Apple's Shortcuts is getting AI capabilities: How it'll benefit users
What's the story
Apple is gearing up to give its Shortcuts app a major overhaul, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports in his latest Power On newsletter.
The revamped app will be unveiled at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, starting June 9 at Apple Park in California.
The changes are likely to be part of Apple's broader strategy to enhance artificial intelligence (AI) integration into its apps and operating systems.
User experience
New features to enable natural language interactions
The revamped Shortcuts app is expected to let users create custom interactions using Apple Intelligence models.
This would allow them to launch specific actions or play a particular music playlist using AI-powered shortcuts on their iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
The changes are likely aimed at making the user experience more intuitive by allowing natural language interactions for various tasks.
Timeline
Public release of revamped app may be delayed
While WWDC 2025 will likely be the platform for Apple to show off its revamped Shortcuts app, not all features may be available right away.
Gurman notes that these enhancements were initially expected this year but could now be pushed back to 2026.
This delay could affect the public rollout of the updated app and its new capabilities.
Developer access
Apple to open up foundation models to developers
In a broader move, Apple is also said to be opening its foundation models, with some three billion parameters, to third-party developers at this year's WWDC.
This would give creators access to Apple's on-device AI technology now used for text summarization and other lightweight tasks.
The move is expected to lead to the introduction of several more features powered by Apple Intelligence.
AI integration
Apple Intelligence to power new features
Among the new features powered by Apple Intelligence is Siri, which uses large language models (LLMs) for a more conversational interface. This would bring it on par with ChatGPT's Voice Mode.
An AI doctor service called Mulberry and a revamped Health app are also in the works, possibly debuting as a spring update for iOS 26.