Now that Safari has been properly fixed (when it wasn’t broken), macOS Monterey is one of the best updates we’ve seen to the Mac in years. Not only do we get a more refined design overall, but Shortcuts has finally arrived. Apple has already stated it plans to phase out the tried-and-true classic in Automator.
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- The Best iOS Apps and macOS Apps: October 2021
- How to AirPlay from iPhone to Mac with iOS 15 and macOS Monterey
- How To Use Focus Mode on macOS Monterey
- Shortcuts On Mac: Apple Is Updating Automation On Mac
- How To Upgrade To macOS Monterey
But in order to take full advantage of automation on the Mac, developers are starting to update their apps to support Shortcuts on macOS. We’ve already seen quite a few apps receive their updates, but we’ve rounded up a few of our favorites so far.
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Things 3
Things 3 is the go-to task and project management application for many Apple users. The developers, Cultured Code, have recently released an update for Things 3 bringing along Shortcuts support on the Mac.
OmniFocus
Take Things 3 and turn your GTD up to 11 and you’ll end up at OmniFocus. Not only have the developers implemented a bit of automation within the app, but with OmniFocus 3.12, you can now use your favorite automations in Shortcuts.
- Shortcuts — OmniFocus 3.12 now supports all of the Shortcuts actions that have been available in OmniFocus 3 for iPad and iPhone: Add Items, Find Items, Show in OmniFocus, Add TaskPaper, Today’s Forecast, Find Tags, and Find Projects.
- Omni Automation — We’ve also added support for triggering Omni Automation scripts and plug-ins from Shortcuts, using the new Run Omni Automation Script and Run Omni Automation Plug-In actions.
Planny 6
https://youtu.be/UmGmIL34DOc
Planny 6 is one of those apps that has been on our radar for awhile, but over the last couple of months, we’ve seen some pretty substantial updates. Planny offers a new way to handle your daily tasks and routines, offering an easy to use, yet powerful, interface for your task management needs. And now that macOS Monterey has arrived, Planny has been updated with support for Apple Shortcuts.
Tasks: To-Do List & Reminders
Tasks is another app that I, myself, have been following since its initial release. The developer continues to make waves in the to-do app space, and is incredibly responsive to feedback while implementing new features. Not only can you use the app just ask a to-do list, but there’s really so much more that’s possible with this incredibly powerful app.
Fantastical
If you’re a long time user of Apple products and the Mac, then Fantastical needs no introduction. It’s considered by many to be the best calendar app across all of your Apple devices, and for good reason. Even with the controversial switch to a subscription model, Fantastical remains the most sleek and useful calendar app out there.
Drafts
Almost every article that you see published here, gets its start in Drafts. Whether it’s an idea that comes to mind while I’m laying down for the night, or just writing out an article in Markdown and using Actions to turn it into HTML, Drafts is the place “where text starts”.
“Drafts provides a wide variety of actions for use in Apple’s automation app, Shortcuts. These can be used for simple things like creating a new draft, opening Drafts directly to specific workspaces – or advanced processing by querying and updating multiple drafts.”
BetterTouchTool
Have you wanted an app that can handle a wide variety of customizable gestures for your mouse or trackpad? BetterTouchTool is the ultimate app for all of that, and so much more. And now that it offers Shortcuts integration, you can take your automation to the next level.
Starting with version 3.600 BetterTouchTool is now fully compatible with macOS 12 Monterey. It comes with a deep Shortcuts integration (which will now continuously be extended – expect many improvements on this while I learn how people use Shortcuts on macOS)
Shortcuts can be started using any trigger in BTT (Keyboard Shortcuts, Key Sequences, Touch Bar, Gestures, Mouse Button presses and so on…). They are directly integrated into the predefined action list in BetterTouchTool.
Yoink
If you’ve ever found yourself wanting to save a link, picture, or file for later, but don’t know where to put it, Yoink is the answer. The app provides a temporary “shelf” for you to place those items, allowing you to switch over to another app and still be able to grab what you need without ending up frustrating.
“Build powerful workflows with Yoink’s Shortcuts app integration”
Keep It
Instead of being just a traditional note-taking app where you drop in text, Keep It is so much more than that. From saving web links and creating a digital scratchbook, to having a place to organize all of your wedding plans. Keep It solves so many problems and now offers the same Shortcuts support on the Mac as it does on iOS and iPadOS.
“Keep It for Mac now includes support for the Shortcuts app on macOS Monterey, offering all the same actions already available in keep It for iPad and iPhone.”
Transloader
Have you ever found yourself doom-scrolling Twitter only to come across an awesome thread with some new Mac apps you’ve never heard of? Usually, you would have to add it to a note or read-it-later client, but with Transcoder, you can actually start downloading the app TO your Mac, right from your phone.
- Use Shortcuts to create powerful download workflows
- In addition to apps and Automator workflows, you can now call Shortcuts in your Link and File Actions
Timery
Time Tracking is one of those things that many of us wish we were better about. With Timery, you can actually start getting better, as it’s a Toggl client that is much more robust and actually useful.
“All the Shortcuts actions on iPhone and iPad are now on Mac in Monterey! Start & stop time entries, check your current time entry, check time tracked, and more.”
Focused Work
While Timery offers a better interface for handling Toggl timers, Focused Work takes a different approach to helping you keep track of how your time is spent. The app is absolutely stunning, and offers pretty much the same experience across iOS, iPadOS, and now, the Mac.
- Shortcuts for Mac: Automate starting a focus session with more than 10 different shortcuts, all supported in macOS
- Shortcut Automations: Automatically trigger shortcuts mid-session from within the app, during a focus session
Pixelmator Pro
There are a lot of great photo editing apps that can be downloaded on the Mac. But few of them look as good and work as seamless as Pixelmator Pro. With its latest update to version 2.2 Carmel, Pixelmator Pro now offers 28 different image editing actions that can be used in Shortcuts.
Soro – For Sonos
If you’re firmly entrenched in the Sonos ecosystem, then you no longer have to be frustrated when it comes to automating controls over your speakers. Soro – For Sonos allows you to use a wide variety of different Shortcuts automations including turning on or off Night Mode, waking your speaker, setting the TV Autoplay, and so much more.
Andrew Myrick is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is having a never-ending supply of different keyboards and gaming handhelds that end up collecting more dust than the consoles that are being emulated.
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