Using Claude App Intents, Shortcuts, and Widgets on iOS (original) (raw)

Claude for iOS supports multiple powerful features: the Claude widget, the "Analyze Photo with Claude" control, the "Ask Claude" App Intent, and the ability to use this intent within iOS Shortcuts. This guide will explain these features and show you how to make the most of them.

Ask Claude Intent

The "Ask Claude" intent is a standalone feature that lets you interact with Claude directly from:

You can use this intent on its own to quickly ask Claude questions or give it tasks without opening the Claude app. For example, you can:

Using Ask Claude With Shortcuts

While the "Ask Claude" intent is powerful on its own, you can also use it as a building block within the Shortcuts app to create more complex workflows. Shortcuts allow you to:

Creating Your First Claude Shortcut

There are many customizable workflows you can set up within the Shortcuts app. Let's look at an example of a brief but useful shortcut that helps you summarize text:

Now you can select text anywhere in iOS, tap the Share button, and choose your "Summarize with Claude" shortcut to get an instant summary.

When using "Ask Claude" intent and in shortcuts, the default model you see when opening the Claude app will be used.

More information on setting up shortcuts on your iOS device can be found here.

Adding the Claude Widget

The Claude widget provides quick access to chat and voice features directly from your Home Screen or Today View. The widget includes buttons for:

Add the Claude widget to your Home Screen

To add the Claude widget to your Today View

Swipe right from the Home Screen or Lock Screen, then follow the same steps as adding to the Home Screen.

Using the Widget

The Analyze Photo with Claude Control

The "Analyze Photo with Claude" control lets you quickly send images to Claude for analysis directly from Control Center or your Lock Screen.

Adding to Control Center

Once added, you can quickly access it from Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen.

More information on using and setting up controls via Control Center can be found here.

Adding to Your Lock Screen

You can now quickly access the "Analyze Photo with Claude" control without needing to unlock your device or open the Claude app first.

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