This smart Vision Pro app places handy shortcut buttons throughout your home
A day before it hits store shelves, Apple announced that 600 apps have been designed and coded specifically for the Vision Pro headset. That’s up from the 500 that launched with the original iPhone and suggests there could be a strong ecosystem of apps for anyone looking for Apple’s headset to choose from.
One of those apps is the humble name Shortcuts by developer Finn Voorhees. But despite its unassuming name, this ingenious little app could be a real time-saver for Vision Pro users, and aptly demonstrates some of the clever ways people can use Apple’s device.
That’s because it adds virtual buttons to your environment that launch workflows created in Apple’s Shortcuts app. That means you can hang one in your kitchen that does something as simple as starting a timer. Or place one next to your computer so you can jump straight into a meeting.
The app uses the augmented reality capabilities of the Vision Pro by overlaying the buttons on the real world. So as you wander around your house with the headset on, you’ll see the buttons wherever you placed them, essentially becoming part of the furniture. That makes them inconspicuous while still being useful.
Perfect for Vision Pro
The power of Shortcut Buttons rests on the flexibility of Apple’s Shortcuts app. Shortcuts allow you to string together commands into incredibly powerful workflows, and as the name suggests, the resulting tools can save you a ton of time. Shortcut Buttons takes that idea and ties it to the Vision Pro in a way that no other Apple platform could manage.
It’s one of the more intriguing apps coming to the Vision Pro, but there are plenty more to choose from. Apple’s press release about the 600 new apps highlighted some that appear to be standout offerings, including the Sky Guide and Night Sky observatory apps, the Microsoft 365 productivity suite, the Zoom and Webex video calling apps, and a lot of others.
Apple’s Vision Pro goes on sale tomorrow for $3,499 (about £2,730 / AU$5,330), but opened for pre-orders on January 19. By some estimates, the company sold more than 200,000 pre-order units – up from 60,000 to date. Apple was predicted to produce 80,000 units, indicating strong interest.
With a wide range of apps to choose from, there’s no doubt that Apple hopes interest will continue as more developers release their work in the coming weeks and months.