How to organize your shortcuts on iPhone and iPad

How-to
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Getting Started with Shortcuts
Getting Started with Shortcuts (Image credit: Joseph Keller / iMore)

If you're like me, you have a lot of shortcuts that you've created for a lot of different purposes, and sometimes it's hard to keep track of them all. If you're always going hunting for specific shortcuts, maybe its time to organize your library more efficiently.

Here's how you can organize your shortcuts to fit what you need.

How to organize shortcuts in library

  1. Open Shortcuts.
  2. Tap Library (My Shortcuts on iOS 13 and iPadOS 13).
  3. Tap Edit in the top-left corner of the app.

Organize shortcuts in library, showing how to open Shortcuts, tap My Shortcuts, then tap Edit (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap and drag your chosen shortcut buttonsinto your desired order. You can drag one or multiple shortcuts at the same time.
  2. Tap Done.

Organize shortcuts in library, showing how to move a shortcut, then tap Done (Image credit: iMore)

Note that once you're finished, any changes you've made to the placement of your shortcuts in the app will sync over to your other device if you have iCloud enabled.

How to organize shortcuts in the library in iOS 14

Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas. While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.

  1. Open Shortcuts on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap My Shortcuts if the app doesn't open on that tab already.
  3. Tap All Shortcuts if your shortcuts library isn't already displayed.

Organize Shortcuts in iOS 14, showing how to open Shortcuts, then tap My Shortcuts, then tap All Shortcuts (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Select.
  2. Tap the shortcuts that you want to move.

Organize Shortcuts in iOS 14, showing how to tap Select, then tap a shortcut (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap, hold, and drag your shortcuts to their new positions in your library.
  2. Tap Done.

Organize Shortcuts in iOS 14, showing how to drag shortcuts to a new spot, then tap Done (Image credit: iMore)

How to duplicate or delete shortcuts

  1. Open Shortcuts.
  2. Tap Library (My Shortcuts on iOS 13 and iPadOS 13).
  3. Tap Edit in the top-left corner of the app.

Duplicate or delete shortcuts, showing how to open Shortcuts, tap My Shortcuts, then tap Edit (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap shortcuts that you want to delete or duplicate.
  2. Tap the duplicate button to create a duplicate version of your chosen shortcuts, or the trash can button to delete them.
  3. Tap Delete Shortcut if you're deleting a shortcut.

Duplicate or delete shortcuts, showing how to tap a shortcut, then tap the duplicate button or trash can button, then tap Delete Shortcut if you're deleting a shortcut (Image credit: iMore)

How to duplicate or delete shortcuts in iOS 14

  1. Open Shortcuts on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap My Shortcuts if the app doesn't open on that tab already.
  3. Tap All Shortcuts if your shortcuts library isn't already displayed.

Duplicate shortcuts in iOS 14, showing how to open Shortcuts, then tap My Shortcuts, then tap All Shortcuts (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Select.
  2. Tap any shortcuts that you want to delete or duplicate.
  3. Tap Duplicate to create duplicates of any selected shortcuts.

Duplicate shortcuts in iOS 14, showing how to tap Select, then tap a shortcut, then tap Duplicate (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Delete to delete any of your selected shortcuts.
  2. Tap Delete Shortcut to confirm the deletion.

Duplicate shortcuts in iOS 14, showing how to tap Delete, then tap Delete Shortcut (Image credit: iMore)

How to organize shortcuts in the Today view

To use the Shortcuts Today View widget, you'll first need to add it to your Today view.

  1. Swipe to the right on your iPhone or iPad's Home or Lock screen to display the Today view.
  2. Tap the Show More button in the top-right corner of the Shortcuts widget (looks like an arrow on iOS 13).
  3. Tap Customize in Shortcuts.

Organize Today widget, showing how to swipe to the right, then tap Show More button, then tap Customize in Shortcuts (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap the shortcuts that you want to add to or remove from the widget. Shortcuts that are to appear in the widget will have a checkmark next to them.
  2. Tap and hold on the movement handles on any shortcuts for which you want to change the order.

Organize Today widget, showing how to tap shortcuts, then tap and hold handles (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Drag your chosen shortcut up or down the list to change its place in the order on the widget.
  2. Tap Done in the top-right corner.

Organize Today widget, showing how to drag a shortcut, then tap Done (Image credit: iMore)

How to create folders in Shortcuts

  1. Open Shortcuts on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap My Shortcuts if the app doesn't open on that tab already.
  3. Tap the create folder button in the upper-right corner (iPhone) or the lower-left corner (iPad).

Create folders for Shortcuts, showing how to open Shortcuts, then tap My Shortcuts, then tap the create folder button (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Name your folder.
  2. Select a glyph for your folder.
  3. Tap Add.

Create folders for Shortcuts, showing how to name your folder, then tap a glyph, then tap Add (Image credit: iMore)

How to add a shortcut to a folder

This is not the only way to add shortcuts to a folder, but it is the most consistent way.

  1. Open Shortcuts on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap My Shortcuts if the app doesn't open on that tab already.
  3. Tap All Shortcuts if your shortcuts library isn't already displayed.

Add shortcuts to folders, showiing how to open Shortcuts, then tap My Shortcuts, then tap All Shortcuts (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Select.
  2. Tap any shortcuts that you want to add to a particular folder.

Add shortcuts to folders, showing how to tap Select, then tap a shortcut (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Move.
  2. Tap the folder to which you want to move your shortcuts.

Add shortcuts to folders, showing how to tap Move, then tap the folder to which you want to move your shortcut(s) (Image credit: iMore)

Questions?

If you have any questions about organizing your shortcuts, let us know in the comments.

Updated August 2020: Updated for iOS 14 beta.

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Joseph Keller
Joseph Keller

Joseph Keller is the former Editor in Chief of iMore. An Apple user for almost 20 years, he spends his time learning the ins and outs of iOS and macOS, always finding ways of getting the most out of his iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.