**Update** This post was written on the day that Shortcuts was announced… I didn’t really get it at the time and it seemed like something I would never use. I’ve subsequently changed my mind about Shortcuts and think it’s a pretty cool addition and app that could turn out to be a Siri game changer…
—-
Apple announced Siri Shortcuts and Suggestions at WWDC 2018 today.
The announcements today were a little disappointing coming off of the Google Duplex demonstration from a few weeks ago.
What Are Some Useful Siri Shortcuts?
Setting up Shortcuts seems like a lot of work… I am not sure I would use any of the Shortcuts or Suggestions that were demonstrated.
Can someone suggest useful Siri shortcuts in the comments below?
The ones mentioned in this video from the WWDC are OK. Below is a link to instructions for adding a Shortcut to Siri for driving to work.
If I lost my keys all the time, that Tile example could be good, I suppose.
But Shortcuts assume I am consistent from day to day with a specific routine, or that I know today what I will want tomorrow.
Life is more spontaneous, where I need a problem solved in a situation where it may just be easier using voice… Such as while driving.
One Useful Siri Shortcut is Driving To and From Work
As I’ve written about before, I really wish Apple would fix Siri so that it was smarter in the car…
With the release of iOS 12, users can create a one click shortcut that’s quicker than Google Maps for simply driving to work. It works pretty well…
You can check it out here.
Does Shortcuts Fix Siri?
After the Google Duplex demo a few weeks ago I tried booking a reservation on the fly using Google Assistant and it worked incredibly well.
My need to make a reservation wasn’t planned ahead… I just needed a place for my family and friends to eat in a town we were visiting on the fly.
Google Assistant asked me all the right questions and then booked a dinner reservation for me with Open Table.
Then when we decided on a different restaurant, I asked Google Assistant to cancel the reservation and it did that too…
All of it was handled more or less flawlessly, and I didn’t have to do any work ahead of time.
With Siri Shortcuts, it seems like you have to plan ahead, not just have Siri do whatever you need done, even if it’s unexpected.
But maybe Shortcuts is enough of an improvement that people like me will play with it a lot and create useful tools as a workaround for Siri’s shortcomings.