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In iOS 27, Apple Intelligence can build Shortcuts automations from plain-language descriptions, including requests that combine multiple actions. The feature is limited to supported devices, while users can still create shortcuts through the traditional editor.
Apple Intelligence can create an automation in the Shortcuts app when a user describes what they want in plain language, according to a CNET report on iOS 27. The feature, called Describe a Shortcut, is intended to make a tool that previously required users to assemble actions and activation conditions manually easier to use.
To begin, users open Shortcuts and tap the plus button. The app offers suggested automations, and its new creation flow lets a user enter a request such as sending a partner an estimated arrival time after leaving work. Apple Intelligence then selects actions and links them into a shortcut, according to the report. The description presents this as a way to create an automation without manually building each step from scratch.
The feature can handle multistep tasks, the report says. One example is a shortcut that turns on Background Sounds when bedtime begins and switches them off an hour later. After creation, the shortcut remains available in the app and can be edited or renamed. Users can also add a shortcut to the Home Screen, assign one to the Action Button, place it on the Lock Screen as a widget, or ask Siri to run it by name.
People who prefer to configure actions themselves can select the traditional Editor mode in Settings under Apps and Shortcuts. The report says Describe a Shortcut requires Apple Intelligence: it is available on an iPhone 15 Pro or later, or on an iPad or Mac with an M1 chip or later. Devices outside those supported groups can still use Shortcuts in Editor mode.
Apple Intelligence · iOS 27 · Shortcuts
Just describe it.
Let Shortcuts build it.
A reported new feature turns plain-language requests into automations, giving Apple Intelligence a practical role in everyday device routines.
01 / A simpler route
From intention to automation
Shortcuts can be powerful, but building one traditionally means finding actions and configuring when they run. Describe a Shortcut aims to lower that learning curve: say what you want, then let Apple Intelligence assemble a starting point.
Message when you leave
Ask for an estimated arrival time to be sent to a partner after leaving work. The system links the requested actions into a shortcut.
Sounds on, then off
One reported multistep example starts Background Sounds at bedtime and turns them off an hour later.
Review and make it yours
Created shortcuts remain editable and can be renamed, so users can adjust the result after generation.
Describe
Enter the task in natural language.
Assemble
Apple Intelligence selects and connects actions.
Review
Edit or rename the resulting shortcut.
Run
Launch it with a preferred device control.
02 / Keep control
AI-assisted setup, with familiar ways to run it
Creating the automation is only one part of the experience. Shortcuts can be launched from several places across Apple devices.
Build it yourself
Prefer to configure every action? Choose Editor mode in Settings under Apps and Shortcuts, then set up the automation through the traditional interface.
Choose a launch point
Run a shortcut by asking Siri, assign it to the Action Button, add it to the Home Screen, or place it on the Lock Screen as a widget.
03 / Device support
Apple Intelligence sets the hardware bar
The CNET report says Describe a Shortcut requires Apple Intelligence. Devices outside the listed groups can still use Shortcuts in Editor mode.
iPhone 15 Pro or later
Eligible iPhone hardware listed in the report for Apple Intelligence support.
M1 chip or later
The report lists iPads with Apple silicon M1 or newer.
M1 chip or later
Mac availability is also tied to Apple Intelligence-capable hardware.
Release timing, supported regions and languages, and whether device eligibility will expand.
No reliability benchmarks or comparison with manually built shortcuts were provided.
How ambiguous requests, unsupported actions, and corrections will be handled remains unclear.
04 / What we know
Useful promise; reliability still untested
The feature could make routine automations easier to start, but the reported examples describe intended uses rather than proof that every generated workflow will work as requested.
What does Describe a Shortcut do?
It lets users describe an automation in plain language; Apple Intelligence selects and links actions to create a shortcut.
Can users still build shortcuts manually?
Yes. Editor mode remains available for configuring actions through the traditional interface.
How can a shortcut be launched?
Reported options include Siri, the Action Button, the Home Screen, and a Lock Screen widget.
Has Apple confirmed its reliability?
The report offers examples but no testing data. How often users may need to correct a result is unknown.
A Simpler Route to iPhone Automations
The change targets the main hurdle for many potential Shortcuts users: understanding how to assemble actions and decide when they should run. A natural-language description can make the app more approachable for people who know the task they want automated but do not want to construct its logic step by step. That may make everyday automations more practical, from changing settings at bedtime to sending a message when a user leaves a location.
It also gives Apple Intelligence a concrete role in routine device use. Rather than generating text or images, it translates a request into a sequence of system actions. However, the feature’s value depends on whether it reliably interprets requests and creates automations that work as intended. The provided account describes the creation process and examples, but does not report comparative testing or reliability results.
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Shortcuts’ Manual Setup Remains
Apple’s Shortcuts app is designed to automate tasks across iPhone, iPad and Mac. Its traditional approach requires users to select actions and configure conditions that trigger them. The CNET account describes that setup as difficult to learn, based on the writer’s experience with earlier versions, and says the new natural-language option lowers that barrier.
Describe a Shortcut does not replace the existing editor. Users can choose between an AI-assisted request and manual configuration, and shortcuts created with the new feature can still be modified afterward. The report also points to existing ways of launching automations, including Siri, the Action Button, Home Screen bookmarks and Lock Screen widgets. These options matter because creating a shortcut is only part of the process; users also need a convenient way to run it.
“What do you want your Shortcut to do?”
— The Shortcuts app prompt, as quoted in CNET’s report
Device Support and Performance Limits
The available account does not specify when iOS 27 or Describe a Shortcut will be released, which regions or languages it will support, or whether Apple will expand device eligibility. It also does not provide details on how requests are processed, what happens when Apple Intelligence cannot interpret a description, or how often generated automations need user correction.
The examples show intended uses, not evidence that every requested workflow will be supported or work correctly. The report gives no benchmark or testing data comparing AI-generated shortcuts with manually built ones. Users should be able to review and edit a created shortcut, but the extent of that review process and any limitations on available actions are not detailed.
Release Details and Hands-On Testing
The next useful information will be Apple’s release and support details for iOS 27, along with hands-on testing of how well Describe a Shortcut handles different requests. That could clarify whether the feature consistently creates usable automations, how much editing users need to do, and how it behaves when a request is ambiguous or involves several conditions.
For now, the reported choice is between describing a task with Apple Intelligence on supported hardware and building it in Editor mode. Existing Shortcuts users can continue to edit automations and launch them through Siri or device controls; those without supported Apple Intelligence hardware can use the manual editor.
Source: CNET
Key Questions
What does Describe a Shortcut do?
It lets users describe an automation in plain language. Apple Intelligence then selects and links actions to create a shortcut, according to the CNET report.
Which devices support the feature?
The report lists an iPhone 15 Pro or later, or an iPad or Mac with an M1 chip or later, as requiring support for Apple Intelligence and Describe a Shortcut.
Can users still build shortcuts manually?
Yes. Users can select Editor mode in Settings under Apps and Shortcuts and configure actions through the traditional interface.
How can a shortcut be launched?
Reported options include asking Siri to run it, assigning it to the Action Button, adding it to the Home Screen, or placing it on the Lock Screen as a widget.
Has Apple confirmed how reliably the AI will build automations?
The report gives examples but no reliability data or comparative testing. How often users will need to correct generated shortcuts remains unclear.
Source: CNET
