How to share your Shortcuts with others (and how to add shared Shortcuts)

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

The Shortcuts app allows you to create time-saving setups both simple and complicated, but no matter what you've created, if you're proud of it, you might want to share it. This can be a great way for people to set up complicated shortcuts on their own devices without having to slog through creating them or a way for you to do the same.

How to share shortcuts from the shortcut editor in iOS 13

With the Shortcuts app integrated directly into the system in iOS 13, sharing shortcuts is a little more complicated. First, you have to make sure you can share shortcuts at all with the "Allow Untrusted Shortcuts" switch in settings.

Before you begin these steps, start by running any shortcut in the Shortcuts app. Just tap a simple shortcut and run it. This will make the "Allow Untrested Shortcuts" switch available to you in settings.

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap Shortcuts.
  3. Tap the switch for Allow Untrusted Shortcuts so it's in the green 'on' position.

Share shortcuts, showing how to open Settings, tap Shortcuts, then tap switch (Image credit: iMore)

With this option turned on, you will now see a share button when you open the details of a shortcut in iOS 13.

  1. Open Shortcuts on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap the ... button on the shortcut you want to share.

Share shortcuts, showing how to open Shortcuts, then tap ... (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap the share button towards the bottom-right corner.
  2. Tap one of the options on the share sheet:
    • Mail, Add to Notes, or Message, Copy iCloud Link, third-party messaging apps: Creates a link that you can share with anyone. Anyone with this link can also share the shortcut.
    • AirDrop: Shares the shortcut to nearby devices via AirDrop.
    • Add to Home Screen: adds shortcut directly to your Home screen.

Share shortcuts, showing how to tap the share button, then tap a sharing option (Image credit: iMore)

How to share a shortcut from your Library in iOS 13

On iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, sharing a shortcut can be completed using either 3D Touch or a long press.

  1. Open Shortcuts.
  2. Press firmly or long-press on the shortcut you want to share.

Share shortcuts from library, showing how to open Shortcuts, then 3D Touch or long press a shortcut (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Share.
  2. Choose a sharing option as outlined in the previous steps.

Share shortcuts from library, showing how to tap Share, then tap a sharing option (Image credit: iMore)

In iOS 13.1 and iPadOS 13.1 and later, Shortcuts can be shared using the "Get Link to File" shortcut action, allowing you to share shortcuts with a shortcut. Setting up the shortcut that lets you share a single shortcut is a little complex, however.

  1. In Shortcuts, tap Create Shortcut or the + button.
  2. Tap Add Action.
  3. Use the search bar to search for "Get My Shortcuts."

Share links to a specific shortcuts, showing how to tap Create Shortcut, tap Add Action, then use the search bar (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Get My Shortcuts.
  2. Tap the + button.
  3. Use the search bar to search for "Choose From List."

Share links to a specific shortcuts, showing how to tap Get My Shortcuts, tap +, then use the search bar (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Choose From List.
  2. Tap Show More.
  3. Enter a prompt if you want to see a text prompt.

Share links to a specific shortcuts, showing how to tap Choose From List, tap Show More, then add a prompt (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap the switch next to Select Multiple if you want to be able to select multiple shortcuts at the same time.
  2. Tap +.
  3. Use the search bar to search for "Get Link to File."

Share links to a specific shortcuts, showing how to tap the switch next to Select Multiple, tap +, then use the search bar (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Get Link to File.
  2. Tap +.
  3. Use the search bar to search for "Copy to Clipboard."

Share links to a specific shortcuts, showing how to tap Get Link to File, tap +, then use the search bar (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Copy to Clipboard.
  2. Tap in the top-right corner.
  3. Name your shortcut.

Share links to a specific shortcuts, showing how to tap Copy to Clipboard, tap ..., then name the shortcut (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Done.
  2. Tap Done.

Share links to a specific shortcuts, showing how to tap Done, then tap Done (Image credit: iMore)

Then, when you want to share a shortcut or group of shortcuts, tap your newly-created shortcut.

  1. Tap Share Shortcut Links or whatever you named your shortcut.
  2. Tap on the shortcuts you want to share.
  3. Tap Done.

Share links to a specific shortcuts, showing how to tap the Shortcut, tap shortcuts from the list, then tap Done (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Create Links. Wait for your chosen links to be copied, when a checkmark appears on your shortcut.
  2. Paste your links where you want to share them.

Share links to a specific shortcuts, showing how to tap Create Links, then paste links (Image credit: iMore)

You can grab that shortcut right here.

Creating a shortcut to share all of your shortcuts is actually a simpler matter than making one to share only select shortcuts. Like the shortcut above, this method is also only available in iOS 13.1 and iPadOS 13.1 and later.

  1. In Shortcuts, tap Create Shortcut or the + button.
  2. Tap Add Action.
  3. Use the search bar to search for "Get My Shortcuts."

Share links to all shortcuts, showing how to tap Create Shortcut, tap Add Action, then use the search bar (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Get My Shortcuts.
  2. Tap +.
  3. Use the search bar to search for "Get Link to File."

Share links to all shortcuts, showing how to tap Get My Shortcuts, tap +, then use the search bar (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Get Link to File.
  2. Tap in the top-right corner.
  3. Name your shortcut.

Share links to all shortcuts, showing how to tap Get Link to File, tap ..., then name the shortcut (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Done.
  2. Tap Done.

Share links to all shortcuts, showing how to tap Done, then tap Done (Image credit: iMore)

When you want to share all of your shortcuts, tap your new shortcut.

  1. Tap Share all shortcuts or whatever you named your shortcut.
  2. Tap Create Links. Wait for your chosen links to be copied, when a checkmark appears on your shortcut. This could take awhile depending on how many shortcuts you have.
  3. Paste your links where you want to share them.

Share links to all shortcuts, showing how to tap Share all shortcuts, tap Create links, then paste the links (Image credit: iMore)

How to stop sharing a shortcut

The process for stopping the sharing of a shortcut is actually fairly simple.

  1. Find the shortcut link that you previously shared. You could have shared it on the web, in a SMS or iMessage, saved it to a Note, or some other method.
  2. Tap the link. You will immediately be taken to the Shortcuts app to view the shortcut.
  3. Tap the ... in the top-right corner.

Stop sharing a shortcut, showing how to find a shortcut link, tap link, then tap ... (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Stop Sharing.
  2. Tap Stop Sharing.

Stop sharing a shortcut, showing how to tap Stop Sharing, then tap Stop Sharing (Image credit: iMore)

How to add a shared shortcut to your library

People share shortcuts in a variety of ways. Maybe a friend sent you a link, or you found something in the r/Shortcuts subreddit that you just have to add, or you're adding a shortcut from an iCloud file. No matter how you do it, the process is the same.

  1. Tap the file or link for the shortcut you want to add.
  2. Tap Add Untrusted Shortcut

Add a shared shortcut to your library, showing how to tap a shortcut link, then tap Add Shortcut (Image credit: iMore)

The shortcut is now part of your library, and you can use it just like you would with any other shortcut that you created or added from the Shortcuts Gallery.

Questions?

Let us know in the comments if you have any questions about sharing shortcuts.

Updated August 2020: Everything is up-to-date through the iOS 14 beta.

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.