How to create context-aware shortcuts on iOS 15

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The Shortcuts app is increasing up and learning caller tricks. One of those tricks is the quality to nutrient context-aware workflows that cognize astir the contented onscreen.

We've antecedently covered galore antithetic Shortcuts automations for iOS, but successful iOS 15, Apple has made important additions to the Shortcuts app, arsenic it's successful the process of bringing the app implicit to the Mac. One of the caller actions disposable successful iOS 15 is the quality to get the onscreen contented and usage it successful your workflows. This enactment produces a record that tin beryllium utilized to make context-aware shortcuts that scope into the presently utilized apps to drawback what's connected the surface and use it successful ways we ne'er were capable to before.

Let's instrumentality a look astatine what this enactment tin bash and however you tin usage it successful your workflows to bash caller and absorbing things.

Related Apple Shortcuts articles:

How to make workflows successful Apple's Shortcuts app that usage Notes
How to make notes anyplace successful iOS 14 with backmost pat and Shortcuts
5 ways Siri Shortcuts tin automate your workday

About the Get On Screen Content action

If you've upgraded to iOS oregon iPadOS 15, oregon are moving macOS Monterey and person looked astatine the caller Shortcuts app, chances are you've seen a caller enactment called Get On Screen Content. This caller workflow enactment works with compatible apps to make a record containing what's connected the screen.

The workflow we volition physique beneath uses this bid to get the URL of a website you're presently looking astatine successful Safari, past allows you to adhd a enactment on with the URL that's automatically captured utilizing this caller action. This enactment tin beryllium utilized for different items, including files, images and more, but your mileage whitethorn vary, arsenic galore apps are not yet taking vantage of the onscreen contented hosting mechanics this enactment relies connected to work.

Building a illustration workflow

Let's physique a illustration workflow to amusement the powerfulness of this caller action. This workflow volition let you to make a enactment from the existent webpage successful Safari, but without the request to spell to the Share Sheet to activate the workflow.

To begin, unfastened the Shortcuts app, past travel these steps aft pressing the + fastener to make a caller workflow. In the workflow editor:

Search for and resistance implicit the enactment called Get On Screen Content.
Search for and resistance implicit the enactment called Add To Variable, mounting the sanction to NoteContent.
Search for and resistance implicit the enactment called Ask For Input and adhd optional placeholder substance called What would you similar to note?
Search for and resistance implicit the enactment called Add To Variable, mounting the input to NoteContent and the sanction to NoteContent.
Search for and resistance implicit the enactment called Create Note and acceptable the contented to the NoteContent variable.
In the Name tract astatine the apical of the Shortcuts app, supply a sanction and optional icon for this workflow. We named ours Note This Website. Whatever sanction you choose, beryllium definite to enactment it, arsenic that's however we'll tally it later.

When you're done, your workflow exertion should look similar Figure A.

Figure A

SEE: Best hidden iOS 15 features to commencement utilizing now (TechRepublic)

Running the workflow

When you're acceptable to tally the workflow, unfastened Safari and navigate to a website that you'd similar to tally the workflow with successful bid to make a enactment successful the Apple Notes app. Tell Siri "Note this website" (or immoderate sanction you utilized for your workflow successful the Shortcuts app).

When you bash this, the workflow volition drawback the URL of the existent webpage and volition past inquire you to supply input done Siri. Speak your note, past Siri volition automatically make a caller enactment with the URL of the website you were visiting, positive the substance you gave Siri for the note.

This is conscionable 1 illustration of workflow you tin physique with the Get On Screen Content action. This enactment has unlimited possibilities and tin beryllium utilized with caller and existing workflows arsenic you spot acceptable to grow the functionality and easiness of grabbing the contented that's presently onscreen to usage successful the workflow itself.