Sspai Refreshes Learnable Shortcuts Column for iOS 27 With AI and Automation Lessons

According to Sspai, the update is aimed at beginners who want to understand Apple’s Shortcuts app and build workflows for their own needs. Sspai described Shortcuts as a visual programming tool that can save time on iPhone and Mac, but said it still requires users to grasp basic programming ideas such as variables, conditions and loops. Many existing tutorials, it said, focus on showing how powerful Shortcuts can be, while paying less attention to the core logic that new users need to learn.

Sspai said it has long been a gathering place for Chinese-language Shortcuts discussion, with a dedicated download page and a member column that regularly publishes Shortcuts content. Years ago, it invited Tp to write “Learnable Shortcuts,” which received positive feedback and was intended to provide a zero-basics entry path. The new edition is being released separately because of the iOS 27 update, which Sspai said required substantial changes to screenshots and chapters.

The column has 14 articles and is divided into two sections: theory basics and shortcut building. The theory section introduces Shortcuts, creating a first shortcut or automation, variables and Quick Look, and basic principles such as saving time and choosing the best scenario. The building section covers automation, image and text processing, batch cleaning screenshot status bars and find-and-replace, repeats, networking, batch image downloads, and three third-party tools that can be used with Shortcuts. A free trial article offers an introduction from what Shortcuts is to how to use it.

Sspai said the update adds three new articles based on iOS 27: Shortcuts and AI, an iOS 27 shortcut example for automated bookkeeping, and an iOS 27 automation example for automatically cleaning the status bar, creating framed screenshots and translating screen content. In the same announcement, it said the two new iOS 27 automation examples would cover the system’s new screenshot and notification automation.

Readers who have never bought the column can get a 20% launch discount if they purchase before Nov. 15. Those who bought it on or after Oct. 15, 2024, will receive the new version free and should follow a system notice to claim a gift voucher. Those who bought it on or before Oct. 14, 2024, can get a 70% discount, or pay 30% of the price; Sspai said the coupon has been sent to their accounts and remains valid long-term. Annual Sspai members can read the column without buying it, and others can buy it separately. Sspai asked users who have problems claiming or using the discounts to contact its customer service.

Tp is described as a longtime Sspai author and experienced Shortcuts user who has written more than 810,000 Chinese characters on the site, with total reads exceeding 20 million.

Editor's Summary Sspai has updated its Learnable Shortcuts column for iOS 27, revising more than 30% of the content and adding AI and automation articles. The column keeps a beginner-focused, scenario-based approach and offers discounts for previous buyers and free access for annual members. The update is intended to help more users learn Shortcuts as Apple continues to change its automation features.