Apple is implementing a modification to the functionality of app shortcuts with the upcoming release of the iOS 14 operating system. Specifically, in the iOS 14.3 beta 2 version, the Shortcuts application will no longer appear when a user selects an app shortcut located on their iPhone’s home screen. This means individuals who have designed personalized icons for their preferred applications as part of a home screen redesign with iOS 14 will no longer experience the intervening step of the Shortcuts app launching before the intended application opens.

This alteration was initially observed by Federico Viticci, the founder of MacStories.

A post on Twitter from Apple Terminal demonstrates the update in practice. (It is worth noting that a small notification may still appear upon app launch, but the complete activation of the Shortcuts app has been eliminated.)

Although a relatively minor adjustment, this change will be favorably received by those who have personalized their home screen following the introduction of iOS 14.

The September launch of iOS 14 brought with it one of the most significant updates to the iPhone user interface in recent years. Users gained the ability to customize their home screen to a greater extent by moving infrequently used applications to the App Library and incorporating adaptable widgets onto their home screen. While widgets were initially intended to display essential information – such as upcoming calendar events, tasks, or current weather conditions – directly on the home screen, their use quickly expanded.

Developers of widgets – including Widgetsmith and Color Widgets, for instance – released tools enabling users to create their own widgets by selecting the typeface, dimensions, color scheme, and other attributes. These tools also allowed users to designate a specific photograph to be displayed on their home screen.

The subsequent phase of customization involved utilizing a previously existing, though infrequently used, technique: generating alternative app icons through Apple’s Shortcuts app. This somewhat complex procedure was detailed and showcased by users on TikTok, contributing to the widespread popularity of the home screen customization trend. Essentially, this method allowed users to assign a custom icon to any application using a specific feature within Shortcuts.

This functionality enabled the creation of icons that complemented the user’s home screen design, which now included a wallpaper, customized widgets, and a limited number of icons reserved for placement on the home screen rather than in the App Library.

However, a common complaint among users with custom icons was that tapping the icon would briefly launch the Shortcuts app to execute the process before opening the desired application. This was considered a minor inconvenience.

Apple appears to be resolving this issue with the Shortcuts app. In the beta version of iOS 14.3, the application will launch directly.

Currently, a desired feature remains unavailable: the ability for users to conceal the labels on their widgets. Unfortunately, this modification does not appear to be under development.