All 25+ New Shortcuts Actions Introduced in iOS 26: Here’s Everything You Can Do

Apple upgraded the Shortcuts app across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26. You now get new intelligent actions, deeper system integration, and the first full set of personal automations for Mac.



According to Apple’s support document, this is the app’s biggest update in years.



Shortcuts now connects with Apple Intelligence, letting you generate text, analyze images, and automate everyday actions across devices. It also introduces a cleaner editor, new icons, and faster workflows.



Major Additions



1. Intelligent Actions and Apple Intelligence Integration



Apple added a new “Use Model” action that connects directly to Apple Intelligence or ChatGPT. You can feed the model’s output into other steps of your shortcut, such as rewriting or summarizing text.The “Visual Intelligence” action brings image recognition to automation, while “Image Playground” generates visuals using AI tools built into iOS 26. These options expand creative and productivity workflows without leaving Shortcuts.



2. Writing Tools



Apple Intelligence also powers a full Writing Tools suite, including:




Adjust Tone of Text



Make List from Text



Make Table from Text



Proofread Text



Rewrite Text



Summarize Text




These tools automate text cleanup, structure, and tone adjustments directly in your workflows.



3. macOS Personal Automations



Apple confirmed that macOS now supports full personal automations. You can trigger shortcuts automatically using:




Time of Day (for example, 8 AM weekdays)



Message or Email received from specific people



File and Folder changes



Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Display connection



Battery level or charger status



Focus or Stage Manager toggles




This makes Mac automations as flexible as those on iPhone or iPad.



New App Actions



Apple listed over 25 new actions spread across system apps:



Freeform




Add Files to Board




Mail




Find Message




Messages




Find Message



Find Conversation




Photos




Rename Album



Search Photos



Create New Memory



Filter Library




Reminders




Show Quick Reminder




Screen Time




Get App & Website Data




Sports




Get Upcoming Sports Events




Stocks




Add Symbol to Watchlist



Delete Symbol from Watchlist




Weather




Add Location to List



Remove Locations from List




Voice Memos




Find Voice Recording




Use Model




Run Apple Intelligence or ChatGPT and feed the result into your shortcut




Visual Intelligence




Open Visual Intelligence




Writing Tools




Adjust Tone of Text



Make List from Text



Make Table from Text



Proofread Text



Rewrite Text



Summarize Text




Each of these lets Shortcuts handle everyday actions faster, without needing separate app launches.



Editor and Interface Upgrades



Apple’s support page highlights several quality-of-life updates:




Improved drag-and-drop and variable selection



Rich previews for events, reminders, and other data



Over 100 new glyph icons, including new shapes and transport symbols



Option to control whether shortcuts appear in Spotlight Search




Matthew Cassinelli notes that these small touches make larger shortcuts easier to read and organize.



Updated Actions



Several existing actions have been enhanced for accuracy and real-time data use:




Calculate Expression now understands units like temperature, distance, and currency with live rates.



Create QR Code supports color and style customization.



Date can specify holidays.



Find Contacts can now filter by relationship.



Transcribe Audio runs faster.



Show Content can display scrollable lists, such as reminders or calendar events.




These updates reduce setup time for complex automations.



Control Center and Spotlight Integration



Shortcuts now ties into Control Center and Spotlight more deeply.You can run a shortcut directly from Spotlight using selected text or context from an open document.In Control Center, Apple added support for shortcuts as custom controls like “Run Shortcut” or “Open App” and even menu bar collections on macOS.



A Smarter, More Connected Shortcuts App



Apple’s documentation shows a clear goal: unify automation across devices and make Apple Intelligence part of the workflow. Cassinelli’s report emphasizes that Shortcuts feels less experimental and more like a core system feature.



The result is a cleaner editor, smarter triggers, and faster actions that make automation easier for beginners and more capable for experts.