What are the limitations of Shortcuts?
Generated on 7/30/2024
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The limitations of Shortcuts, as discussed in the context of WWDC sessions, include:
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Specificity of Features: Developers might not prioritize very specific features that users want. For example, a developer might not prioritize a feature to pick a random biking trail, but users can create such specific shortcuts themselves (Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents).
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Parameter Handling: Shortcuts actions can have parameters, but handling these parameters can be complex. For instance, if a parameter is not specified upfront, the intent will not ask follow-up questions, which might limit the flexibility of the shortcut (Design App Intents for system experiences).
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User Interaction: Some interactions with Shortcuts require user input or interaction, which might not be ideal for all use cases. For example, a shortcut that opens a view in the app requires the user to be looking at their device (Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents).
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Automatic Registration: While the app intents framework handles registration automatically, this means that developers have less control over the registration process, which might be a limitation in some scenarios (Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents).
Relevant Sessions
Bring your app to Siri
Learn how to use App Intents to expose your app’s functionality to Siri. Understand which intents are already available for your use, and how to create custom intents to integrate actions from your app into the system. We’ll also cover what metadata to provide, making your entities searchable via Spotlight, annotating onscreen references, and much more.
Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents
Learn the principles of the App Intents framework, like intents, entities, and queries, and how you can harness them to expose your app’s most important functionality right where people need it most. Find out how to build deep integration between your app and the many system features built on top of App Intents, including Siri, controls and widgets, Apple Pencil, Shortcuts, the Action button, and more. Get tips on how to build your App Intents integrations efficiently to create the best experiences in every surface while still sharing code and core functionality.
Design App Intents for system experiences
App Intents power system experiences in controls, Spotlight, Siri, and more. Find out how to identify the functionality that’s best for App Intents, and how to use parameters to make these intents flexible. Learn how to use App Intents to allow people to take action outside your app, and see examples of when to navigate into your app to show contextual information.