Automation & Scripting

RSS for tag

Learn about scripting languages and automation frameworks available on the platform to automate repetitive tasks.

Automation & Scripting Documentation

Posts under Automation & Scripting subtopic

Post

Replies

Boosts

Views

Activity

Numbers Extension in Shortcuts
I am building an automation using Shortcuts. The shortcut reads text from my Notes, sends it to Apple Intelligence, converts the result into dictionary values, and then saves those values into a Numbers sheet by adding rows through a form. The problem is that when the automation processes multiple lines and adds multiple rows, the Numbers app opens every time a row is added. I would like this process to run automatically at a scheduled time without opening the Numbers app repeatedly on my iPhone. Is there a way to update the Numbers sheet in the background without launching the Numbers app? Please let me know if there is a solution.
1
0
400
Mar ’26
Is calling different SBApplication objects from different threads bad?
Not quite but maybe sorta related to the errOSAInternalTableOverflow problem I asked about in a different thread, this one deals with crashes our app gets (and much more frequently lately after recent OS updates (15.7.3) are OK'd by our IT department). Our app can run multiple jobs concurrently, each in their own NSOperation. Each op creates its own SBApplication instance that controls unique instances of InDesignServer. What I'm seeing recently is lots of crashes happening while multiple ops are calling into ScriptingBridge. Shown at the bottom is one of the stack crawls from one of the threads. I've trimmed all but the last of our code. Other threads have a similar stack crawl. In searching for answers, Google's AI overview mentions "If you must use multiple threads, ensure that each thread creates its own SBApplication instance…" Which is what we do. No thread can reach another thread's SBApplication instance. Is that statement a lie? Do I need to lock around every ScriptingBridge call (which is going to severely slow things down)? 0 AE 0x1a7dba8d4 0x1a7d80000 + 239828 1 AE 0x1a7d826d8 AEProcessMessage + 3496 2 AE 0x1a7d8f210 0x1a7d80000 + 61968 3 AE 0x1a7d91978 0x1a7d80000 + 72056 4 AE 0x1a7d91764 0x1a7d80000 + 71524 5 CoreFoundation 0x1a0396a64 __CFRUNLOOP_IS_CALLING_OUT_TO_A_SOURCE0_PERFORM_FUNCTION__ + 28 6 CoreFoundation 0x1a03969f8 __CFRunLoopDoSource0 + 172 7 CoreFoundation 0x1a0396764 __CFRunLoopDoSources0 + 232 8 CoreFoundation 0x1a03953b8 __CFRunLoopRun + 840 9 CoreFoundation 0x1a03949e8 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 572 10 AE 0x1a7dbc108 0x1a7d80000 + 246024 11 AE 0x1a7d988fc AESendMessage + 4724 12 ScriptingBridge 0x1ecb652ac -[SBAppContext sendEvent:error:] + 80 13 ScriptingBridge 0x1ecb5eb4c -[SBObject sendEvent:id:keys:values:count:] + 216 14 ScriptingBridge 0x1ecb6890c -[SBCommandThunk invoke:] + 376 15 CoreFoundation 0x1a037594c ___forwarding___ + 956 16 CoreFoundation 0x1a03754d0 _CF_forwarding_prep_0 + 96 17 RRD 0x1027fca18 -[AppleScriptHelper runAppleScript:withSubstitutionValues:usingSBApp:] + 1036
21
0
1.3k
Mar ’26
App Shortcut parameter title in Spotlight does not update after updateAppShortcutParameters()
We use AppShortcutsProvider with a parameterized App Shortcut. One of the entities has a dynamic display title (e.g. "Everyone is searching: {keyword}") that comes from UserDefaults and is returned in EntityQuery.suggestedEntities() and entities(for:). When we change the keyword and call updateAppShortcutParameters(), the Shortcuts app updates and shows the new title. In Spotlight (Siri Suggestions), the displayed title stays on the old value (e.g. still shows "Everyone is searching: 456" after we switched to "123"). On tap, the shortcut runs with the new value (123), so the execution is correct; only the displayed title in Spotlight is stale. Question: Is this expected? Is there any API or recommended approach to invalidate or refresh the Spotlight suggestion so the displayed title matches the current parameter, or should we avoid dynamic titles for the first suggestion for better UX?
0
0
723
Feb ’26
Siri spawns multiple processes that don't die
When asking Siri to run a shortcut, it will spawn two processes called BackgroundShortcutRunner that do not die when the shortcut is done running. If the Siri window is on screen when I speak to have the shortcut run it does not spawn those two processes. However if the Siri window is not on screen when I speak, the Siri window appears and spawns these two processes. The two processes do not terminate once the shortcut is done running. I now have over 200 these processes since rebooting three days ago to install 26.4. FB22015192
2
1
428
Feb ’26
SiriKit: INPlayMediaIntent with a targeted speaker
I've got a streaming Radio app that loads an HLS stream into an AVAudioPlayer. I've set up an Intents extension that notifies SiriKit that my app must handle the INPlayMediaIntent in app, and, I'm able to successfully initiate the stream playing from my phone using the string "Play ". My intent handler in app looks like this: completionHandler(INPlayMediaIntentResponse(code: .success, userActivity: nil)) DispatchQueue.main.async { AudioPlayerService.shared.play() } The Audio Player service, in its init, does the following: try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory( .playback, mode: .default, policy: .longFormAudio ) Additionally, in my Info.plist, I have the AirPlay optimization policy set to Long Form Audio. Having said all that, when I try to route my app to play "on a given HomePod speaker" ("play on ") the speaker routing instructions are never followed. I've looked and not been able to find where I might be able to instruct my app to follow the correct path here. I was assuming I could not trigger this behavior manually, as I believe I don't really have any control over AirPlay routing. Is there any guidance for working with SiriKit to do the right thing with regards to audio routing?
0
0
649
Feb ’26
AppIntents built in way to receive recurrence rule as parameter?
I'm implementing app intents for my tasks app which supports recurrence rule for tasks. I see that when creating a todo for Reminders via Siri it allows to set a recurrence rule via natural language. Is there a built in way to receive that recurrence rule as a @Parameter in my AppIntent? If not, is it possible to receive the full user dictated text in the AppIntent:perform method so that I can use some ML model to convert the text to EKRecurrenceRule or similar?
1
0
1.1k
Feb ’26
URLRepresentableEntity with custom properties
I am trying to implement URLRepresentableEntity on my AppEntity I am following along with the WWDC video here All compiles fine when I use the ID as in the video: extension SceneEntity: URLRepresentableEntity { static var urlRepresentation: URLRepresentation { "https://example.com/scene/\(.id)" } } but my URLs need to use a different property on the Entity. The WWDC video clearly states: "Notice that I'm using the entity’s identifier as an interpolated value. You can use an entity’s ID or any of its properties with the @Property attribute as interpolations in the URL string." So I annotated my entity with the @Property attribute and expected that to work but it doesn't compile. struct SceneEntity: AppEntity { let id: UUID @Property(title: "Slug") var slug: String } extension SceneEntity: URLRepresentableEntity { static var urlRepresentation: URLRepresentation { "https://example.com/scene/\(.slug)" } } Type 'EntityURLRepresentation.StringInterpolation.Token' has no member 'slug' How can I use this API with a property that is not the ID?
4
0
1.5k
Feb ’26
"Show on all spaces" toggles OFF after programmatically setting wallpaper via AppleScript
I'm building an automated wallpaper updater that fetches images from an API and sets them as desktop wallpaper on macOS Tahoe. The automation uses AppleScript combined with database manipulation to ensure wallpaper applies to all spaces. Current implementation (via Apple Shortcuts): wallpaper_path="$1" osascript -e "tell application \"System Events\" to tell every desktop to set picture to POSIX file \"$wallpaper_path\"" sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/desktoppicture.db "UPDATE data SET space=NULL WHERE space IS NOT NULL;" 2>/dev/null killall -HUP Dock Issue First run: Works perfectly - sets wallpaper on all spaces/desktops, "Show on all spaces" is ON After first run: "Show on all spaces" automatically toggles OFF in System Settings Second run onwards: New wallpaper only updates on the active space, inactive spaces show old wallpaper Expected: "Show on all spaces" should remain ON after programmatic wallpaper changes Actual: System Settings automatically disables it, breaking subsequent updates Tested workarounds (all failed): UPDATE data SET space=NULL to clear per-space entries Using every desktop instead of current desktop in AppleScript killall Dock vs killall -HUP Dock vs killall -USR1 Dock Clearing space_id entries from pictures table Running DELETE FROM pictures WHERE space_id IS NOT NULL before setting The database manipulation doesn't prevent macOS from automatically creating per-space entries and disabling the "Show on all spaces" toggle. Question: Is there a way to programmatically set wallpaper while preserving the "Show on all spaces" setting on macOS Tahoe? Environment: macOS: Tahoe (latest) Architecture: Apple Silicon Use case: Daily automated wallpaper updates via Shortcuts
0
0
1k
Feb ’26
Shortcuts Automation Trigger Transaction Timeouts
Description The Shortcut Automation Trigger Transaction frequently times out, ultimately causing the shortcut automation to fail. Please see the attached trace for details. Additionally, the Trigger is activated even when the Transaction is declined. Details In the trace I see the error: [WFWalletTransactionProvider observeForUpdatesWithInitialTransactionIfNeeded:transactionIdentifier:completion:]_block_invoke Hit timeout waiting for transaction with identifier: <private>, finishing. Open bug report: FB14035016
15
25
3.9k
Feb ’26
How to properly localize AppIntent dialogs for Siri?
Hi! I have defined the following app intent. It returns a result with a dialog to confirm that the intent has been executed. Naturally, that dialog needs to be localized properly. But the String interpolation with the provided format doesn't do that. I specified wide for the width parameter and expect spelled-out unit names. However, in the textual output, Siri always uses the abbreviated unit (e.g. "min" or "s"), in all languages I tested. In the audio output, Siri says "minutes" in English where the textual representation is "min". In German, Siri says "min", so it basically reads the textual representation aloud and that's not quite understandable to the user. struct StartTimerIntent: AppIntent { static let title: LocalizedStringResource = "Start New Timer" static var description = IntentDescription("Starts a timer with a custom duration.") @Parameter(title: "Duration", description: "The duration of the timer.") var duration: Measurement<UnitDuration> func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult & ProvidesDialog { // [code to execute intent goes here] return .result( dialog: .init( full: "\(duration, format: .measurement(width: .wide, usage: .asProvided)) timer started.", systemImageName: "timer" ) ) } } As this SwiftUI-style formatter doesn't seem to work with localization, I tried a different approach with a MeasurementFormatter: extension Measurement where UnitType == UnitDuration { func localized() -> String { let formatter = MeasurementFormatter() formatter.locale = .autoupdatingCurrent formatter.unitOptions = .providedUnit formatter.unitStyle = .long return formatter.string(from: self) } } Usage with String interpolation: "\(duration.localized()) timer started." This works great as long as these two languages are set to the same language on the user's device: [UI language] Settings → General → Language & Region → Preferred Language [Siri langauge] Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri → Language However, when they differ, even this method doesn't yield correct results. For example, I have my general (UI) language set to English, but my Siri language set to German. Then Siri replies in German, but the unit is formatted in English and Siri speaks it in English, so the result is a messed up sentence that's half German, half English. What is the proper way to localize parameters in dialogs for Siri? How can I make sure that parameters are localized to match Siri's language?
3
0
1.1k
Feb ’26
Applescript run as a Quick Action errors out when run inside a Shortcut.
I have a Quick Action which flattens a PDF via Applescript. The code works extremely well--I right click in finder and the PDF is flattened, annotations are burned in, no other applications are opened, and the action completes in less than 2 seconds. Here is the Applescript code: I have a Shortcut which completes several operations on already-flattened PDFs. Presently 1) I run my Quick Action by right-clicking a PDF in Finder in order to flatten it, and 2) then right-click that save PDF in Finder to run my Shortcut on that now-flattened PDF. Ideally I'd like to add the Applescript code which flattens the PDF to the beginning of my Shortcut for the sake of convenience, and because sometimes I run my Shortcut having forgotten to flatten the PDF first. However I'm finding that the Applescript code, when placed into a Run Applescript action in Shortcuts, gives this error message: The exact same code when placed into a Run Applescript action in Automator and then run as a Quick Action by right-clicking the PDF in Finder, does not give an error and works perfectly. Does anybody have an explanation (and possible solution) for why this is the case?
2
0
1.1k
Jan ’26
macOS Shortcuts App Needs an Export to PDF Feature
I am very new to the macOS Shortcuts application. In my opinion, the documentation is sparse and totally inadequate. The internet seems to be the only method of figuring out how to use this application. I have recently created a shortcut that is working well for me. It has several steps and is too large to fit in the Shortcuts editor window, so I cannot grab a screenshot of it for documenation purposes. I also cannot copy the contents of the editor window and paste them anywhere, such as in a new Note or TextEdit document. I do think Apple should add a means to create a PDF document of the Shortcuts editor window's contents. I went to the official Apple feedback page to leave comments but, irony of ironies, the Shortcuts app is not listed there! I have no idea what I am doing at this point but am excited to learn how to use Shortcuts to automate and simplify tasks that I have to perform frequently. Here's hoping the documentation and features for this application will one day be comprehensive, comprehensible, and complete.
2
0
382
Jan ’26
App Intents with Custom Automation/Triggers
Currently, we are developing an all-in-one DualSense utility for macOS. We are exploring how to integrate shortcuts into our app. Our vision is to have the user use the native Shortcuts app to choose the controller buttons that should trigger the shortcut action, such as opening Steam, turning on audio haptics, and more. As we explore this approach, we want to see whether we need to build the UI in our app to set the triggers or can we do this inside of Shortcuts? Can button presses recorded by our app trigger shortcuts? Can those button inputs be customized inside of Shortcuts or should we develop it into our app? And if we have it in our app, can our app see, select, and trigger shortcuts?
0
0
733
Jan ’26
@IntentParameterDependency Always Returns nil in iOS 18
The following code works perfectly fine in iOS 17, where I can retrieve the desired dependency value through @IntentParameterDependency as expected. However, in iOS 18, addTransaction always returns nil. struct CategoryEntityQuery: EntityStringQuery { @Dependency private var persistentController: PersistentController @IntentParameterDependency<AddTransactionIntent>( \.$categoryType ) var addTransaction func entities(matching string: String) async throws -> [CategoryEnitity] { guard let addTransaction else { return [] } // ... } func entities(for identifiers: [CategoryEnitity.ID]) async throws -> [CategoryEnitity] { guard let addTransaction else { return [] } // ... } func suggestedEntities() async throws -> [CategoryEnitity] { guard let addTransaction else { return [] } // ... } } Has anyone else encountered the same issue? Any insights or potential workarounds would be greatly appreciated. iOS: 18.0 (22A3354) Xcode 16.0 (16A242d)
4
3
1.2k
Jan ’26
Shortcuts: How to add “-pressed” to a file name in a shortcut
Hi there, Does anyone know how to modify this Image compressor Shortcut https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/e13d8013598f4f33830386a956a163dd so that the image it creates has the original file name + “-pressed”? Eg “Image_123” becomes “Image_123-pressed” I know of the action ‘Rename file’ but can’t make it work. Any help much appreciated:)
0
0
373
Jan ’26
Shortcuts: How to add text to a file name
Hi there, Does anyone know how to modify this Image compressor Shortcut https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/e13d8013598f4f33830386a956a163dd so that the image it creates has the original file name + “-pressed”? Eg “Image_123” becomes “Image_123-pressed” I know of the action ‘Rename file’ but can’t make it work. The shortcut does batch processing of images if that makes any difference. Any help much appreciated:)
0
0
465
Jan ’26
如何在安装APP后,可以在系统的快捷指令APP中直接看到并使用超过10个以上的自定义快捷指令
使用APPIntent 的AppShortcutsProvider方式,最多只能添加10个AppShortcut,超过10个,代码编译就会报错 struct MeditationShortcuts: AppShortcutsProvider { static var appShortcuts: [AppShortcut] { AppShortcut( intent: StartMeditationIntent(), phrases: [ "Start a (.applicationName)", "Begin (.applicationName)", "Meditate with (.applicationName)", "Start a (.$session) session with (.applicationName)", "Begin a (.$session) session with (.applicationName)", "Meditate on (.$session) with (.applicationName)" ] ) } } 如何能做到像特斯拉APP一样
3
1
1.2k
Dec ’25
Deliver/bundle entire Shortcut automations with an app
Is there any way of creating complete Shortcuts automations and bundling them with my app? Specifically, I would like the user to be able to Take a photo and open it with my app Or take a screenshot and open it with my app Of course I could offer a Share extension, but going through the Share menu and selecting my app there is time consuming for the user. I would like the user to be able to configure his or her action button such that it takes a new picture and opens it with my app right away. I can, of course, offer the respective App Shortcuts and let the user combine them into a pipeline with the Take Screenshot or Take Photo system actions. However, only power users would do this. Hence, I would like to bundle this complete pipeline with my app, such that the user just has to assign his/her Action Button to this pipeline if he/she wants to use this feature. How to go about this? I was thinking of exporting the shortcut into a file, bundling it with the app as a resource, and offering it via a Share action for the user to install it, or by sharing it on iCloud and adding the iCloud link to the UI of my app. What is the recommended approach?
0
0
592
Dec ’25
Numbers Extension in Shortcuts
I am building an automation using Shortcuts. The shortcut reads text from my Notes, sends it to Apple Intelligence, converts the result into dictionary values, and then saves those values into a Numbers sheet by adding rows through a form. The problem is that when the automation processes multiple lines and adds multiple rows, the Numbers app opens every time a row is added. I would like this process to run automatically at a scheduled time without opening the Numbers app repeatedly on my iPhone. Is there a way to update the Numbers sheet in the background without launching the Numbers app? Please let me know if there is a solution.
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
400
Activity
Mar ’26
Is calling different SBApplication objects from different threads bad?
Not quite but maybe sorta related to the errOSAInternalTableOverflow problem I asked about in a different thread, this one deals with crashes our app gets (and much more frequently lately after recent OS updates (15.7.3) are OK'd by our IT department). Our app can run multiple jobs concurrently, each in their own NSOperation. Each op creates its own SBApplication instance that controls unique instances of InDesignServer. What I'm seeing recently is lots of crashes happening while multiple ops are calling into ScriptingBridge. Shown at the bottom is one of the stack crawls from one of the threads. I've trimmed all but the last of our code. Other threads have a similar stack crawl. In searching for answers, Google's AI overview mentions "If you must use multiple threads, ensure that each thread creates its own SBApplication instance…" Which is what we do. No thread can reach another thread's SBApplication instance. Is that statement a lie? Do I need to lock around every ScriptingBridge call (which is going to severely slow things down)? 0 AE 0x1a7dba8d4 0x1a7d80000 + 239828 1 AE 0x1a7d826d8 AEProcessMessage + 3496 2 AE 0x1a7d8f210 0x1a7d80000 + 61968 3 AE 0x1a7d91978 0x1a7d80000 + 72056 4 AE 0x1a7d91764 0x1a7d80000 + 71524 5 CoreFoundation 0x1a0396a64 __CFRUNLOOP_IS_CALLING_OUT_TO_A_SOURCE0_PERFORM_FUNCTION__ + 28 6 CoreFoundation 0x1a03969f8 __CFRunLoopDoSource0 + 172 7 CoreFoundation 0x1a0396764 __CFRunLoopDoSources0 + 232 8 CoreFoundation 0x1a03953b8 __CFRunLoopRun + 840 9 CoreFoundation 0x1a03949e8 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 572 10 AE 0x1a7dbc108 0x1a7d80000 + 246024 11 AE 0x1a7d988fc AESendMessage + 4724 12 ScriptingBridge 0x1ecb652ac -[SBAppContext sendEvent:error:] + 80 13 ScriptingBridge 0x1ecb5eb4c -[SBObject sendEvent:id:keys:values:count:] + 216 14 ScriptingBridge 0x1ecb6890c -[SBCommandThunk invoke:] + 376 15 CoreFoundation 0x1a037594c ___forwarding___ + 956 16 CoreFoundation 0x1a03754d0 _CF_forwarding_prep_0 + 96 17 RRD 0x1027fca18 -[AppleScriptHelper runAppleScript:withSubstitutionValues:usingSBApp:] + 1036
Replies
21
Boosts
0
Views
1.3k
Activity
Mar ’26
App Shortcut parameter title in Spotlight does not update after updateAppShortcutParameters()
We use AppShortcutsProvider with a parameterized App Shortcut. One of the entities has a dynamic display title (e.g. "Everyone is searching: {keyword}") that comes from UserDefaults and is returned in EntityQuery.suggestedEntities() and entities(for:). When we change the keyword and call updateAppShortcutParameters(), the Shortcuts app updates and shows the new title. In Spotlight (Siri Suggestions), the displayed title stays on the old value (e.g. still shows "Everyone is searching: 456" after we switched to "123"). On tap, the shortcut runs with the new value (123), so the execution is correct; only the displayed title in Spotlight is stale. Question: Is this expected? Is there any API or recommended approach to invalidate or refresh the Spotlight suggestion so the displayed title matches the current parameter, or should we avoid dynamic titles for the first suggestion for better UX?
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
723
Activity
Feb ’26
Siri spawns multiple processes that don't die
When asking Siri to run a shortcut, it will spawn two processes called BackgroundShortcutRunner that do not die when the shortcut is done running. If the Siri window is on screen when I speak to have the shortcut run it does not spawn those two processes. However if the Siri window is not on screen when I speak, the Siri window appears and spawns these two processes. The two processes do not terminate once the shortcut is done running. I now have over 200 these processes since rebooting three days ago to install 26.4. FB22015192
Replies
2
Boosts
1
Views
428
Activity
Feb ’26
SiriKit: INPlayMediaIntent with a targeted speaker
I've got a streaming Radio app that loads an HLS stream into an AVAudioPlayer. I've set up an Intents extension that notifies SiriKit that my app must handle the INPlayMediaIntent in app, and, I'm able to successfully initiate the stream playing from my phone using the string "Play ". My intent handler in app looks like this: completionHandler(INPlayMediaIntentResponse(code: .success, userActivity: nil)) DispatchQueue.main.async { AudioPlayerService.shared.play() } The Audio Player service, in its init, does the following: try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory( .playback, mode: .default, policy: .longFormAudio ) Additionally, in my Info.plist, I have the AirPlay optimization policy set to Long Form Audio. Having said all that, when I try to route my app to play "on a given HomePod speaker" ("play on ") the speaker routing instructions are never followed. I've looked and not been able to find where I might be able to instruct my app to follow the correct path here. I was assuming I could not trigger this behavior manually, as I believe I don't really have any control over AirPlay routing. Is there any guidance for working with SiriKit to do the right thing with regards to audio routing?
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
649
Activity
Feb ’26
Design question on opening files via Intents
Should there be separate intents to open each supported file type? Or a single intent, and my code sniffs out the format?
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
428
Activity
Feb ’26
AppIntents built in way to receive recurrence rule as parameter?
I'm implementing app intents for my tasks app which supports recurrence rule for tasks. I see that when creating a todo for Reminders via Siri it allows to set a recurrence rule via natural language. Is there a built in way to receive that recurrence rule as a @Parameter in my AppIntent? If not, is it possible to receive the full user dictated text in the AppIntent:perform method so that I can use some ML model to convert the text to EKRecurrenceRule or similar?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
1.1k
Activity
Feb ’26
URLRepresentableEntity with custom properties
I am trying to implement URLRepresentableEntity on my AppEntity I am following along with the WWDC video here All compiles fine when I use the ID as in the video: extension SceneEntity: URLRepresentableEntity { static var urlRepresentation: URLRepresentation { "https://example.com/scene/\(.id)" } } but my URLs need to use a different property on the Entity. The WWDC video clearly states: "Notice that I'm using the entity’s identifier as an interpolated value. You can use an entity’s ID or any of its properties with the @Property attribute as interpolations in the URL string." So I annotated my entity with the @Property attribute and expected that to work but it doesn't compile. struct SceneEntity: AppEntity { let id: UUID @Property(title: "Slug") var slug: String } extension SceneEntity: URLRepresentableEntity { static var urlRepresentation: URLRepresentation { "https://example.com/scene/\(.slug)" } } Type 'EntityURLRepresentation.StringInterpolation.Token' has no member 'slug' How can I use this API with a property that is not the ID?
Replies
4
Boosts
0
Views
1.5k
Activity
Feb ’26
"Show on all spaces" toggles OFF after programmatically setting wallpaper via AppleScript
I'm building an automated wallpaper updater that fetches images from an API and sets them as desktop wallpaper on macOS Tahoe. The automation uses AppleScript combined with database manipulation to ensure wallpaper applies to all spaces. Current implementation (via Apple Shortcuts): wallpaper_path="$1" osascript -e "tell application \"System Events\" to tell every desktop to set picture to POSIX file \"$wallpaper_path\"" sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/desktoppicture.db "UPDATE data SET space=NULL WHERE space IS NOT NULL;" 2>/dev/null killall -HUP Dock Issue First run: Works perfectly - sets wallpaper on all spaces/desktops, "Show on all spaces" is ON After first run: "Show on all spaces" automatically toggles OFF in System Settings Second run onwards: New wallpaper only updates on the active space, inactive spaces show old wallpaper Expected: "Show on all spaces" should remain ON after programmatic wallpaper changes Actual: System Settings automatically disables it, breaking subsequent updates Tested workarounds (all failed): UPDATE data SET space=NULL to clear per-space entries Using every desktop instead of current desktop in AppleScript killall Dock vs killall -HUP Dock vs killall -USR1 Dock Clearing space_id entries from pictures table Running DELETE FROM pictures WHERE space_id IS NOT NULL before setting The database manipulation doesn't prevent macOS from automatically creating per-space entries and disabling the "Show on all spaces" toggle. Question: Is there a way to programmatically set wallpaper while preserving the "Show on all spaces" setting on macOS Tahoe? Environment: macOS: Tahoe (latest) Architecture: Apple Silicon Use case: Daily automated wallpaper updates via Shortcuts
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
1k
Activity
Feb ’26
Shortcuts Automation Trigger Transaction Timeouts
Description The Shortcut Automation Trigger Transaction frequently times out, ultimately causing the shortcut automation to fail. Please see the attached trace for details. Additionally, the Trigger is activated even when the Transaction is declined. Details In the trace I see the error: [WFWalletTransactionProvider observeForUpdatesWithInitialTransactionIfNeeded:transactionIdentifier:completion:]_block_invoke Hit timeout waiting for transaction with identifier: <private>, finishing. Open bug report: FB14035016
Replies
15
Boosts
25
Views
3.9k
Activity
Feb ’26
How to properly localize AppIntent dialogs for Siri?
Hi! I have defined the following app intent. It returns a result with a dialog to confirm that the intent has been executed. Naturally, that dialog needs to be localized properly. But the String interpolation with the provided format doesn't do that. I specified wide for the width parameter and expect spelled-out unit names. However, in the textual output, Siri always uses the abbreviated unit (e.g. "min" or "s"), in all languages I tested. In the audio output, Siri says "minutes" in English where the textual representation is "min". In German, Siri says "min", so it basically reads the textual representation aloud and that's not quite understandable to the user. struct StartTimerIntent: AppIntent { static let title: LocalizedStringResource = "Start New Timer" static var description = IntentDescription("Starts a timer with a custom duration.") @Parameter(title: "Duration", description: "The duration of the timer.") var duration: Measurement<UnitDuration> func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult & ProvidesDialog { // [code to execute intent goes here] return .result( dialog: .init( full: "\(duration, format: .measurement(width: .wide, usage: .asProvided)) timer started.", systemImageName: "timer" ) ) } } As this SwiftUI-style formatter doesn't seem to work with localization, I tried a different approach with a MeasurementFormatter: extension Measurement where UnitType == UnitDuration { func localized() -> String { let formatter = MeasurementFormatter() formatter.locale = .autoupdatingCurrent formatter.unitOptions = .providedUnit formatter.unitStyle = .long return formatter.string(from: self) } } Usage with String interpolation: "\(duration.localized()) timer started." This works great as long as these two languages are set to the same language on the user's device: [UI language] Settings → General → Language & Region → Preferred Language [Siri langauge] Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri → Language However, when they differ, even this method doesn't yield correct results. For example, I have my general (UI) language set to English, but my Siri language set to German. Then Siri replies in German, but the unit is formatted in English and Siri speaks it in English, so the result is a messed up sentence that's half German, half English. What is the proper way to localize parameters in dialogs for Siri? How can I make sure that parameters are localized to match Siri's language?
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
1.1k
Activity
Feb ’26
Applescript run as a Quick Action errors out when run inside a Shortcut.
I have a Quick Action which flattens a PDF via Applescript. The code works extremely well--I right click in finder and the PDF is flattened, annotations are burned in, no other applications are opened, and the action completes in less than 2 seconds. Here is the Applescript code: I have a Shortcut which completes several operations on already-flattened PDFs. Presently 1) I run my Quick Action by right-clicking a PDF in Finder in order to flatten it, and 2) then right-click that save PDF in Finder to run my Shortcut on that now-flattened PDF. Ideally I'd like to add the Applescript code which flattens the PDF to the beginning of my Shortcut for the sake of convenience, and because sometimes I run my Shortcut having forgotten to flatten the PDF first. However I'm finding that the Applescript code, when placed into a Run Applescript action in Shortcuts, gives this error message: The exact same code when placed into a Run Applescript action in Automator and then run as a Quick Action by right-clicking the PDF in Finder, does not give an error and works perfectly. Does anybody have an explanation (and possible solution) for why this is the case?
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
1.1k
Activity
Jan ’26
macOS Shortcuts App Needs an Export to PDF Feature
I am very new to the macOS Shortcuts application. In my opinion, the documentation is sparse and totally inadequate. The internet seems to be the only method of figuring out how to use this application. I have recently created a shortcut that is working well for me. It has several steps and is too large to fit in the Shortcuts editor window, so I cannot grab a screenshot of it for documenation purposes. I also cannot copy the contents of the editor window and paste them anywhere, such as in a new Note or TextEdit document. I do think Apple should add a means to create a PDF document of the Shortcuts editor window's contents. I went to the official Apple feedback page to leave comments but, irony of ironies, the Shortcuts app is not listed there! I have no idea what I am doing at this point but am excited to learn how to use Shortcuts to automate and simplify tasks that I have to perform frequently. Here's hoping the documentation and features for this application will one day be comprehensive, comprehensible, and complete.
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
382
Activity
Jan ’26
App Intents with Custom Automation/Triggers
Currently, we are developing an all-in-one DualSense utility for macOS. We are exploring how to integrate shortcuts into our app. Our vision is to have the user use the native Shortcuts app to choose the controller buttons that should trigger the shortcut action, such as opening Steam, turning on audio haptics, and more. As we explore this approach, we want to see whether we need to build the UI in our app to set the triggers or can we do this inside of Shortcuts? Can button presses recorded by our app trigger shortcuts? Can those button inputs be customized inside of Shortcuts or should we develop it into our app? And if we have it in our app, can our app see, select, and trigger shortcuts?
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
733
Activity
Jan ’26
@IntentParameterDependency Always Returns nil in iOS 18
The following code works perfectly fine in iOS 17, where I can retrieve the desired dependency value through @IntentParameterDependency as expected. However, in iOS 18, addTransaction always returns nil. struct CategoryEntityQuery: EntityStringQuery { @Dependency private var persistentController: PersistentController @IntentParameterDependency<AddTransactionIntent>( \.$categoryType ) var addTransaction func entities(matching string: String) async throws -> [CategoryEnitity] { guard let addTransaction else { return [] } // ... } func entities(for identifiers: [CategoryEnitity.ID]) async throws -> [CategoryEnitity] { guard let addTransaction else { return [] } // ... } func suggestedEntities() async throws -> [CategoryEnitity] { guard let addTransaction else { return [] } // ... } } Has anyone else encountered the same issue? Any insights or potential workarounds would be greatly appreciated. iOS: 18.0 (22A3354) Xcode 16.0 (16A242d)
Replies
4
Boosts
3
Views
1.2k
Activity
Jan ’26
Shortcuts: How to add “-pressed” to a file name in a shortcut
Hi there, Does anyone know how to modify this Image compressor Shortcut https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/e13d8013598f4f33830386a956a163dd so that the image it creates has the original file name + “-pressed”? Eg “Image_123” becomes “Image_123-pressed” I know of the action ‘Rename file’ but can’t make it work. Any help much appreciated:)
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
373
Activity
Jan ’26
Shortcuts: How to add text to a file name
Hi there, Does anyone know how to modify this Image compressor Shortcut https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/e13d8013598f4f33830386a956a163dd so that the image it creates has the original file name + “-pressed”? Eg “Image_123” becomes “Image_123-pressed” I know of the action ‘Rename file’ but can’t make it work. The shortcut does batch processing of images if that makes any difference. Any help much appreciated:)
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
465
Activity
Jan ’26
如何在安装APP后,可以在系统的快捷指令APP中直接看到并使用超过10个以上的自定义快捷指令
使用APPIntent 的AppShortcutsProvider方式,最多只能添加10个AppShortcut,超过10个,代码编译就会报错 struct MeditationShortcuts: AppShortcutsProvider { static var appShortcuts: [AppShortcut] { AppShortcut( intent: StartMeditationIntent(), phrases: [ "Start a (.applicationName)", "Begin (.applicationName)", "Meditate with (.applicationName)", "Start a (.$session) session with (.applicationName)", "Begin a (.$session) session with (.applicationName)", "Meditate on (.$session) with (.applicationName)" ] ) } } 如何能做到像特斯拉APP一样
Replies
3
Boosts
1
Views
1.2k
Activity
Dec ’25
How/where do SwiftUI “App” objects handle AppleEvents
I was looking through: https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/ScriptableCocoaApplications/SApps_handle_AEs/SAppsHandleAEs.html And wondered how these are handled for SwiftUI apps. What would I add or override?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
805
Activity
Dec ’25
Deliver/bundle entire Shortcut automations with an app
Is there any way of creating complete Shortcuts automations and bundling them with my app? Specifically, I would like the user to be able to Take a photo and open it with my app Or take a screenshot and open it with my app Of course I could offer a Share extension, but going through the Share menu and selecting my app there is time consuming for the user. I would like the user to be able to configure his or her action button such that it takes a new picture and opens it with my app right away. I can, of course, offer the respective App Shortcuts and let the user combine them into a pipeline with the Take Screenshot or Take Photo system actions. However, only power users would do this. Hence, I would like to bundle this complete pipeline with my app, such that the user just has to assign his/her Action Button to this pipeline if he/she wants to use this feature. How to go about this? I was thinking of exporting the shortcut into a file, bundling it with the app as a resource, and offering it via a Share action for the user to install it, or by sharing it on iCloud and adding the iCloud link to the UI of my app. What is the recommended approach?
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
592
Activity
Dec ’25