the entire system—actions, scripts, variables, tests—so you execute fast and start banking hours back each week. Your move.

[Author]

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