Mark Van Alstine

I enjoy coding, Apple Shortcuts, spending time with my family, and learning new things.

📍
Michigan, USA
Brief
Engineer / Tech Nerd / Dad
Mark Van Alstinemvan231
2026-02-02

@donkey @matthewcassinelli sort of, but it relies on using the x-callback url scheme and is a bit finicky to use

Mark Van Alstine boosted:
Rodrigo Araújormaraujo
2026-02-02

The app has been entirely rewritten in SwiftUI, and the result is a more beautiful app, less crashes and better usability all around.

Also, widgets *FINALLY* update correctly!

Image showing an screenshot of Charty 2.0 series editing view, alongside the text: Completely new interface. Charty has been entirely rewritten on SwiftUI with improved controls and more customization
Mark Van Alstine boosted:
Rodrigo Araújormaraujo
2026-02-02

And everything is ready for iOS 26, including new Liquid Glass icons!

Images of Charty’s three new Liquid Glass icons (light, dark and tinted)
Mark Van Alstine boosted:
Rich Aestheticrichaesthetic
2026-02-02

Here’s how to schedule light mode and dark mode on a time schedule on macOS. In system settings you can only choose Auto which does it via sunrise sunset.

youtu.be/vpVGPWmeqz0

Mark Van Alstinemvan231
2026-01-16

@wiersdorf did you find a fix?

Mark Van Alstine boosted:
Ashton Wiersdorfwiersdorf@fosstodon.org
2026-01-16

I need help reproducing a bug in Apple Shortcuts. If you have an iPhone, please try out this shortcut:

icloud.com/shortcuts/70ad266b5

What it is supposed to do is replace spaces with “:” like s/ +/:/ on the input text.

If I put in *specifically* the string “Blog teaching” (tags for a note I’m writing) it comes up *empty*. Every other input I’ve tried has worked.

I’m on iOS 26.2. Please let me know if you are able to reproduce and/or know how to file a bug with Apple.

#apple #iOS #shortcuts

Mark Van Alstine boosted:
Rich Aestheticrichaesthetic
2026-01-16

Really hope Apple Home & Shortcuts get some better time based automations like recurring every # duration of minutes/hours.

Mark Van Alstine boosted:
Steph Vee :blobcatcoffee:st3phvee
2026-01-16

🔗 stephvee.ca/blog/tutorials/how

I'm trying to reduce my reliance on third-party apps for basic everyday tasks, and Apple Shortcuts helps with that! In this post, I show you how I created a simple shortcut that reminds me to get up and start moving after thirty minutes of seated inactivity.

A pixel art recreation of the Apple Shortcuts icon, drawn by me in Aseprite.
Mark Van Alstine boosted:
2025-11-07

Cool #Shortcuts automation I started to run weekly to cleanup @drafts.
I often create temporary lists or notes that I definitely don’t need to keep long term.

It annoyed me that they clutter up my INBOX workspace. Now I tag them „autoclean“ and if they are not updated since ten days they get auto trashed 💪

icloud.com/shortcuts/89a18a4c3

Screenshot from the iOS Shortcuts app that demonstrates the linked Shortcut
Mark Van Alstine boosted:
2025-10-29
Mark Van Alstinemvan231
2025-10-29

@martinschuhmann what are you building?

Mark Van Alstine boosted:
AI Gardenrogyapp
2025-10-24

Timix just got two big updates

Timix is a modern timer where you can now run Shortcuts and open URLs from your timers — on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Earlier this month, TimixAI arrived on iOS 26 — powered by Apple Intelligence — with a new Alarm trigger and Liquid Glass icon.

Timix has 15 triggers you can combine to build powerful automations — all native, no ads or tracking.

apps.apple.com/app/id6477807870

Mark Van Alstine boosted:
2025-10-22

You can change color to any RGB + alpha using ‘Shortcut Source Tool’
(Alpha has a weird gradient effect and custom colors don’t show up correctly in many places, though)

routinehub.co/shortcut/5256/

ScreenshotScreenshot
Mark Van Alstine boosted:
Matthew Cassinellimatthewcassinelli
2025-10-22

Apple, please add Dual Capture and Landscape Selfies to

Filed as FB20772988

matthewcassinelli.com/iphone-d

Mark Van Alstine boosted:
2025-10-07

The one thing that the #Android ecosystem lacks and #iOS does incredibly well: Not the apps, not even the UI, certainly not browser politics. It's fucking #Shortcuts.

Yes, there is #Tasker. And it can do a lot. If you hate yourself or have the resources to fill in the gaps with code.

But can you create WordPress entries and post sharepics on socials based on a calendar event of CalDAV subscribed calendar? Or transcribe a podcast and summarize it on a push of a button? Or generate HTML?

Mark Van Alstine boosted:
Bruno Amaralbrunoamaral
2025-10-07

One of my , cmd+shift+4 to select a piece of the screen, then cmd+option+v to paste the text from the image.

Mark Van Alstinemvan231
2025-10-04

@gluebyte how odd!!!

Mark Van Alstine boosted:
2025-10-04

`WFWorkflowClientVersion` of became
3612.0.2.1 → 3612.0.1.1
(iOS 18.6 → 18.7)
and
4033.0.4.3 → 4033.0.3.5
(iOS 26.0 → 26.0.1)
🤔 Rollbacks?

Mark Van Alstine boosted:
2025-09-19

After updating my #homeassistant setup I rewrote my #scriptable widget for lockscreen and home screen to rely only on Home Assistant. If you want to use it I put it on github: github.com/toto/homeassistant-

iOS lock screen widgets showing battery, energy production and current power from a solar systemiOS home screen widgets showing battery, energy production and current power from a solar system

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