This iPhone Shortcut Automation Will 10X Your Productivity

Social media apps like TikTok and Instagram are the Bonnie & Clyde of our digital lives. They steal our attention, murder our concentration, and leave us feeling disgusted with ourselves at the end of the day. Yet we cannot fight them, as they are designed to keep us engaged and entrapped.

Imagine a scenario where you launch Instagram on your iPhone, but it redirects you to the Books app so you can read instead of mindlessly scrolling. Or it opens your task manager so you can view your pending tasks and get a jolt to do something productive.

I created a simple automation that accomplishes this task.

Creating the automation

Before we begin, you can click this link to find the best shortcuts for iPhone.

1. Launch the Shortcuts app on your iPhone and open the Automation tab.

2 .Tap the plus (+) button in the top-right corner, search for the app action, and add it to the automation.

3. Now use the Choose button to select all the apps that waste your time. I will select Instagram and Reddit. Tap the done button to save the changes.

4. Tap to choose the Run Immediately option and ensure that Notify when Run option is unchecked.

5. Tap on Next and choose the New Blank Automation option.

6. Search for the Open App action and add it to the shortcut.

7. Tap on the empty App section and choose the app you want to open. I will select the Reminders app, but you can use Books, Notes, or any other productivity app.

8. Finally, tap the Done button to save the automation.

That’s it. Every time I launch Instagram or Reddit, the automation will redirect to the Reminders app automatically. Instead of doomscrolling, I will be reminded of my due tasks.

It’s an easy automation that you can create to save hours of your time and 10X your productivity. If you liked this guide, click here to learn how to manage your iPhone clipboard with a simple shortcut.

How to bypass the automation to launch the app

While I didn't want to provide a workaround, people will need to use the apps sometime, so here are the steps:

1. Open the Automation tab in the Shortcuts app and tap the automation we created.

2. Tap the drop-down menu next to Automation and choose the Don't Run option.

3. Tap the Done button to save it.

Now the automation will not run and you will be able to use those apps. Just remember to set it to run immediately after you are done.