Take iOS to the next level with the Workflow app

O Workflow it was created by two teenagers (Conrad Kramer and Ari Weinstein) who believe and defend the idea that mobile devices can go far beyond what they once were. Weinsten and Kramer created the first version of the app in 48 hours, during a hackathon in January 2014 the app was the winner of honor as the best iOS app.


Shortcuts app icon

Shortcuts

in Apple

Version 2.2.2 (142.8 MB) Requires iOS 12.0 or superior

Weinstein left MIT and Kramer, in turn, suspended his admission process. Both moved to San Francisco and ended the Workflow with two new members on the team (Veeral Patel and Nick Frey).

The proposal of the app is very similar to what we found in Automator for OS X: create task / action flows to be performed at any time. The difference (in addition to one for iOS and one for OS X) is that Workflow has a much more user-friendly look and is much easier to use.

After starting for the first time, the Workflow presents a tutorial demonstrating the process of creating the flows and the camera of your iGadget (capturing three images and transforming them into a GIF, which in turn can be shared). Creating any flow is very simple: just select a blank one, drag the actions from the list and you're done.

Actions are separated by types: calendar, contacts, documents, maps, music, photos and video, script, sharing, text and web. After a task is created, an icon is added to your home screen menu, which is always just a tap away to run. The coolest thing to create any flow, the interface is composed of blocks that must be held and dragged to create the “recipe”, from “publish on Instagram the cover of the album of the music I'm listening to now” to a “call an Uber car for your next meeting ”.

Their workflows can work as individual or extended apps that can be added to your device. If your extension is something incredible and innovative, it can be shared in the gallery of workflows, which can be added by other users of the app.

Workflow - Gallery

As I love to travel, I decided to create a flow that “take the tips from my next destinations that I find on the internet, convert them to PDF and save them in a Dropbox folder”. As there was already an action to print PDF, it was the first item selected, changing its name to "Trips to Dropbox" and using the list of available icons to select an airplane icon.

Workflow - Trips to Dropbox

The first time I used an action, it required my approval to access my Dropbox account by defining where I would like to save the file. Once the process is finished, every time I want to save a page from Safari, just select the flow I created.

The possibilities are endless, it's up to you to decide how far the Workflow can help you.