Routine Shortcuts
I use Shortcuts on my iPhone every day. I like gimmicky shortcuts as much as anyone, but the ones that give me the most value are routine-style shortcuts, the type you likely hit once a day around the same time. Here are the ones I’ve made. Clicking on the header while on your iPhone or iPad will install the shortcut. Some of them have sub-shortcuts, also linked.
Good Morning
- Starts a Toggle timer for “Morning”
- Runs my “Battery Check” Shortcut, which changes brightness and turns on and off radios based on battery level
- Runs my “Fitbit Weigh,” shortcut which I wrote about here
- Runs my “Morning Workout” Shortcut.
Transit
- Starts a Toggl timer for “Transit”
- Opens Google maps to commute
- Opens up the app “Rocket Man” to show streetcar times.
- Turns “Do Not Disturb” off
Ride
This is for when I’m riding my bike instead of taking transit.
- Runs “Battery Check”
- Asks if I’m starting or stopping a ride
- If I’m starting, Sets “Do Not Disturb” to on
- If I’m stopping, Sets “Do Not Disturb” to off
- Adds a calendar item
- Starts playing Overcast
- Opens up “Map My Ride”
- Opens up “Biko”
- Opens up “Fitbit”
Morning Prep
For when I’m at work but haven’t started an actual task yet.
- Starts a Toggl timer for “Morning prep”
Pomo
- Sets a timer for 25 minutes
- Starts a blank timer in Toggl
- Adds a calendar event for “Pomodoro”
- Opens “Freedom”
- Sets “Do Not Disturb” to on
Pomo Break
- Starts a Toggl for “Pomo Break”
- Starts a timer for 5 minutes.
- Sets “Do Not Disturb” to off
Meeting
- Starts a Toggl for “Pomo Break”
- Sets “Do Not Disturb” to on
Lunch
- Starts a Toggl for “Lunch”
- Sets “Do Not Disturb” to on
Afternoon Prep
For when I’m coming back from lunch but haven’t started an actual task yet.
- Starts a Toggl timer for “Afternoon prep”
Home
- Start a Toggl timer for “Evening”
- A menu choice between “Elliptical workout,” “Evening Workout,” and “I’m feeling lazy.”
- “Elliptical Workout” adds a calendar event for “Elliptical,” and turns off bluetooth (so I can easier connect my Airpods to my Surface)
- “Evening Workout” adds a calendar event for “Evening workout,” turns on my hip hop playlist, and begins my “evening routine” in Strong
GTS Routine
- Starts a Toggl timer for “Yoga”
- Sets bluetooth to off
Sleep
- Starts a Toggl timer for “Sleep”
- Opens “Sleep Cycle”
- Waits 20 seconds, then dims the screen to the minimum amount.
Weekend
- Starts a Toggl timer for “Weekend”
Using these shortcuts allows me to keep Toggling running 24/7, which means my weekly email from them is far more useful. Mainly, though, these were things I was often doing manually before Shortcuts showed up. It’s actually what led me to make them like this. It’s the advice I give people who are having trouble thinking of ways Shortcuts can benefit them: think of the things you do over and over and automate that. It’s boilerplate advice about computers, sure, but it’s true here. Your iPhone is a computer. Let it help you.