Add it once, then call its tools from anywhere, done. Cyclone is a library shortcut that bolts new abilities onto the Shortcuts app itself: reusable functions, variables that survive between runs, and screens that look nothing like the stock menus. No companion app, no account, just one shortcut doing the heavy lifting behind your others.
What it actually does
You build a normal shortcut, then hand Cyclone a dictionary describing what you want, and it runs that logic for you. Headline tools are packages (define a block of logic once, call it from any shortcut instead of copy-pasting), global variables shared across shortcuts by project name, and styled markdown screens with custom colors and layouts. There’s also encryption for password-locking data, helpers that merge and filter dictionaries and lists without the usual native gymnastics, and a QuickUpdate function for shortcuts you publish on RoutineHub. A set of free AI functions ships with it too.
Adding it to your iPhone
- Tap Add Shortcut on this page to add Cyclone through the Shortcuts app.
- When the preview appears, tap Add Shortcut to confirm.
- Run it once so it downloads the current Cyclone build.
- Skim the quick guide so the dictionary syntax makes sense before you wire it into anything.
Cyclone auto-updates itself after that first install, so you stay on the latest build without re-downloading.
Using it day-to-day
In your own shortcut, you assemble a dictionary that names the function you want and its arguments, then pass it through Cyclone. A global variable call, for instance, looks up a stored value by project name and either returns it or sets it on the spot. Because the project name is the key, two separate shortcuts pointing at the same name read and write the same data, which is how you carry a counter or a token from one shortcut to the next. Styled screens work the same way: you describe the layout in markdown and Cyclone renders it. Loading stays well under a second, since the library only executes the function your dictionary actually asks for.
Quick answers
Do I need to download an extra app for this?
Nope, that’s the point of it. Everything runs inside Apple’s Shortcuts app, so there’s no separate App Store install and no login to deal with.
My iPhone is on iOS 17 and it won’t run. Why?
Current builds target iOS and iPadOS 18.0 through 18.6, plus the iOS 26 line. Anything on iOS 17 or earlier is listed as unsupported, so you’d need to update before Cyclone will load.
Will updating Cyclone break the shortcuts I already built on it?
The author states it’s fully released and backwards compatible, so existing implementations are meant to keep working across updates rather than breaking when a new version lands.
