My Siri Shortcut Testing Notes

 

 

Siri Short-Cuts

 

Short Cuts let you get things done either via suggestions within Settings/Siri & Suggestions on iPhone or iPad or the Short Cuts app to create your own Short Cuts or use/modify the sample shortcuts within the Shortcuts app.

 

Within the Settings, Siri & Search screen you have the following:

 

Heading - Siri Shortcuts

 

My Shortcuts XX button (mine is currently 32).

 

Can go in to this and list all of your current Shortcuts plus their phrases.

 

Heading -Suggested Shortcuts.

 

Lists several suggested Shortcuts.

 

All Shortcuts button (lists all possible apps that offer Shortcuts or multiple shortcuts within an app).

This is the end of the Siri Shortcuts section, rest of screen is the usual Siri Setup & Search  screen.

 

Siri Shortcuts will work on all iOS devices sort of including: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Apple Watch, and HomePod.  Some Siri Shortcuts are app specific and may only run on iPhone or iPad (eg not the HomePod or Apple Watch).  Of course, you will need iOS 12 or watch OS 5.

 

Once you have created a Siri Shortcut, it will automatically (keep in mind the above) work across all your devices.  Just say the Shortcut Phrase and off it will go.  Eg with the Tile App for tracking my Tile tags on my keys etc, I can say on my iPhone, HomePod or Apple Watch - Hey Siri “find Davids Keys” and a sound will play on the tag on my keys.

 

I’ve found so far, that there has been no need to use the Shortcuts app besides grabbing the Activity Report sample Shortcut and the Make Top 25 Play List from the gallery.

 

Sometimes you will need to enable Siri Shortcuts within apps such as Overcast, The Tile app.  Other apps appear not to need this setting such as Google News, They will come up automatically within Siri & Search/All Shortcuts.

 

Some apps that support Siri Shortcuts have multiple functions within the Settings, Siri & Suggestions, All Shortcuts, there is a See All button that you can expand all Shortcuts for the app.

 

The All Shortcuts button allows a fair bit of flexibility in choosing app functions without having to actually use the Shortcuts app itself.

 

When you do use a sample Shortcut from the Shortcut app, you still seem to need to go in to Siri & Search, edit the added shortcut and add a phrase to activate it.

 

The Shortcuts app is not on your iOS device by default, you’ll have to download it from the iOS App Store: just search for Shortcuts or use the following link:

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shortcuts/id915249334?mt=8

 

Useful Links to find About Siri Shortcuts

 

Shortcuts User Guide from Apple

 

https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/shortcuts/welcome/ios

 

60 Apps that Works with Siri Shortcuts

 

https://www.imore.com/apps-work-siri-shortcuts

 

Suggested apps to try

 

These are the Apps that I have tested and used.

 

From the Shortcut app itself:

 

Activity report

 

Give Me My Activity Report

 

This is an interactive shortcut, you can choose the source of the report, for me, I choose my Apple Watch rather than the default which is the iPhone.

 

Make Top 25 Play List

 

Usually Siri will grumble about not being able to create play lists, but this will compile a list of your most top 25 played items.  After you have run the shortcut, you can then just say play Top 25 Play List.

 

3rd Party Apps

 

Carrot Weather

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/carrot-weather/id961390574?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

 

Just Press Record

 

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/just-press-record/id1033342465?mt=8

 

My Tuner Radio Australia

 

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/mytuner-radio-app-australia/id520502858?mt=8

 

OverCast

 

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/overcast/id888422857?mt=8

 

Tripview Sydney and Melbourne

 

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/tripview-sydney-melbourne/id294730339?mt=8

 

Voice Dream Reader

 

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/voice-dream-reader/id496177674?mt=8

 

Water Minder

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/waterminder/id653031147?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

 

Inbuilt apps with Siri Shortcuts

 

Apps such as Find My Friends (with specific names), Safari (with specific web urls), Voice Memo etc all come in very handy as well.

 

Siri Shortcuts so far

 

These are the Siri Shortcuts I have crated and used so far: most particularly Water Minder, Tripview Sydney, and Safari.

 

Carrot Weather

 

Mad Dogs And English Men

 

Gives me the weather, again, the default phrase for this app was being taken over by Siri and using the usual weather info.  The Phrase I used just came from “Mad dogs and English men go out in the midday sun.

 

Google News

 

See My Briefing

 

Safari

 

Open Talking Tech Website

Open My Podbean Website

 

Find My Friends

 

Find Ellen

 

Just Press Record

 

Make A Audio Recording (starts recording straight away and works on Apple Watch as well as iPhone).

 

My Tuner Radio Australia

 

Just be a bit careful with this one if you own a HomePod.  I set up a Siri Shortcut called “Play ABC Radio Sydney” and of course when I tried my usual “Play ABC Radio Sydney” on the HomePod not thinking about the Siri Shortcut I just created, it announced couldn’t do this on the HomePod: i.e. no app on the HomePod and of course playing ABC Radio Sydney didn’t work at all on the HomePod.  Had to rename the Siri Shortcut and then things went back to normal.

As the My Tuner Radio Australia is an app on the iPHone/iPad, of course this Siri Shortcut to the app won’t play on the Apple Watch.

Tip - play a radio station from within the app and then go and check out Settings, Siri & Suggestions and it’ll be there, go in to the suggestion and add your voice phrase to the Siri Shortcut and off you go.

 

Tripview

 

A tip - access one of your saved lines from within the app (example I accessed my trip from Gosford to Strathfield).  After you do this, the Shortcut for that trip will appear under the Tripview Shortcuts within the Settings, Siri & Suggestions, All Shortcuts, Tripview.

By the way, this one works fine on the Apple Watch as well.

 

When Is The Next Train From Gosford (to Parramatta)

When Is The Next bus (from Narara to Gosford)

When Is The Next Train from Gosford to Hamilton

When Is The Next Train from Parramatta (to Gosford)

When Is The Next Train to Strathfield

When is the Next Train From Strathfield to Parramatta

When Is The Next Train From Strathfield to Gosford

 

OverCast

 

Play OverCast (resume or play most recent episode).

Overcast offers lots of Shortcuts but just using this one for the moment.

 

Tile

 

Find David’s Keys

Find Davids Wallet.

Find Davids Computer Bag

Find Ellens Keys

 

Within the Tile app, use the Siri Tab within a Tile entry to set the Siri Shortcut for that tile.

 

Water Minder

 

Current Hydration

Log 500ML Water

 

Again, a few more Shortcuts available, but just using these for the moment.

 

Voice memo

 

Record A New Voice Memo

Playback Voice Memo

 

The default phrase was Play My Recent Voice Memo but this kept playing Voice Mail Messages  so had to change the phrase.

Also unlike the Just Press Record app with the “Make A Audio Recording” will work on the Apple Watch as well.

 

Voice Dream - 

 

Play Reading List.

 

Plays in order files inside the Voice Dream Reading list with text to speech.