How to Create Shortcuts in macOS Monterey on Mac?

Shortcuts in any operating system make everyday tasks quick and easy. You don’t need to jump around apps and settings to do what you do regularly. You can spend a bit of your time crafting a shortcut you need, and then everything would be a single click away. Setting up shortcuts to different actions is one of the highlight features of iOS on iPhones, and it is good to see macOS getting this feature.

With the recent release of macOS Monterey, users can now create shortcuts on their PCs. This time-saving feature is here to stay on Mac, and not using it to its full potential would be a shame. So here in this article, we will guide you on creating shortcuts on macOS Monterey. We will show you how they work, how you can create them, modify them, and so on. So without any further ado, let’s get into it.

How to create shortcuts in macOS Monterey?

Before we see how we can create shortcuts, let’s first understand how these shortcuts work.

How do Shortcuts work in macOS?

Shortcuts app was first introduced in iOS 12, and ever since that, Apple users have been fond of it. It allows the users to perform customizations and various operations that previously even required Jailbreak. From playing Youtube in PiP mode in Safari, separating audio from videos, to much more, everything is possible with just a single tap now.

Shortcuts have been a valid alternative to jailbreak. It gives users a powerful automation tool, taking away the need to void a warranty on an Apple device by jailbreaking it. The introductions of Shortcuts now in macOS would make things easier for Apple users universally too. This is because all the shortcuts are now automatically synced between macOS and iOS/ iPadOS devices. So you will now have complete control of your shortcuts, no matter which Apple device you are using.

How to create Shortcuts in macOS Monterey?

• Launch the Shortcuts app on your Mac. If you can’t find the app in the Dock, you can use the spotlight to open it up.
• Once the app opens up, click on the “+” button at the top right corner of the app window.
• Now, set up the actions for your shortcut. You can use the search bar at the top right corner to look for the actions that you want.
• Then drag the shortcut options from the sidebar to the left-side window to build a custom shortcut. You can even mix different options to create a complex custom shortcut of your own.
• Now, set a name for the shortcut by clicking on the Shortcut name and typing a suitable name according to your liking.
• You can set the shortcut image by clicking on the shortcut photo and choosing an appropriate symbol or object.
• Then click on the close button in the top left corner to finish up creating the new shortcut. You can follow these steps to create as many shortcuts as you want on your Mac.

Adding a shortcut to the Menu Bar:

To make a shortcut more accessible to you, you can try adding it to the menu bar. You don’t even need to open up the Shortcut app to launch the shortcut then. To do this,

• Open the Shortcuts app on your Mac.
• Go to the “All Shortcuts” option in the left sidebar.
• Double-click on the shortcut that you want to add to the menu bar.
• Now, click on the three horizontal lines icon(settings) at the top right corner of your screen.
• Select the Details tab and then check the box for the “Keep in Menu Bar” option.
• Now, the selected shortcut will appear on your Menu Bar. If you want to remove the shortcut from your Menu bar in the future, retrace your steps and uncheck the box for the “Keep in Menu Bar” option.

Use a Shortcut as Quick Action on Mac:

You can even use a Siri shortcut as Quick Action on your Mac. To set that up,

• Launch the Shortcuts app on your Mac.
• Go to the “All Shortcuts” option in the left sidebar.
• Double-click on the shortcut that you want to edit.
• Now, click on the three horizontal lines icon(settings) at the top right corner of your screen.
• Select the Details tab and then check the box for the “Use as Quick Action” option.
• Now customize the shortcut to be used as a Quick Action according to your liking. You can even set up a keyboard shortcut for your Shortcut.

Delete a Shortcut in macOS Monterey:

If, in the future, you feel like a particular shortcut is useless to you, and you want to delete it, you can follow the steps mentioned below to do it.

• Launch the Shortcuts app on your Mac.
• Go to the “All Shortcuts” option in the left sidebar.
• Right-click on the shortcut that you want to delete.
• Choose “delete” in the pop-up menu that shows up to completely delete the selected shortcut.

Even though the shortcut app is filled with a shortcuts library, you can add other unofficial shortcuts to your Mac too. Many independent creators are developing new Shortcuts, and you can choose to try these out on your Mac. So you are not limited to the default library of Shortcuts on your Mac.

That is all about creating shortcuts in macOS Monterey. If you have any questions or queries about this article, then comment below, and we will get back to you. Also, be sure to check out our other articles on iPhone tips and tricks, Android tips and tricks, PC tips and tricks, and much more for more helpful information.