Apple Inc. acquired iOS automation app Workflow for an undisclosed sum, but despite Apple naming its apps “most innovative” of 2015, not everyone knows what it is or how to use it.

Workflow allows users to automate certain actions, which they can run within the app, the Today Widget, from their Apple Watch or through other apps. You can download the Workflow app for free from the App Store. It works on iPhone and iPad, which requires iOS 8.0 or later and Apple Watch.

How to get started with the Workflow app

What are workflows

A single workflow is made up of a series of actions that will accomplish a specific task. Each action in the workflow will perform a particular function. An example of an action is “Get Latest Photos,” which will collect the latest photos you have on your iOS device.

Chains of actions can be grouped together to form your workflow and will run in sequence, for example, Get Latest Photos > Edit Image > Send Message.

All the workflows that you create or download will be stored in the “My Workflows” section of the app. Each colored rectangle represents a workflow with a specific title, icon and color. Tap the relevant workflow to open it and view the different actions.

Add existing workflows from the Workflow Gallery

There is a range of existing workflows that have been curated by the Workflow team that you can download for free.

In the Workflow app, go to the Gallery where you will be able to navigate through the workflows that are divided into various categories. Alternatively, to narrow down your search, tap the magnifying glass icon in the top right of the screen > enter your search query to displace the workflows that match your query.

Tap a workflow that you are interested in to see a detailed description of the workflow, together with the various actions.

To download one of the workflows, tap the “Get Workflow” button. The workflow will be added to your library in the My Workflows tab.

Or create your own workflow

If none of the existing workflows fit your needs, you can create your own. Either tap the “+” icon in the top right of “My Workflows” or tap “Create Workflow” at the end of your workflows list. By default, the new workflow will be named “Untitled Workflow” and will have a magic wand icon.

To add actions you will use the workflow composer, which is split into two sections: your workflow and the list of available actions.

Note: On an iPad or plus-sized iPhone the two sections will display next to each other on the same screen. If you are using a smaller iPhone then you will see the workflow and will need to swipe left or tap the Actions tab to see the actions screen.

To add actions to your workflow, tap and hold the action and drag and drop it into your empty workflow. You can rearrange your actions in your workflow, simply tap and hold it and move it into the correct sequence.  

The general pattern when creating a workflow is normally focused on three actions:

1. The action is focused on getting content into the workflow, for example, Get Latest Photos, Search Local Businesses or Find Music.
2. The action is focused on transforming the content into a different format, for example, Make PDF, Format Date, Filter Images by Orientation or Make Rich Text from HTML.
3. The last action is focused on either sharing data out to a service or opening it in another app, for example, Share, Add New Reminder, Add New Event or Add to Playlist.

In the workflow composer there are various controls:

• “Done” button: displayed in the top right, tap it when your workflow is complete.
• Gear icon: in the workflow’s settings you can change the title, icon and color.
• “Run” button: displayed as a play icon, tap this icon to run the workflow. The play icon is replaced by a stop icon when the workflow is running.
• Share icon: tap the icon to open the standard iOS share sheet and share your workflow.
• Undo and Redo buttons: quickly undo or redo any changes that you have made to your workflow.
• Workflow types: you also have the option to select a workflow type, including using the Today Widget, Action Extension and Apple Watch.  

Run a workflow

Open the Workflow app, open the relevant workflow in “My Workflows” > tap the Run button.

Alternatively, you can run a workflow outside of the app using one of the options below:

Today Widget: This is the fastest way to run many workflows as you can access the widget from your lock or home screen.

To enable the Workflow Today Widget in iOS 10 or later, press firmly on the app icon > tap “Add Widget.”

Note: To access your workflow in Today Widget you will need to ensure the workflow type is set to Today Widget. You can change a workflow’s type under settings.

Apple Watch: You can also run some workflows directly from your wrist. You will need to add the app to your watch.

Action Extension: You can also run some workflows through an Action  Extension available in the share sheet of other apps.

Source: Workflow

Image: Workflow