Apple Shortcuts Enters a New Era With Apple Intelligence
Apple’s latest update to its Shortcuts app—rolled out with iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe—signals a significant shift for dedicated users of Apple’s automation platform. The integration of Apple Intelligence, announced during early 2025 developer previews, gives enthusiasts powerful new tools to create advanced, personalized automation routines.
Apple Intelligence Powers Pre-Built and Custom Shortcuts
According to reporting from MacRumors and AppleInsider, Apple Intelligence now powers a suite of pre-built Shortcuts showcased in the updated Gallery. These include:
- Morning Summary: Generates a daily overview using Apple’s on-device AI.
- Action Items From Meeting Notes: Extracts tasks from meeting notes.
- Haiku Generator: Creates poetry using generative AI models.
- Leftover Recipes: Suggests recipes based on available ingredients.
- Summarize PDF: Summarizes the contents of an open PDF within Safari.
- Is Severance Season 3 Out?: Answers user queries using integrated AI.
- ASCII Art: Crafts text-based art with language models.
- Document Review: Assists in comparing and contrasting multiple documents.
- Reminders Roulette: Moves less important reminders to the next day.
These examples, as highlighted by Apple’s beta release, serve both as practical automations and as templates for users to build more complex, AI-driven workflows. Custom Shortcuts can incorporate the full range of Apple Intelligence, leveraging prompts and model choices to tailor actions.
On-Device, Private Cloud, and ChatGPT Options
Apple’s approach to AI integration in Shortcuts prioritizes both privacy and flexibility. Users can select between on-device processing, Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, or, for some features, ChatGPT integration. AppleInsider notes this design aligns with the company’s wider emphasis on protecting user data while still enabling robust AI features.
The new prompt interface within Shortcuts allows users to issue open-ended commands, blending data from native sources such as Weather, Calendar, and Reminders with AI-driven summarization or content generation. This open architecture points to more contextual and dynamic automations, a trend reflected in other recent Apple updates such as AI-powered Wallet order tracking and poll suggestions in Messages (according to 9to5Mac).
Exclusive to Newer Hardware
Notably, the advanced Shortcuts capabilities powered by Apple Intelligence are limited to newer devices. As reported by 9to5Mac, users will need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer to access these features. This strategy not only leverages the increased performance of recent Apple silicon but also seeks to differentiate the Apple ecosystem with AI-driven exclusives, paralleling industry trends toward device-specific intelligence.
Early Beta, Ongoing Refinement
At this stage—June 2025—the updated Shortcuts app remains in early beta, with additional refinement expected before public release. No pricing changes or official statements regarding broader device compatibility have been introduced by Apple.
Comparative Industry Perspective
Apple’s move to embed generative AI into its automation platform echoes recent industry developments from Microsoft with Copilot and Google with Gemini AI. However, Apple distinguishes itself by enabling local model processing and emphasizing seamless integration across its operating systems.
Key Takeaway for Apple Enthusiasts: The iOS 26 update to Shortcuts underscores Apple’s ambition to center intelligent automation in its ecosystem, blending privacy protections with machine learning-driven productivity. For power users and automation aficionados, this release marks a shift toward more adaptive, AI-infused workflows—while reserving the most advanced features for the company’s latest hardware.