Facing Issues With Siri Shortcuts? Here’s A Workaround

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Siri Shortcuts have been having serious problems this week. Many users have taken to social media and product forums to flag the Siri Shortcuts issue. Specifically, users say that they are having trouble accessing their Shortcuts.

Here’s what we know about the Siri Shortcuts issue so far

Most users turned to Twitter to complain about the Siri Shortcuts issue. The issue is mainly related to accessing and running Shortcuts. As of now, it is still unclear what is causing the issue or how widespread it is. Apple’s support handle on Twitter and its product forums are filled with complaints from affected users.

“Siri Shortcuts seem to be down. When running the command via ‘Hey Siri’ (or Siri in general), Siri replies with the typical response you would get if you didn’t have the shortcut,” one user tweeted.

The folks at 9to5Mac also tested Shortcuts following the complaints, and they found the Shortcuts worked perfectly when using the Shortcuts app. However, when running them via Siri using preset phrases, Siri acts as if it doesn’t know anything about it.

Some speculate that the issue might be related to the iOS update which was pushed out yesterday or a recent Shortcuts update. However, some claim to be experiencing the Siri Shortcuts issue even before updating their device. The issue is not affecting all users or even all the Siri Shortcuts created. Rather, it seems to mostly affect Shortcuts created with third-party applications.

The Siri Shortcuts issue appears to be on the server side, and Apple is probably aware of it and working on a fix. Meanwhile, there is a workaround some say worked for them. According to users, re-recording the Siri Shortcuts phrases get them working again.

To re-record the Shortcut, go to the Shortcuts app and select a Shortcut. Then tap the settings icon in the upper-right corner, followed by the “Siri Phrase” option. Now select “Re-Record Phrase.”

This is only a temporary fix until Apple releases a permanent one. If you have too many Shortcuts to re-record all of them, you can use the workaround for the ones you use the most and then wait for the permanent fix from Apple for the others.

Use Siri Shortcuts to check Apple Store orders

One of the newest updates allows users to check their Apple Store orders via Siri. Th company updated the Apple Store app for iOS to version 5.2, which supports Siri Shortcuts, delivery options and more.

“With Siri Shortcuts, you can create custom voice commands to check product availability or the status of your recent order, without having to open the app,” the changelog of the update states.

The Apple Store started supporting Siri Shortcuts in November. At the time, support was limited to pre-ordering the iPhone XR, but since the latest update, the app now offers more functionality for Shortcuts. Apple says the newly-added support will make it “even easier” to use the Apple Store app.

In addition to Siri Shortcuts support, the update also adds delivery support to locations throughout Puerto Rico.

Here’s what the iOS 12.1.1 update includes

Apple also rolled out the iOS 12.1.1 update yesterday. The most notable improvements are to FaceTime, which users had been criticizing since Apple removed features like taking live photos during calls and hiding the “flip camera” button behind the menu. Apple has now reverted those changes.

The update also adds dual-SIM and eSIM support for more carriers across Europe, including Swisscom in Switzerland, Orange in Spain, and Three in Sweden and Denmark. It also brings notification previews using Haptic Touch to the iPhone XR. Issues like Face ID being temporarily unavailable, the problems with predictive text suggestions on Chinese and Japanese keyboards, and visual voicemail downloading are fixed now.

iOS 12.1.1 also adds support for the ECG feature on Apple Watch Series 4 models, which will be included in the watchOS 5.1.2 update. For the iPad, iOS 12.1.1 introduces the option to hide the side bar in landscape mode.

The iOS 12.1.1 update is now available to download on all eligible devices. To check for the update, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

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