Ever found a clip you wanted to keep, only to realize the app has no save button? That is the gap this shortcut fills. You point it at a clip, and it grabs the video or audio from a long list of social platforms and hands back a real file, without bouncing you through a maze of pop-up ad sites first.

How it works

The shortcut feeds your link to a downloader service in the background and returns a clean download. Coverage spans YouTube (including full playlists), SoundCloud, Reddit, Twitch, Twitter, TikTok, Bili-Bili, Facebook, Instagram, Apple Music, and any other site that y2mate supports. For most sources you get a choice of downloader service and file format, so you can pull an MP4 from one site and an audio track from another. The Actions app supplies a few extra steps that the shortcut leans on, which is why it shows up in the requirements.

Where the videos come from

YouTube: single videos and entire playlists
TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit: the usual short-form feeds
SoundCloud and Apple Music: pulled as audio
Twitch and Bili-Bili: longer clips and streams
Anything y2mate handles: paste a link from a site not listed above and it often still works

How to install

Tap Add Shortcut on this page to open it in the Shortcuts app.
Scroll the preview to the bottom and confirm with Add Shortcut.
Install the free Actions app if you do not already have it.
Run it once and approve any permission prompts, including access to your photo library.

How to use it

Two paths get you there. From inside an app like TikTok or YouTube, tap the share button, scroll the Share Sheet, and pick this shortcut. Or copy a video link, open the shortcut directly, and paste when it asks. Pick the format you want when prompted, and the file lands where you tell it to. Playlists take longer because the shortcut works through each video in turn, so give it a moment on a long YouTube list.

Where your downloads land

By default the shortcut offers to save into Photos or Files, and you choose per run. Audio grabs from SoundCloud or Apple Music usually make more sense in Files, while a TikTok or Instagram clip is fine straight in your camera roll. Nothing uploads to a server you own, though the download itself routes through the chosen third-party service.

When something goes wrong

Nothing downloads, or you get an error mid-run. The downloader service the shortcut relies on changes often, and a broken back end is the most common cause. Check the RoutineHub page for a newer version before anything else.

A specific site stopped working. Switch the downloader service or format for that source in the shortcut’s prompts. YouTube in particular gets updated regularly, which is exactly what the latest release notes mention.

The Share Sheet entry is missing. Open the shortcut, tap the info button, and confirm Show in Share Sheet is on.

Quick answers

Is this thing actually free?

Yes, both the shortcut and the Actions app it needs cost nothing. The downloader services it talks to are free tiers, which is also why a given site can go down without warning.

Can it really pull a whole YouTube playlist at once?

It can. Behind the scenes it loops through every video in the playlist, so a fifty-clip list will take a while and use more storage than you might expect.

Why does it need Safari and Actions?

Safari handles the web requests under the hood, and Actions adds shortcut steps that Apple does not ship by default. Both are quick installs and you only set them up once.