You need to translate a sentence, read a QR code from a screenshot and check what a shortened link actually points to, all within ten minutes. Utilities Menu puts more than 100 small tools like those behind one shortcut, sorted into categories so you aren’t scrolling through a wall of icons.
How it works
Run the shortcut and you get a menu of categories. Each one opens a list of related utilities, and the author keeps adding to it; the project has been maintained for years and is now on version 45.
Text and Numbers covers translation, text effects and a discount calculator. Media handles Instagram panoramas, QR codes read from photos, a daily word and image, and uploads to Imgur. Web expands URLs, shows older versions of websites, and includes Safari Tools such as Auto Scroll Mode and a webpage font changer. The Entertainment section mixes Apple TV control, IMDb ratings and a sound gallery with a few games that run offline.
There’s also a Shortcuts category for people who build their own: an icon grabber for any shortcut, a shortcut count, a plist viewer and Shortcuts Backup. Other Stuff collects the rest, from a countdown and file viewer to a password-sharing tool, a private vault and a Water Eject routine. Finally, a Dashboard gives quick controls for Messages, Phone, Music, Maps, Weather, Calendar and Reminders, plus an Applications page that opens apps or fetches App Store artwork and a Switch Settings page for toggling iOS settings.
Getting it set up
- Run it once so iOS can ask for the permissions each category needs.
- Optionally install Swing Updater, the external updater the author uses for update checks.
Running the shortcut
Launch it from the Shortcuts app, a Home Screen icon or Siri, then tap through category and tool. Most utilities ask for their input on the spot, like the text to translate or the photo to scan. Settings lives in its own menu entry, and that’s also where you’ll find Send Feedback and Check For Updates.
Companion shortcuts
The same author maintains two add-ons that only make sense alongside the main menu, so they’re covered here rather than on pages of their own.
Utilities Menu Advanced Tools (UMAT) is a second menu with tools the author considered too advanced for the main shortcut, aimed at pro users. Besides Shortcuts it requires Actions, a free app that adds extra actions to the Shortcuts editor. Its 3.0.2 release moved to an updater that checks for new versions once a day instead of on every run.
Utilities Menu Fast Launch (UMFL) is a launcher, not a toolbox. It opens Utilities Menu while skipping part of the startup work, which is handy when you want one tool in a hurry and have it pinned to the Home Screen or mapped to Back Tap. The catch, and the author flags it clearly, is that this also skips the update check on start. Use it for quick trips and open the main shortcut normally every so often so you don’t miss new releases.
Use cases
- Pull a URL out of a QR code in a screenshot someone sent you.
- Expand a shortened link to see where it goes before you open it.
- Back up your shortcut library or check how many shortcuts you have.
Common questions
Do I really need Swing Updater?
Only if you want update checks. Utilities Menu runs fine without it, but the built-in Check For Updates button relies on that separate shortcut.
Are the games playable without a connection?
The author says the Entertainment games work offline. Most of the web-based tools, like URL expansion or Imgur uploads, need a connection.
Is there a faster way to open it?
Fast Launch, described above, gets you in quicker by skipping some startup work. Just remember it skips the update check too.
First time adding a shortcut from a website? Here's what each prompt means.
