You can use the Workflow app to create little programs to automate tasks on your iPhone or iPad. In this example, we'll create a workflow that will send a new email message with the subject, body and from address pre-filled. You can add this as an icon to your Home screen, or to the Today screen for easy access.
Want to know more about how to use Shortcuts on your Mac? Check out this MacMost course!
Comments: 29 Responses to “Using iOS Workflow To Send Quick Email Messages”
Colin
6 years ago
Gary - I for one would like to see more videos on the iOS Workflow app; perhaps with some other examples of good use-cases.
-- Colin
Ron
6 years ago
How about posting just a LIST of some of the possible WORKFLOWS?! It's like doing a new chapter in the math text book: ut;s not until you go through a wide variety of types of problems at the end of the chapter that you really master the content.
Ron: A workflow would be a combination of the actions. There are so many combinations that we'd be taking about thousands, if not millions, of possibilities.
And as for listing the possible actions, you can just see those in the app itself, with descriptions. Best to leave that for the app, as they are updated all the time and may even vary depending on your device type.
So take a few minutes to start exploring. Exploring is the best part!
Terry Haddow
6 years ago
A very interesting app Gary. I would like to see more tuts on Workflow. I have always felt that Automator is an underrated app on the macs - and always hoping Apple doesn’t scrape it.
Sas
6 years ago
Gary,
1) In YouTube, comments are turned of - cannot comment there.
2) Yes, please add more tutorials and specifically focus on Apple Native Apps - Since I started to watch your videos, I realised that I can do much more with the native Apple apps and that I bought a lot of apps unnecessarily.
3) Please do further Workflow tutorials as well. I actually deleted the app a few day before this video because I did not know what to do with it. After your tutorial I suddenly feel empowered!
Cheers
Mark D.
6 years ago
I've never considered using this app, and can't think of anything I need to automate. I would however watch more of your videos on the subject in the hopes of seeing something I would want to adopt. Thanks Gary!
Bill
6 years ago
Thanks for the tutorial, Gary. I like it. As far my own phone is concerned, the following options might help (a) quick ways to check on battery usage (b) monitoring of built-in health apps (c) quick ways to scan documents and then forward them to my iMac.
Nicu
6 years ago
Yes yes yes, i’d love to see more usefull examples.
Steve
6 years ago
Great topic. I too would like to see more tutorials on this topic. Thanks for the great work.
Brenda Brooks
6 years ago
I have implemented a version of your email example. It will be really useful for repeated acknowledgment emails. Is there anyway I could add attachments to emails
Brenda: Not that I can think of, but look through the Workflow actions and see what you can find.
David Russell
6 years ago
Gary,
Really enjoying your recent workflow tutorials.
Jim Bakker
6 years ago
More Workflow tutorials please.
Tim
6 years ago
Yes please, more Workflow would be great.
tony lurie
6 years ago
Even though I didn't know workflow existed and will never have an opportunity to use I like your tutorials because they keep me updated!
Thanks
Tony in Noosa Australia
Ray Whitehead
6 years ago
The Workflow App and tutorials are very interesting. I purchased the App, but can't figure out how to start. When i start the App, I do not get the screen you show, but get a welcome screen and cannot figure how to get out of that to the actual App.
Ray: Are you looking at the Gallery screen? Is there a My Workflows/Gallery button at the top? If so, tap My Workflows.
Ray Whitehead
6 years ago
Gary, the screen says workflow and under that says Welcome! Let's show you around.It has several other screens accessible by an arrow but I can't figure out how to get to the app.
Ray: When it tried it on a new device, I got that screen you describe, and there is a small white arrow button at the bottom that I can tap to move on to the next screen.
Ray Whitehead
6 years ago
Yes, and it will have other arrows to move you to other screens, but nowhere can find how to get to the app. Must be having a serious attack of stupid.
Ray: Just keep going. Walk through the introduction and you eventually get to a "You're all set!" screen with a "Go to My Workflows" button.
Ray Whitehead
6 years ago
Gary, It never gets there. The last screen I can get says "Adding the Widget", but there is no command to do the add. I have an iPhone 6 running IOS 11.2.6. Could that be an issue?
Thanks for trying. I hope I can get the app to work, your tutorials are great!
Tom Wickland
6 years ago
Loved this workflow episode.
I’d love to see more.
Thanks for all your work.
Robert
6 years ago
Hi Gary!
I created a workflow for email just as you showed but when you run it, it loads the Workflow app but doesn’t close it after the email is sent. Anything to do to make that happen?
Thanks in advance!
Robert: What would it close to? The Home screen? I don't know if you can do that -- no apps really every "quit" on their own on iOS. You can take the opportunity to view the resulting output, I guess. Then press the Home button to go to the Home screen.
LEWY
5 years ago
I used workflow (then workflowy) before Apple acquired it. I would like to see more uses with the Apple enhancements. Thanks for the info about the new version.
Want to know more about how to use Shortcuts on your Mac?
Gary - I for one would like to see more videos on the iOS Workflow app; perhaps with some other examples of good use-cases.
-- Colin
How about posting just a LIST of some of the possible WORKFLOWS?! It's like doing a new chapter in the math text book: ut;s not until you go through a wide variety of types of problems at the end of the chapter that you really master the content.
Ron: A workflow would be a combination of the actions. There are so many combinations that we'd be taking about thousands, if not millions, of possibilities.
And as for listing the possible actions, you can just see those in the app itself, with descriptions. Best to leave that for the app, as they are updated all the time and may even vary depending on your device type.
So take a few minutes to start exploring. Exploring is the best part!
A very interesting app Gary. I would like to see more tuts on Workflow. I have always felt that Automator is an underrated app on the macs - and always hoping Apple doesn’t scrape it.
Gary,
1) In YouTube, comments are turned of - cannot comment there.
2) Yes, please add more tutorials and specifically focus on Apple Native Apps - Since I started to watch your videos, I realised that I can do much more with the native Apple apps and that I bought a lot of apps unnecessarily.
3) Please do further Workflow tutorials as well. I actually deleted the app a few day before this video because I did not know what to do with it. After your tutorial I suddenly feel empowered!
Cheers
I've never considered using this app, and can't think of anything I need to automate. I would however watch more of your videos on the subject in the hopes of seeing something I would want to adopt. Thanks Gary!
Thanks for the tutorial, Gary. I like it. As far my own phone is concerned, the following options might help (a) quick ways to check on battery usage (b) monitoring of built-in health apps (c) quick ways to scan documents and then forward them to my iMac.
Yes yes yes, i’d love to see more usefull examples.
Great topic. I too would like to see more tutorials on this topic. Thanks for the great work.
I have implemented a version of your email example. It will be really useful for repeated acknowledgment emails. Is there anyway I could add attachments to emails
Brenda: Not that I can think of, but look through the Workflow actions and see what you can find.
Gary,
Really enjoying your recent workflow tutorials.
More Workflow tutorials please.
Yes please, more Workflow would be great.
Even though I didn't know workflow existed and will never have an opportunity to use I like your tutorials because they keep me updated!
Thanks
Tony in Noosa Australia
The Workflow App and tutorials are very interesting. I purchased the App, but can't figure out how to start. When i start the App, I do not get the screen you show, but get a welcome screen and cannot figure how to get out of that to the actual App.
Ray: Are you looking at the Gallery screen? Is there a My Workflows/Gallery button at the top? If so, tap My Workflows.
Gary, the screen says workflow and under that says Welcome! Let's show you around.It has several other screens accessible by an arrow but I can't figure out how to get to the app.
Perhaps I should delete and reinstall.
Ray: When it tried it on a new device, I got that screen you describe, and there is a small white arrow button at the bottom that I can tap to move on to the next screen.
Yes, and it will have other arrows to move you to other screens, but nowhere can find how to get to the app. Must be having a serious attack of stupid.
Ray: Just keep going. Walk through the introduction and you eventually get to a "You're all set!" screen with a "Go to My Workflows" button.
Gary, It never gets there. The last screen I can get says "Adding the Widget", but there is no command to do the add. I have an iPhone 6 running IOS 11.2.6. Could that be an issue?
Ray: Not sure what the issue could be, sorry.
Thanks for trying. I hope I can get the app to work, your tutorials are great!
Loved this workflow episode.
I’d love to see more.
Thanks for all your work.
Hi Gary!
I created a workflow for email just as you showed but when you run it, it loads the Workflow app but doesn’t close it after the email is sent. Anything to do to make that happen?
Thanks in advance!
Robert: What would it close to? The Home screen? I don't know if you can do that -- no apps really every "quit" on their own on iOS. You can take the opportunity to view the resulting output, I guess. Then press the Home button to go to the Home screen.
I used workflow (then workflowy) before Apple acquired it. I would like to see more uses with the Apple enhancements. Thanks for the info about the new version.