Utilizing Apple’s Shortcuts application on your Mac enables the creation of various automations, although the range of available actions is limited by Apple’s current offerings. While the app comes equipped with a number of practical features, certain actions, like clearing all notifications or shutting down every app at once, are still absent. If increasing the capabilities of your Mac automations is your goal, consider Shortcutie ($6). This robust extension provides the means to execute actions that Apple has yet to incorporate.

Shortcutie doesn’t have its own standalone interface. Upon installation, its functionalities seamlessly integrate into the Apple Shortcuts app on your Mac. To find and utilize these new actions, simply install Shortcutie, open the Shortcuts app, and navigate to the Apps tab in the right pane where you’ll see Shortcutie listed. Accessibility permissions are required for the app to operate as intended, due to macOS’s restrictive sandboxing protocols that inhibit many of the actions Shortcutie facilitates. It’s important to only grant these permissions to trusted applications like Shortcutie. Once permission is granted, you’ll gain access to a suite of new tools in Shortcuts, including options for changing your default browser, clearing all notifications, hiding all windows, quitting all applications, and checking the status of screen recording, mirroring, or sharing.

While macOS can support all these actions, they are not natively available in Shortcuts, limiting the ability to create automations involving them. After integrating Shortcutie, you can incorporate these triggers into your shortcuts, enabling more complex automation configurations that aren’t otherwise possible on your Mac. It’s also worth noting that the Shortcuts app can be accessed through the menu bar, allowing for quick execution of automations directly from there, which speeds up processes like the often tedious “clear all notifications.” When paired with Shortery, which allows for Mac automations triggered by a variety of events, there’s virtually no limit to what can be automated.

Credit: Pranay Parab

Without the aid of Shortcutie, clearing notifications requires accessing the Notification Center, where macOS often hides the “clear all” option, forcing users to remove alerts individually. With Shortcutie, a straightforward automation allows you to clear all notifications with just a couple of clicks. Similarly, the action for quitting all applications, while often unnecessary, becomes a simple task, particularly useful when your Mac’s performance wanes due to memory issues or excessive heat. The quit all apps action enables a swift, single-click solution to alleviate stress on your computer. Here are additional actions available through the app:

• Empty Trash

• Eject all disks

• Clear recent lists from menus

• Activate grayscale mode

• Show or hide desktop widgets

• Retrieve URL and title of the current browser tab

As of the current date, Shortcutie boasts support for 29 different actions, with the developer, Sindre Sorhus, indicating plans to expand this list. A notable concern is that Shortcutie’s functionality relies on private APIs to access these actions, which are subject to change at any time. Although Sorhus has committed to monitoring these alterations and maintaining the application, this reliance does present a risk of losing functionality. However, with regular updates, potential challenges can be addressed, making it a worthwhile consideration.

Confidence in the application’s future is bolstered by Sorhus’s impressive track record of creating over 50 applications and utilities for both Mac and iPhone, many of which have been highlighted on reputable platforms like DailyHackly. Continuous updates for Shortcutie can be anticipated as a result.