Apple's iOS 27.2 update, released days after iPhone Duo debuted in iOS 27.1, adds a new Shortcuts automation that triggers actions when the iPhone Duo device is opened or closed. The update also expands workout automation to the Fitness app, lets app-closed automations report which app closed, adds web-based multilingual support for the 'Use Model' action, and improves the Shortcut Editor with new macOS layout options and direct name/icon editing on iOS and iPadOS.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-29
A video demo from YouTuber Stephen Robles shows the folding iPhone Duo can trigger Shortcuts automations when the device is opened, closed, or either. Robles used the Open trigger to automatically launch a productivity app, and confirmed the Closed trigger could be set to lock the phone. Developer pdfu had previously found references to this feature in code last month, but this marks the first public video of it working.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-26
A hands-on test shows Apple Intelligence inside the Shortcuts app can generate automations from plain-language prompts, such as switching a screen to grayscale when opening Instagram. However, the generated shortcuts frequently fail to fully match the request, requiring manual edits or splitting tasks into multiple shortcuts to work correctly.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-17
Apple detailed a major update to its Shortcuts app coming with iOS 27, introducing more than 35 new actions covering Messages, Reminders, Photos, VPN and shortcut storage. The update also improves existing actions, including expanded logic support for 'If' statements, Markdown support in Notes, group chat messaging, and enhanced AI model capabilities in 'Use Model'.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-29
Developers digging through the iOS 27.2 beta code have found unreleased features beyond what's already visible in testing. Discoveries include a live countdown timer for upcoming Apple Music album releases, expanded third-party app support for Shortcuts' 'Describe a Shortcut' AI tool, and a new 'Drive Mode Theme' option for CarPlay Ultra that adjusts gauge styles, colors, and ambient lighting.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-21
Apple's Shortcuts app can be used to build a CarPlay automation that plays a custom audio clip whenever an iPhone connects to a vehicle's infotainment system. The feature works alongside, not in place of, a car's built-in startup chimes, and relies on a short audio file stored in the Files app.
engadget.com
· 2026-08-28
WIRED's Reece Rogers tested iOS 27's rebuilt Shortcuts app, which now includes an Apple Intelligence feature called 'Describe a Short' that lets users create automations by typing plain-language requests instead of manual scripting. Rogers, a longtime Shortcuts skeptic, says the tool successfully generated useful daily automations, including a habit-breaking shortcut that questions him whenever he opens Instagram, though some glitches occurred during beta testing.
wired.com
· 2026-08-23
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