[Software] Siri will make your iPhone smarter and charges last longer with iOS 14. Here's how

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Siri will make your iPhone smarter and charges last longer with iOS 14. Here's how

New automated shortcuts can preserve battery life, open apps and turn on certain playlists, depending on what you need.

 

 

 

Apple's latest iPhone ($699 at Apple) operating system, iOS 14, is up and running as a developer beta, and is packed with useful new features to help you get things done faster and easier. The Shortcuts app in particular sees a major upgrade in the new OS, with more options for automating tasks so you can make your phone do what you need without moving a muscle. 

Of course, iOS 14 is still only available in developer beta (check out our instructions for how to download iOS 14). So, if you want to test it out now, you'll need to sign up for an Apple developer account, which costs $99 per year. But even after you install the developer beta, the OS won't be in its final form, and could experience bugs. We recommend waiting for the public beta in July, or, better yet, the final release in the fall. But here's how the new Shortcut feature works, so you can be ready when you do get iOS 14 on your iPhone. 

What is the Shortcuts app? 

If you're unfamiliar, Siri Shortcuts is an app that lets you automate certain tasks or sequences of tasks that you can trigger with a tap or Siri voice command. For example, if you know you want to silence your phone for 30 minutes a day while you read, you can create a shortcut, so all you have to say is, "Siri, Do Not Disturb timer" (or whatever command you prefer). Or you might want to set a shortcut so that when your phone hits a certain battery level, Siri will automatically turn down the screen brightness and turn off location services to save battery.

Apple introduced shortcuts in iOS 12. The app is included by default, and it's easy to get started with. In iOS 14, open the app, tap the Automation tab at the bottom and tap Create Personal Automation. You can also set up automations that work for everyone in your home.  

What's new with Shortcuts in iOS 14? 

In the past, you may have had to jump into the Shortcuts app to complete a task, Shortcuts engineer Daniel Hsu said during a WWDC session on new features. In iOS 14, Shortcuts will run seamlessly in the background, and only prompt you if you need to input any information. For example, if you have a shortcut for calculating tips, it'll prompt you to enter the bill. 

New folders make it easier to find and keep track of shortcuts. And you'll finally be able to use the Shortcuts app on an Apple Watch with WatchOS 7, too.

Apple WWDC 2020 event

iOS 14 also has more options for automating tasks, letting you run actions based on triggers like the time of day, arrival at a location or when you open an app. For example, you can set up a shortcut so that if you open a journaling app, your phone automatically goes into Do Not Disturb mode and starts your writing playlist from Apple Music. 

The new OS lets you trigger shortcuts with more actions, like opening an email or message, closing an app or plugging your phone into its charger. It also supports more automated shortcuts that don't require an action from you, such as giving you a weather report and starting a playlist at a certain time of morning, or shutting down apps when the phone enters low-power mode. You can customize your shortcuts (automated or otherwise) exactly as you like from the app. 

You can find suggestions for things to automate in the Gallery tab of the Shortcuts app, and also check out our list of the 10 best iOS shortcuts and how they work for some inspiration. 

Find out if iOS 14 will work on your iPhone. Here's the complete list

Apple announced a slew of new features coming to iOS 14 this fall at its Worldwide Developers Conference Monday. The latest updates show a new app organizer and home screen widgets for the first time on iPhone ($699 at Apple), as well as a more compact Siri interface. The new iOS 14 update will also let you play a video thumbnail (Picture in Picture) while doing other things and add face coverings to your Memoji.  

As with any new iOS update, you may be wondering whether you'll still be able to use your old iPhone or if it's time to upgrade to a newer version. When Apple revealed iOS 13 last year, it announced the update would work with iPhone 6S, iPhone SE (2016) and newer models. This year is the same -- Apple isn't excluding the iPhone 6S or its older version of the iPhone SE.