Location & Directions Shortcuts
1. Home ETA
Goal
Get your estimated time of arrival (ETA) to your home from your current location, factoring in traffic.
How To Create It
- Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone/iPad.
- Tap the + button to create a new shortcut.
- Tap Add Action, search for “Show Directions.”
- Set Destination to Home (type your home address or select from saved locations).
- Transport Mode: Driving (or your choice).
- (Optional) Add “Get Travel Time” action if you only want the ETA without launching Maps. Show or speak the result.
- Name the shortcut “Home ETA.”
How To Use
- Run the shortcut, or say “Hey Siri, Home ETA.” It’ll show you the drive time or open Apple Maps with directions home.
2. Work Directions
Goal
Launch Apple Maps with pre-set directions to your workplace.
How To Create It
- Open Shortcuts, tap +.
- Tap Add Action > search for “Show Directions.”
- Destination: Your workplace address.
- Choose Driving, Walking, or Transit for Transport Mode.
- Name the shortcut “Work Directions.” (Optional) Assign an icon/color.
How To Use
- Run the shortcut—Apple Maps opens with directions to work.
3. Nearby Places Finder
Goal
Quickly find and navigate to nearby restaurants, gas stations, or any points of interest (POIs).
How To Create It
- Open Shortcuts, tap +.
- Tap Add Action > search for “Search Maps” or “Find Nearby” (wording varies by iOS).
- Enter a category like “restaurants” or “gas stations.”
- (Optional) Add an Ask for Input step, so you can type any POI on the fly (coffee, gas, etc.).
- Action to open the result in Maps or Show Directions to a selected location.
- Name it “Nearby Places Finder.”
How To Use
- Run it and either pick a category or type one if using “Ask for Input.” Maps will show nearby results.
4. Parked Car Locator
Goal
Log your vehicle’s location when you park, then quickly retrieve directions back to it later.
How To Create It (Two-Part Approach)
Part A: Save Parking Location
- Create a new shortcut, “Save Parked Car Location.”
- Add Action: “Get Current Location.”
- Add “Set Variable” to store it in ParkedCarLocation.
- (Optional) “Show Notification” saying “Parked car location saved.”
Part B: Directions to Parked Car
- Create another shortcut, “Find My Parked Car.”
- Add Action: “Show Directions.”
- Destination: ParkedCarLocation (the variable from Part A).
How To Use
- When you park, run “Save Parked Car Location.”
- To return, run “Find My Parked Car.” It opens Apple Maps with directions to that saved spot.
6. Calendar Event Directions
Goal
Automatically open Apple Maps to the location of your next calendar event.
How To Create It
- Open Shortcuts, tap +.
- Tap Add Action > search for “Find Calendar Events.”
- Filter for “Today” or “Upcoming” events.
- Sort by Start Date, choose the First Item if you only want the very next event.
- Use “Get Details of Calendar Events” to fetch “Event Location.”
- Add “Show Directions” with that location variable.
- Name it “Calendar Event Directions.”
How To Use
- Run it: it grabs the next event’s location, then opens Apple Maps with directions.
7. Multi-Stop Route Planner
Goal
Create a route with multiple stops, opening in Apple Maps or Google Maps.
How To Create It
- Option A: Sequential Apple Maps
- Add multiple “Show Directions” actions—one for each stop in order.
- Add “Wait” actions if you want manual breaks between stops.
- Option B: Google Maps URL Scheme
- Open Shortcuts > + > “Open URLs.”
- Use a custom URL like:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=Home&destination=StopN&waypoints=Stop1|Stop2|Stop3 - Replace addresses or coordinates in the URL, ensuring they are URL-encoded.
How To Use
- Run the shortcut to open either Apple Maps or Google Maps with your multi-stop route laid out.
Viewing & Using Your Shortcuts
- Open the Shortcuts app > My Shortcuts to see all your creations.
- Tap … (ellipsis) on any shortcut to edit or rename it.
- Long-press a shortcut to Rename, Share, Duplicate, or Delete.
- Add to Home Screen: In the shortcut editor, tap the share icon or info icon, choose “Add to Home Screen.”
- Use with Siri: Rename a shortcut (“Get Me Home”), then say “Hey Siri, Get Me Home” to run it automatically.