Using Siri Shortcuts with the Buffer mobile app (iOS)
We’ve built custom actions that you can use to build your own Shortcut in the Shortcuts app on your iOS device! A key thing to note is that Shortcuts that include Buffer exist outside of Buffer. That means you don’t go into the Buffer app to set them up. Instead, developers can provide custom actions for apps - and those show in the Shortcuts app. From there, you can use them however you like!
📝 Note: Buffer's Siri Shortcuts are configured entirely within the iOS Shortcuts app under Apps → Buffer—you don't set them up inside the Buffer app itself.
Here are the actions we have today in Buffer:
What can you do with Buffer shortcuts?
We’ve got a few shortcuts to choose from that can be used in many interesting ways. For example, you can pause all of your queue with the “Pause All Channels” shortcut. By choosing that shortcut, you could say “Siri, pause my Buffer queue” and then it’d be done. Another popular option is the Create Post shortcut. With it, you can create an entire post right from a Shortcut!
Shortcut options
Tip: Want to run a shortcut silently? Turn off the “Show When Run” option to run it in the background without interruptive pop-ups.
It's also common to pass data from action to action as we hinted at above. So, for example, you could grab a random photo from Unsplash, and then pass it to our Create a Post action, and use it for the image!
Why is there a Shortcuts section within the Buffer app?
While it's true that there is a Shortcuts section within the Buffer app, it was originally created when Shortcuts were much more limited. At that time, all you could do was provide a URL for your app to open, and then you could handle it. To that end:
- Buffer Clipboard
- Dictate & Compose
…were made using this legacy method, and shouldn’t really be used at this point. Both can be replicated using the “Buffer a Post” action so it doesn’t require Buffer to open at all, and can be used with Siri, in Widgets, etc.
We hope that you'll use our custom actions and Shortcuts to do all sorts of amazing things!