Apple, We Need to Talk About Shortcuts
Learning Apple Shortcuts with Accessibility in Mind
I went live with my friend Michael because I had one clear goal:
I wanted to finally learn how to use Apple Shortcuts.
I am no stranger to technology. I code, I automate, and I train AI models. Yet every time I opened the Shortcuts app, I felt lost. It looked powerful, but for someone relying on VoiceOver, it was confusing and, at times, frustrating. So I decided to learn in public. By streaming my first real attempt at building shortcuts, I could show exactly where blind users like me get stuck, and hopefully spark a conversation about what needs to change.
Why We Streamed
• I wanted to learn by doing, not by skimming guides or tutorials.
• I wanted to show others the unfiltered experience of trying Shortcuts as a VoiceOver user.
• Streaming also gave me accountability. It meant I could not just give up the moment it felt overwhelming.
We were testing on iOS 26 beta, which means some issues may be linked to pre-release software. However, the production release of iOS 26 is right around the corner. That makes these issues urgent. If Apple does not address them now, millions of users will face the same barriers when iOS 26 ships.
The Promise: What Excited Us
• Automation everywhere. Trigger shortcuts when your battery hits a certain percentage, when you connect AirPods, when you tap an NFC tag, or even at a set time of day.
• Apple Intelligence built in. The new “Use Model” action amazed me. I typed, “My name is Taylor. Write a post promoting my accessibility services.” Within seconds, it produced a full social media post ready to share.
• True programming without code. Shortcuts supports loops, if-statements, lists, dictionaries, file management, OCR, and even SSH.
• Thoughtful touches. When a shortcut finishes running, VoiceOver announces, “Shortcut finished.”
The Reality: Where We Struggled
• Misleading labels. A button marked “Close” actually deleted an action.
• Focus problems. After adding or dismissing a menu, VoiceOver often stayed on a screen that no longer existed.
• Identical names. Multiple “Text” actions sounded the same.
• Dragging without feedback. Reordering actions had no VoiceOver indication.
These are not minor inconveniences. They are the basic building blocks of using Shortcuts. If these steps are difficult, then many users will simply give up.
Why This Matters
Apple promotes Shortcuts as the way to personalize your iPhone. For blind and low-vision users, it too often feels like: personalize your iPhone if you are willing to wrestle with unlabeled buttons, broken focus, and inconsistent feedback.
This is not just about convenience. Automation is independence. It saves time, reduces effort, and unlocks possibilities. For many in the blind community, Shortcuts could be the key to building personalized tools that make technology work better for them. But that potential will remain unrealized unless Apple invests in fixing the accessibility gaps. With iOS 26 reaching general availability soon, the urgency is even greater.
What Apple Can Do Right Now
1. Fix labels.
2. Stabilize focus.
3. Provide audible reordering.
4. Disambiguate variables.
5. Align platforms.
What I Learned
When we started the stream, I thought Shortcuts was too confusing. By the end, I realized it is not confusing—it is powerful but inaccessible.
When it worked, it felt like magic. I created a shortcut that could generate a social media post at noon every day, something that would have taken me hours before. That sense of accomplishment is what will keep people learning and building. Apple just needs to lower the barriers so more of us can reach that point.
A Call to Apple
Apple, you have built the engine. Now it is time to make the driver’s seat usable.
Please give Shortcuts the accessibility attention it deserves before iOS 26 ships to the public.
A Call to the Community
• Keep experimenting, even when it feels clunky.
Share what you create. At Beyond the Gallery, we are building a community where you can upload and discover shortcuts like apps. Visit: https://beyondthegallery.app
also download the Beyond the Gallery app directly at: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/beyond-the-gallery/id6476782220
• Keep speaking up. Apple listens most when feedback comes from a chorus of voices.
I went live hoping to finally learn Shortcuts. What I found was frustration, but also hope. Shortcuts has the power to give blind and low-vision users real independence. Apple just needs to make the experience as accessible as the vision behind it, and the time to fix it is now, before iOS 26 reaches production.
Watch the full stream here: