Get in slo-mo, or any other camera mode, quickly with Shortcuts in iOS 17

A more intuitive, faster iOS 17 user experience is on the way – Apple is beta testing an updated version of Shortcuts, where a newly added camera section is found (via 9to5Mac).

According to Matthew Cassineli (he worked on the iOS app Workflows before it was acquired by Apple and made free under the current name Shortcuts), “Apple has added an ‘Open Camera’ action for the Camera app that allows users to pick between camera modes and immediately open to any preset using Shortcuts”.

Shortcuts (former Workflow) lets you operate your iOS device (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch) faster with the help of an automated series of processes. One step in a task is called an ‘action’, that’s the building block of a shortcut. Each shortcut is made up of one or more actions. You can set your own Shortcut, or use predefined ones, made by developers and fellow iOS users. For example, there’s a shortcut called Start My Day that will get you a brief overview of the weather, traffic conditions for your area with a brief summary of some world news. You can activate it via Siri command.

So, the newly added Open Camera section lets users set a specific camera mode in the Camera app, without the need to hustle and bustle by opening the app and then switching to the desired mode.

Depending on the device used, there are up to nine different modes available:

• Photo
• Selfie
• Video
• Portrait
• Portrait Selfie
• Cinematic
• Slo-Mo
• Time-Lapse
• Pano

If you’re surrounded by models in your everyday life, you can set a Portrait mode Shortcut and act on the decisive moment without worrying that you’re too slow. Or, if you’re heavy into creating beautiful time-lapse videos, Shortcuts has got you covered. Should you want to give it a try, iOS 17 beta is currently available through the Apple Developer and Apple Beta Software programs.

iOS 17 says “Hi” to entrenched Android users

An Open Camera section is far from the only thing that iOS 17 is expected to bring to the table this fall when it will debut alongside the iPhone 15 line. There are some Android-like features that Apple is bringing to iOS 17, like an improved iMessage, Contact posters, Interactive widgets, Offline Apple Maps, plus a revised Siri command-giving experience.

Presenting features that are already Android-available won’t make sworn users jump on the 2023 iPhone/iOS train right away. That’s why Apple is trying to lure Android aficionados with a bunch of tempting features, like NameDrop (an upgraded AirDrop-like feature), StandBy (it turns your iPhone into a smart display), Personal Voice (this one lets you train your iPhone to speak in your own voice by saying a bunch of random words out loud to the mic), and others.