How to Use Shortcuts to Save a PDF File to Your iPhone's Home Screen

Want to access your PDF files right from the Home Screen? The Shortcuts app makes this possible. We'll walk you through the steps.

Whether you have to access your class schedule daily or need to view your concert tickets without opening your email, saving a PDF to your iPhone's Home Screen can help you save a lot of time.

If you're tired of going through several folders stored on your iPhone to find a single document, you can use the Shortcuts app to save the file to your Home Screen. Let's look at two shortcuts you can create to save an important PDF to the iOS Home Screen.

Before you begin, make sure you have the Shortcuts app installed. Although the app comes pre-installed on all iOS devices, if you uninstalled it to free up space on your iPhone, you can use the link below to download it again.

Download: Shortcuts (Free)

Once you've installed the app, follow these steps to create a custom shortcut:

Creating a shortcut using the steps above is ideal if you use an ebook reading app like Apple Books or Kindle. Once you create a shortcut and save the book to your Home Screen, you can tap it and continue reading from where you left off!

If you plan to create multiple shortcuts for all your PDF files, make sure you organize your iPhone shortcuts by creating custom folders.

If you don't want to be redirected to an app to view your PDF file, you can use the "Get File" action to save the file to your Home Screen. Here's how you can create this shortcut:

If needed, you can change the shortcut's icon and name while you're performing the last step, just like we discussed in the previous method.

The possibilities that come with the Shortcuts app are endless. If you have a document you access frequently, you can create the shortcuts mentioned above to access them quickly by saving them on your iPhone's Home Screen.

We recommend exploring the Shortcut app's Gallery section to discover more shortcuts to automate your daily tasks and unlock your iPhone's full potential.

Mahnoor Faisal is an experienced content writer, who has been writing about technology for two years. With a deep-rooted passion for technology and its limitless possibilities, she is dedicated to making a meaningful impact in the world of technology. Mahnoor is also currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science.