As of 7/31/2025, these are all the default media actions included in the iOS version of Apple’s Shortcuts.
I did my best to adjust descriptions for better uniformity, so most of these will read differently in Shortcuts itself.
Images
- Convert Image: Converts the input images to the specified image format.
- Filter Images: Given a list of images, returns the images that match the given criteria.
- Get Details of Images: Returns a specific piece of information from the input images.
- Get Images from Input: Returns images from the input.
- Make Image from PDF Page: Creates images from the pages of an input PDF.
- Make Image from Rich Text: Creates an image from input rich text, web content, or URL.
- Extract Text from Image: Uses OCR to extract text from an image.
Image Editing
- Markup: Brings up an editor, so you can make edits to an image or PDF with Markup.
- Combine Images: Combines the input images horizontally, vertically, or in a grid.
- Crop Image: Crops input images to the specified width and height.
- Flip Image: Reverses the direction of images either horizontally or vertically.
- Mask Image: Applies a mask to input images.
- Overlay Image: Overlays an image on top of another.
- Overlay Text: Overlays text onto the input image.
- Resize Image: Scales images to the specified width and height.
- Rotate Image/Video: Turns an image or video clockwise by a particular number of degrees.
- Remove Image Background: Removes the background from an image, keeping the subjects.
GIFS
- Make GIF: Creates an animated GIF from the input images or video.
- Make Video from GIF: Converts an animated GIF into a video.
- Add Frame to GIF: Adds an image to the existing animated GIF passed as input.
- If no GIF is passed as input, a new animated GIF is created.
- Get Frames from Image: Splits an animated GIF or a photo burst into individual frames.
Photos
- Save to Photos: Adds input photos and videos to the specified photo album.
- Select Photos: Prompts you to choose photos and videos from your photo library.
- Find Photos: Searches for photos in your library that match the given criteria.
- Get Latest Photos: Returns the most recent photos.
- Get Latest Videos: Returns the most recent videos.
- Get Latest Screenshots: Returns the most recent screenshots.
- Get Latest Bursts: Returns the most recent burst photos.
- Get Latest Live Photos: Returns the most recent Live Photos.
- Get Last Import: Returns the most recent photo import.
- Remove from Photo Album: Removes input photos or videos from the specified photo album.
- Delete Photos: Deletes the photos passed as input from the library.
- This action asks for confirmation before performing the deletion.
Video
- Encode Media: Re-encodes input media at the specified size, optionally converting to audio.
- Trim Media: Presents a view allowing you to trim input media.
Playback
- Set Volume: Sets the volume of the device.
- If you set the volume using a variable, use a decimal between 0 and 1 (for example, 0.5 for half volume).
- Play/Pause: Plays or pauses the currently playing media.
- Seek: Seek to a specific time, or forward and backward by the specified duration.
- Skip Back: Skips to the previous song in the current music queue.
- Skip Forward: Skips to the next song in the current music queue.
- Set Noise Control Mode: Sets a Noise Control mode on the specified device.
- Hand Off Playback: Hands off Music or Podcasts playback between two devices.
- Change Playback Destination: Changes the current playback destination.
Music
- Select Music: Prompts to select music from your local music library.
- Find Music: Searches for the music in your library that match the given criteria.
- Play Music: Plays music using the Music app.
- Add to Playing Next: Adds input music to your Playing Next queue.
- Clear Playing Next: Clears all the music in your Playing Next queue.
- Get Current Song: Returns the song that is currently playing in the Music app, if any.
- Get Details of Music: Returns a specific piece of information from input music.
Playlists
- Add to Playlist: Adds input music to the specified playlist.
- Create Playlist: Creates a new playlist in the Music app, adding any input music to the new playlist.
- Get Playlist: Returns every song in the specified playlist.
Podcasts
- Find Podcasts: Searches the Apple Podcasts catalog, returning podcasts that match the specified search terms.
- Follow Podcast: Follows input podcasts or podcast feed URLs.
- Play Podcast: Plays a podcast using the Podcasts app.
- If no podcast is selected, resumes playback.
- Get Episodes of Podcast: Returns a list of episodes from a podcast.
- Get Podcasts from Library: Returns a list of all shows in your Podcast library.
- Get Details of Podcast: Returns a specific piece of information from input podcasts.
- Get Details of Podcast Episode: Returns a specific piece of information from input podcast episodes.
Conclusion
You can view all of this yourself directly in shortcuts, by tapping on the information icon on the right end of each action in the gallery, or by tapping the icon on the left end of each action, and selecting Show Info from the menu that pops up.
I hope this list of default media actions for iOS Shortcuts provided you with what you were looking for. If you have any feedback, please leave a comment.
Credits
- Apple – The Featured Image, and Action descriptions.
