The iOS 17.2 update for iPhone is a big one. Aside from huge new features like the Journal app, Contact Key Verification for iMessage, and a revamped TV app, there are 50 new URL schemes you can use in your self-created shortcuts.
If you’re unfamiliar, schemes are names assigned to apps in a format that resembles the protocol portion of URLs, such as https:// or ftp://. So, a scheme for the Camera app on your iPhone would look like camera://. The basic scheme opens up the app in question, and you can turn them into links or deep links with paths, parameters, fragments, and other components added that point to something specific in the app.
URL schemes like these are helpful in custom-made shortcuts in the Shortcuts app when the app itself doesn’t have any shortcut actions available by default or as Siri Shortcuts. They also make it possible for Apple to include quick links in the Settings app when you perform searches, so there are at least 25 new items you may come across during a Settings search.
So, what are the new URL schemes available on iOS 17.2?
First, there are schemes for the new Journal app and Journal’s settings:
open | moments://
open | prefs:root=JOURNAL
And two for the new Contact Key Verification for iMessage setting:
highlight | prefs:root=APPLE_ACCOUNT#TRANSPARENCY
open | prefs:root=APPLE_ACCOUNT&path=TRANSPARENCY
Beyond that, the Accessibility settings have new URL schemes that work on iOS 17.2 and later only, including:
Settings ⇾ Accessibility ⇾ Switch Control ⇾ Menu Items
↳ Top Level
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier#TopLevel
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier/TopLevel
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier/TopLevel#TopLevel
↳ Media Controls
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier#MediaControls
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier/MediaControls
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier/MediaControls#MediaControls
Settings ⇾ Accessibility ⇾ VoiceOver ⇾ Commands
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE#CustomizeCommands
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands
↳ Braille Screen Input
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands#BrailleScreenInput
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands/BrailleScreenInput
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands/BrailleScreenInput#BrailleScreenInput
↳ Handwriting
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands#Handwriting
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands/Handwriting
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands/Handwriting#Handwriting
↳ Keyboard Shortcuts
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands#KeyboardShortcuts
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands/KeyboardShortcuts
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands/KeyboardShortcuts#KeyboardShortcuts
↳ Reset VoiceOver Commands
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands#ResetVoiceOverCommands
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands/ResetVoiceOverCommands
↳ Touch Gestures
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands#TouchGestures
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands/TouchGestures
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/CustomizeCommands/TouchGestures#TouchGestures
There are also new URL schemes added for Accessibility and other settings that work on other iOS versions, not just iOS 17.2, including:
Settings ⇾ Accessibility ⇾ Touch ⇾ AssistiveTouch
↳ Side/Top Button Confirmation
section | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=HOME_CLICK_TITLE/APPLE_PAY_CONFIRM_WITH_AST
Settings ⇾ Accessibility ⇾ Home Button
↳ Rest Finger to Open
toggle | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=HOME_CLICK_TITLE/HomeButtonAssistantTitle#RestingUnlockSetting
Settings ⇾ Accessibility ⇾ Live Captions
↳ Appearance
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION#LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION_APPEARANCE
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION/LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION_APPEARANCE
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION/LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION_APPEARANCE#LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION_APPEARANCE
↳ Bold Text
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION/LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION_APPEARANCE#ENHANCE_TEXT_LEGIBILITY
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION/LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION_APPEARANCE/ENHANCE_TEXT_LEGIBILITY
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION/LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION_APPEARANCE/ENHANCE_TEXT_LEGIBILITY#ENHANCE_TEXT_LEGIBILITY
↳ Color Options
section | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION/LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION_APPEARANCE#LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION_COLOR_OPTIONS
↳ Idle Opacity
section | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION/LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION_APPEARANCE#LIVE_CAPTIONS_IDLE_OPACITY_TITLE
↳ Text Size
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION/LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION_APPEARANCE#LARGER_TEXT
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION/LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION_APPEARANCE/LARGER_TEXT
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION/LIVE_TRANSCRIPTION_APPEARANCE/LARGER_TEXT#LARGER_TEXT
Settings ⇾ Accessibility ⇾ Spoken Content ⇾ Highlight Content
↳ Sentence Highlight Style
section | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=SPEECH_TITLE/QuickSpeakHighlight#SENTENCE_HIGHLIGHT_STYLE
↳ Highlight Colors
section | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=SPEECH_TITLE/QuickSpeakHighlight#COLOR_CHOICE
Settings ⇾ Accessibility ⇾ Spoken Content ⇾ Speech Controller
↳ Long Press
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=SPEECH_TITLE/SpeechController#SpeechControllerLongPressAction
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=SPEECH_TITLE/SpeechController/SpeechControllerLongPressAction
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=SPEECH_TITLE/SpeechController/SpeechControllerLongPressAction#SpeechControllerLongPressAction
↳ Double Tap
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=SPEECH_TITLE/SpeechController#SpeechControllerDoubleTapAction
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=SPEECH_TITLE/SpeechController/SpeechControllerDoubleTapAction
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=SPEECH_TITLE/SpeechController/SpeechControllerDoubleTapAction#SpeechControllerDoubleTapAction
↳ Idle Opacity
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=SPEECH_TITLE/SpeechController#SpeechControllerIdleOpacity
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=SPEECH_TITLE/SpeechController/SpeechControllerIdleOpacity
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=SPEECH_TITLE/SpeechController/SpeechControllerIdleOpacity#SpeechControllerIdleOpacity
Settings ⇾ Accessibility ⇾ Switch Control
↳ Side/Top Button Confirmation
toggle | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle#APPLE_PAY_SWITCH
↳ Side/Top Button Confirmation
toggle | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=HOME_CLICK_TITLE/APPLE_PAY_CONFIRM_WITH_SC
toggle | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=HOME_CLICK_TITLE/APPLE_PAY_CONFIRM_WITH_SC#APPLE_PAY_CONFIRM_WITH_SC
Settings ⇾ Accessibility ⇾ Switch Control ⇾ Menu Items
↳ Gestures
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier#Gestures
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier/Gestures
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier/Gestures#Gestures
↳ Device
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier#Device
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier/Device
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier/Device#Device
↳ Settings
highlight | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier#Settings
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier/Settings
open | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=ScannerSwitchTitle/CustomizeMenuIdentifier/Settings#Settings
Settings ⇾ Accessibility ⇾ VoiceOver ⇾ Braille
↳ Choose a Braille Device
section | prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITY&path=VOICEOVER_TITLE/Braille#DEVICES
There are likely more URL schemes hiding within iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2, and we’ll update this guide when we find them.