Try One of the Best MacOS 27 Features So Far

Buried inside all announced at WWDC this year I was something, me Lover of Apple ShortcutsI can’t wait to try: the ability to create Apple Shortcuts using artificial intelligence. In macOS 27, you will be able to just type in the desired shortcut, and the program will build.

Anyone who takes shortcuts all the time knows that doing so can be tedious, even if the results save you a lot of time. So I’m happy with the idea of ​​explaining what you want in simple language and ending with a working shortcut. Even if it’s not perfect (let’s face it, AI products rarely do), it’s a starting point that you can customize to meet your needs.

The only downside: This doesn’t start until the fall, when version 27 of Apple’s operating system comes out.

What if you want to try it now? It turns out that Federico Viticci, who founded and runs a very good blog MacStoriesHe also couldn’t wait, so he went and tied his Bible himself. It is called Shortcuts Playgroundwhich runs in Claude Code or OpenAI’s Codex. (The OpenAI codex is currently free; Claude Code requires the Pro system(which starts at $20 per month.)

To get started you need to install Shortcuts Playground supporter; there is instructions on GitHub. Basically you need to copy and paste the command into Terminal. (I will not include the rule here in case it changes.)

I tested this in Claude Code, but the tool works just as well in Codex. After installing Shortcuts Playground you can launch it by typing / followed by “shortcuts.” You will see a list of options coming up:

Various options for using the agent.

Courtesy of Justin Pot

If you are just starting out, I recommend using it Shortcuts-playground: construction choice, followed by an aggressive description of what you want for the shortcut. (Alternatively, shortcuts-playground: remixand modify existing shortcuts.)

The assistant will start working on creating a shortcut for you. Sometimes it stops to ask you for more information, or to explain what can and cannot be done in Apple Shortcuts.

Looking at this tool, I requested a shortcut that combines today’s weather, my calendar time, and a to-do list for the day, and then reads it out loud. The assistant went to work happily.