Oliver Haslam·

iOS 12 Siri Shortcuts App Beta Launches, Requires TestFlight Invite

Apple has today made the next part of its iOS 12 beta program by making the Shortcuts app available, although potential testers will need to apply to be part of the TestFlight group that will be able to download it.

Those who wish to test out Apple’s new automation software will need to sign into the Apple developer portal and request access with Apple saying that those who are accepted will receive confirmation “soon” with some already being accepted as part of the program and can download the app on their devices.

The Shortcuts app, announced alongside iOS 12 during WWDC, is the second part of the new operating system’s renewed focus on automation. A spiritual successor to the popular Workflow app, Shortcuts will allow users to create shortcuts that can string together multiple steps and then be initiated via a Siri command.

Siri can now intelligently pair your daily routines with third-party apps to suggest convenient shortcuts right when you need them. So if you typically pick up a coffee on the way to work, Siri will learn your routine and suggest when to place your order from the Lock screen. You can also run shortcuts with your voice or create your own with the new Shortcuts app.

The initial beta release has not yet been made available to all of those who have registered to be part of the TestFlight rollout, but as mentioned earlier some testers have got the invite and have also already downloaded the app. When you get an invite to try out the beta app, expect there to be some bugs. Apple has confirmed this via its release notes, although things do not look too bad for an initial release.

Known Issues in Shortcuts Beta 1

Known Issues

• Limited actions available in beta. (41726632)

• iCloud syncing of shortcuts is not yet available.(39368432)

• Some actions do not appear when running custom shortcuts in Siri. (41726785)

• Shortcuts cannot open apps when run from Siri when the device is locked. (41307405)

• Shortcuts provided to the INVoiceShortcutCenter suggested shortcuts API are not available when viewing an app’s actions in Shortcuts app. (40564970)

We cannot wait to see what Apple has in store with the Shortcuts app and it’s sure to be an interesting couple of months ahead of the official iOS 12 release in September.

You can request for Siri Shortcuts app invite by heading over to developer.apple.com.

You may also like to check out:

You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the Web.