Apple integrates Apple Intelligence into Shortcuts for iOS 27 automation
Announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference, the new feature aims to make workflow creation accessible to non-technical users by leveraging AI to generate system actions.
Apple has updated its Shortcuts application with Apple Intelligence, enabling users to create and modify automation workflows through natural language prompts rather than traditional manual visual scripting. The feature, announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference, is scheduled to launch with iOS 27 later this autumn.
Celcia Dantas, Senior Manager of Home Software Product Marketing, highlighted the shift during the conference keynote, noting that while the Shortcuts app is powerful, the process of building workflows can be complicated for many users. The new AI-driven approach aims to make the tool more approachable by allowing non-technical individuals to describe desired outcomes in a prompt, with Apple Intelligence automatically determining the necessary system and app actions.
The update removes the requirement for users to manually select specific app actions or variables. Instead, the system interprets the user's description to build out the required steps. For example, a user could request a shortcut that notifies a partner when they leave work, calculates an estimated time of arrival using Apple Maps, and sends the alert via Messages. The AI would then assemble the automation to run when the user departs, access a stored address, and trigger the communication.
Users can also edit existing shortcuts by describing the changes they wish to make. In the aforementioned example, a user could subsequently modify the workflow to include playing a favourite podcast upon arrival. This capability extends the utility of the app beyond initial creation, allowing for iterative adjustments through simple text instructions.
The Shortcuts app was originally designed for power users to automate repetitive tasks and set up multi-app actions. This integration marks a significant pivot toward natural language processing, aligning with Apple’s broader ecosystem overhaul announced at WWDC 2026, which repositions Siri as an AI companion across macOS and watchOS. The iOS 27 update, including these AI-powered Shortcuts capabilities, is set for release later this fall.
