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iPhone Productivity Shortcuts

Jun 20, 2025

Overview

The video presents ten practical Apple Shortcuts and automations that enhance daily productivity with iPhones, covering tasks from time management and notifications to home automation and AI integration.

Morning Report Automation

  • Sends a daily text message summarizing today's date, weather, location, and calendar events upon stopping the wake-up alarm.
  • Allows customization for a morning or nighttime report based on user preference.

Auto Low Power Mode

  • Automatically enables low power mode when battery falls below 20%, helping conserve battery during travel or long days.

Time-of-Day Scene Activation

  • Uses the action button to trigger different home scenes and Focus modes in the office based on current time (e.g., workday vs. after hours).

Social Media Timer Shortcut

  • Prompts a menu when opening Instagram or TikTok to set, resume, or check a 15-minute timer, helping limit time spent on social media.

Grocery List Location Automation

  • Automatically brings up the grocery list in the Reminders app upon arriving at a specified store location.

Tip Split and Receipt Save

  • Calculates tips and splits bills with friends, then saves a photo of the receipt for future reference or tax purposes.

Nap Shortcut

  • Sets a 35-minute nap alarm, enables Do Not Disturb mode, waits for the nap duration, then disables Do Not Disturb automatically.

Don't Be Late (Work Alarm & Travel)

  • Checks calendar for today's work event, calculates travel time based on current traffic, sets an alarm accordingly, and cleans up old work alarms.

Ask ChatGPT Shortcut

  • Provides text and voice interface to ChatGPT for quick queries or live conversation, offering responses and a conversation summary.

Action Button Menu Shortcut

  • Allows the iPhone action button to trigger a custom menu of multiple shortcuts (e.g., office scenes, paying bills, AI assistant) rather than a single function.

Decisions

  • Send notifications via text instead of push for persistent daily schedule.
  • Combine multiple shortcuts under action button for expanded functionality.

Action Items

  • TBD – Viewers: Download preferred shortcuts from the linked description.
  • TBD – Viewers: Comment with shortcut ideas for potential follow-up videos.
  • TBD – Viewers: Subscribe to the channel for more shortcut tips and updates.

Sure! Here is your updated main notes section with the detailed specific instructions for each shortcut included:

Overview

The video presents ten practical Apple Shortcuts and automations that enhance daily productivity with iPhones, covering tasks from time management and notifications to home automation and AI integration.

Morning Report Automation

Goal: When you stop your wake-up alarm, receive a text message with today’s date, weather, location, and calendar events.

Instructions:

  1. Open the Shortcuts app.
  2. Tap Automation at the bottom.
  3. Tap the + icon (top right) → Create Personal Automation.
  4. Scroll down and select Alarm.
  5. Choose Is Stopped → select your wake-up alarm → tap Next.
  6. Tap Add Action.
  7. Search for and add your custom shortcut (e.g., "Upcoming Day Summary") or create one with these actions:
    • Get Current Date
    • Get Current Location
    • Get Weather at Current Location
    • Find Calendar Events where start date is today, sorted by start date.
    • Use Repeat with Each to format event titles and times.
    • Combine all info into a text message.
  8. Add Send Message action:
    • Set recipient as your own phone number.
    • Message content is the compiled summary.
  9. Tap Next → disable Ask Before Running → tap Done.

Auto Low Power Mode

Goal: Automatically enable Low Power Mode when battery falls below 20%.

Instructions:

  1. Open Shortcuts → Automation → tap + → Create Personal Automation.
  2. Scroll and select Battery Level.
  3. Set slider to Falls Below 20% → tap Next.
  4. Tap Add Action → search Set Low Power Mode → select Turn Low Power Mode On.
  5. Tap Next → disable Ask Before Running → tap Done.

Time-of-Day Scene Activation (Using Action Button)

Goal: Use the Action Button to toggle home scenes and Focus mode based on time of day.

Instructions:

  1. Open Shortcuts → tap + → Create Shortcut.
  2. Add Get Current Date.
  3. Add Format Date:
    • Tap Date Format → choose Custom.
    • Enter format string: HH (24-hour hour).
  4. Add If action:
    • Condition: If formatted date is Greater Than or Equal to 7 AND Less Than 17.
  5. In the If True branch:
    • Add Control Home → select your "Start Work" scene.
    • Add Set Focus → turn Work Focus On.
  6. In the Otherwise branch:
    • Add Control Home → select your "End Work" scene.
    • Add Set Focus → turn Work Focus Off.
  7. Name the shortcut (e.g., "Office Scene Toggle").
  8. Go to Settings → Action Button → assign this shortcut to the button.

Social Media Timer Shortcut

Goal: When opening Instagram or TikTok, prompt to set or check a 15-minute timer.

Instructions:

  1. Open Shortcuts → Automation → tap + → Create Personal Automation.
  2. Select App.
  3. Tap Choose → select Instagram and TikTok → tap Done.
  4. Set trigger to Is Opened → tap Next.
  5. Tap Add Action → add your custom "Social Media Timer" shortcut or create one:
    • Add Choose from Menu with options:
      • Set 15-minute timer
      • Resume timer
      • Get time left
    • Add corresponding timer actions for each menu item.
  6. Tap Next → disable Ask Before Running → tap Done.

Grocery List Location Automation

Goal: Automatically open your grocery list when arriving at the store.

Instructions:

  1. Open Shortcuts → Automation → tap + → Create Personal Automation.
  2. Select Arrive.
  3. Tap Choose Location → search and select your grocery store (e.g., Sprouts).
  4. Set radius if needed → tap Next.
  5. Tap Add Action → search Open Reminders List.
  6. Select your grocery list.
  7. Tap Next → disable Ask Before Running → tap Done.

Tip Split and Receipt Save Shortcut

Goal: Calculate tip, split bill, and save receipt photo.

Instructions:

  1. Create a new shortcut.
  2. Add Ask for Input actions:
    • Restaurant name (Text)
    • Total bill amount (Number)
    • Tip percentage (Number)
    • Number of people splitting (Number)
  3. Calculate tip amount and total per person using Calculate actions.
  4. Show a Summary with amounts owed.
  5. Add Ask to Take Photo or Scan Document action to save receipt.
  6. Save photo to a folder in Files or Photos.
  7. Name and save the shortcut.

Nap Shortcut

Goal: Set a 35-minute nap alarm, enable Do Not Disturb, then disable it automatically.

Instructions:

  1. Create a new shortcut.
  2. Add Set Alarm action:
    • Set alarm for 35 minutes from now.
  3. Add Set Focus → turn Do Not Disturb On.
  4. Add Wait action:
    • Set to 35 minutes and 30 seconds (2,130 seconds).
  5. Add Set Focus → turn Do Not Disturb Off.
  6. Name and save the shortcut.

Don't Be Late Shortcut

Goal: Set an alarm to leave for work on time based on calendar and traffic.

Instructions:

  1. Create a new shortcut.
  2. Add Find Calendar Events:
    • Filter: Title contains "work", start date is today.
  3. Add Get Travel Time:
    • From current location to work address.
  4. Calculate total time: travel time + 5 minutes prep.
  5. Add Find All Alarms labeled "leave for work".
  6. Add Delete Alarms action for those alarms.
  7. Add Set Alarm for calculated leave time.
  8. In shortcut settings, enable Allow Deleting Without Confirmation.
  9. Name and save the shortcut.

Ask ChatGPT Shortcut

Goal: Text or voice interface to ChatGPT from your iPhone.

Instructions:

  1. Download the ChatGPT app from the App Store.
  2. Open Shortcuts → tap + → Create Shortcut.
  3. Tap Add Action → search ChatGPT.
  4. Choose either:
    • Ask ChatGPT (text input), or
    • Start Voice Conversation with ChatGPT.
  5. Set input variable to Ask Each Time.
  6. Name and save the shortcut.

Action Button Menu Shortcut

Goal: Use the Action Button to open a menu of multiple shortcuts.

Instructions:

  1. Create a new shortcut.
  2. Add Choose from Menu action.
  3. Add menu items with titles of your favorite shortcuts (e.g., "Office Scene", "Tip Split", "Nap", "ChatGPT").
  4. For each menu item, add Run Shortcut action and select the corresponding shortcut.
  5. Name the shortcut (e.g., "Action Button Menu").
  6. Assign this shortcut to the iPhone's Action Button in Settings.

Decisions

  • Send notifications via text instead of push for persistent daily schedule.
  • Combine multiple shortcuts under action button for expanded functionality.

Action Items

  • TBD – Viewers: Download preferred shortcuts from the linked description.
  • TBD – Viewers: Comment with shortcut ideas for potential follow-up videos.
  • TBD – Viewers: Subscribe to the channel for more shortcut tips and updates.

Let me know if you want me to help you create or customize any of these shortcuts!

Full transcript