While significant advancements in Siri’s AI capabilities may still be on the horizon, recent updates to the Shortcuts app in iOS 18.4 provide early indications of what Apple has in store. The Shortcuts app now features new actions for various Apple applications, allowing for detailed controls that modify app settings in multiple ways.
New Shortcuts Actions in iOS 18.4 Hint at Enhanced Siri Functionality
The Shortcuts app hasn’t seen as many significant updates recently as it once did, but that trend seems to be shifting.
The App Intents system within Shortcuts will serve as the backbone for forthcoming Siri enhancements, enabling the assistant to execute numerous new actions across different apps.
Initially, these enhancements were expected to debut with iOS 18.4, but Apple has postponed them indefinitely following recent restructuring within the Siri team.
Nonetheless, users of iOS 18.4 can still access a variety of new actions in the Shortcuts app that likely set the stage for those anticipated Siri changes.
In the revamped Shortcuts app, you’ll discover new options to modify settings for various Apple applications. Each of these actions contains a highly detailed layer of functionalities that can be executed.
Although some app actions were removed after the beta period and before the public release of iOS 18.4, there remains a wealth of options to explore.
For example, the shortcut for adjusting Safari settings allows you to modify numerous options, including:
- AutoFill Use Contact Info
- AutoFill Use Credit Cards
- Block Pop-Ups
- Close Tabs
- Landscape Tab Bar
- Open Links
- Private Search Engine
- Safari Suggestions
- Search Engine
- Search Engine Suggestions
- Tab Bar Configuration
- Tab Layout
Clearly, these features are not solely intended for the Shortcuts app.
Instead, these detailed actions are laying the groundwork for the new capabilities Siri will acquire in an upcoming update.
Are you excited to utilize the new Shortcuts actions in iOS 18.4? What new shortcuts have you configured? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
