One of the novelties of macOS Monterey is that with this version of the operating system comes Shortcuts to the Mac. The automation app that we already enjoy on our iPhone or iPad has received new functions, design, more possibilities and has landed triumphantly on our desktops . And Automator? It is still available, although it is a good idea to save a backup copy of our flows before starting to use them in Shortcuts.
A backup, just in case
During the last WWDC21 Apple announced that Shortcuts came to the Mac from the hand of macOS Monterey. Although Automator is still available in this OS update, the idea is that we can use all of our Automator flows in Shortcuts . Testing the system in the first betas, the truth is that the interoperability of Automator to Shortcuts works really well. We simply open or drag a flow from Automator to Shortcuts and the system opens it in the app and saves it so that we can use and edit it in the future.
That said, it’s a good idea that we keep a backup of our Automator streams, just as a precaution. For the flows that we have saved in the iCloud Automator folder, we simply copy and paste to a new location, but what about Quick Actions? Quick actions are those that appear in the TouchBar or in the context menu when we click on a file. These are also actual Automator flows, but their location is somewhat peculiar. The steps to locate and copy them are these:
- We open the Finder app.
- We display the Gomenu .
- We hold down the Option (⌥) key.
- We click on Library.
- We look for the Servicesfolder .
- We copy all your content to a new location.
That easy. With the dedication that certain automation flows sometimes require , being able to have a backup , especially if you’re thinking of testing the macOS Monterey public beta , is an excellent idea.
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As Craig Federighi already commented during the last WWDC, the arrival of Shortcuts to the Mac represents a first step in a transition that will last a few years. Hopefully Automator will eventually disappear, perhaps in macOS 13 or later, to the benefit of Shortcuts. A change that brings even more unity and interoperability to the operating systems of our favorite devices.
