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Use two personal automations in the Shortcuts app: one with the App → Is Opened trigger for entering your two-app workflow, and another with App → Is Closed for leaving or resetting it. On iPhone Duo, you can then use those event-based automations alongside a paired Split View layout. The app trigger responds when you open or switch to the selected app, and its close option responds when you close or switch from it. Split View pairing remains a Duo multitasking feature controlled by the device interface, not by the automation itself.
What do open and close automations do on iPhone Duo?
A personal automation runs because an event occurs instead of because you tap a shortcut manually. For this workflow, the event is a selected app opening or closing. The opening automation handles the actions needed when you enter the workflow; the closing automation handles cleanup, reset, or other actions when you leave it.
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The App trigger has two relevant conditions:
- Is Opened: runs when you open or switch to the selected app.
- Is Closed: runs when you close or switch from the selected app.
Those conditions are independent. Creating an “opened” automation does not automatically create a matching “closed” automation.
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What should you prepare before creating the automations?
You only need the built-in Shortcuts app, the app that starts your workflow, and a clear idea of what should happen on entry and exit. If the workflow depends on two apps sharing the screen, arrange the Duo layout separately in Split View.
Choose the app that represents the workflow
Pick the app whose state should start the sequence. For example, if opening one app is your signal to begin working with a second app, select the first app in the App trigger. The automation will watch that app, not every app on the phone.
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Write down what “entering” means and what “leaving” means before you build anything. Entry actions might prepare the next part of a multi-app routine; exit actions might reset or close out that routine. Shortcuts can combine actions from multiple apps into one workflow, so the action list can be a single operation or a sequence spanning several apps.
Decide whether the screen layout is part of the plan
iPhone Duo can split the screen between two different apps, or between two windows from the same app, when the device is open in landscape. You can pair apps so that opening either one opens the other. That pairing is a Duo interface feature. Shortcuts can be designed around the resulting layout, but the pairing itself is not created by the personal automation.
How do I create the automation that runs when an app opens?
Create a personal automation, select the App trigger, choose the app that starts your workflow, and set the condition to Is Opened. Then add and test the actions before saving.
- Open Shortcuts. On iPhone Duo, launch the Shortcuts app and tap Automation.
- Start a personal automation. If this is your first one, the screen may show Create Personal Automation. In later versions, use the + button or the control that creates a new automation.
- Select the App trigger. Choose App from the event list.
- Choose the target app. Tap Choose, select the app that starts the workflow, and confirm the selection.
- Set the event. Select Is Opened. This condition covers opening the app and switching to it.
- Continue to the action editor. Tap Next to reach the action list.
- Add the entry actions. Add the actions that should run when the workflow begins. Keep the order intentional when one action depends on the result of an earlier one.
- Test the automation. Use the available test option in the editor to check that the selected actions behave as expected.
- Save it. Tap Done after the trigger and actions are correct.
The result is an event-driven entry routine. Opening or switching to the selected app is the event; the actions you added are the response.
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How do I create the automation that runs when an app closes?
Repeat the same creation process for the same app, but choose Is Closed and use actions for leaving, resetting, or finishing the workflow.
- Return to Automation. Open Shortcuts and tap Automation.
- Create another personal automation. Use Create Personal Automation on a new-automation screen or tap the + control in versions that use it.
- Choose App. Select the same app you used for the entry automation, unless your design intentionally uses a different app as the exit signal.
- Select Is Closed. The App trigger offers Is Closed as the condition for leaving or switching from the selected app.
- Add exit actions. Build the actions that should run when the workflow ends. These can reset the state created by the entry routine or perform a separate handoff.
- Test and save. Test the action sequence, then tap Done.
Keep the open and close automations conceptually separate. If an action belongs only to entry, place it in the Is Opened automation; if it belongs only to exit, place it in Is Closed. This makes each automation easier to test and change.
How do I use these automations with a two-app Split View setup?
Set up Split View on Duo first, then build Shortcuts actions around that arrangement. Split View and personal automation solve different parts of the problem: Duo controls how apps share the display, while Shortcuts responds to app events and runs actions.
Pair the two apps on Duo
- Open the device in landscape orientation.
- Open the first app and use the Duo multitasking controls to split the screen.
- Open the second app in the other pane.
- If the interface offers pairing, pair the two apps so that opening either one opens the other.
Apple documents Split View as allowing two different apps—or two windows from the same app—to share the screen. The automation does not substitute for these interface steps.
Design the opening response
Use the Is Opened automation on the app that signals the start of the routine. Add the actions that should accompany entry into the paired workspace. If your chosen actions refer to another app, verify that the second app is already available in the paired layout; otherwise, the device may present the app outside the arrangement you intended.
Design the closing response
Use the Is Closed automation for the actions that should occur when you leave the selected app. Decide whether the desired result is a reset, a handoff to another app, or simply a final action. Test the exit routine independently because switching away from the selected app is also part of the documented close condition.
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Remove the pairing when you no longer need it
To remove a paired Split View arrangement, drag the center divider completely to the left or right edge. This is a direct Duo interface action, not a Shortcuts action.
What is the difference between the open and close setups?
The two automations differ in their trigger, purpose, and timing. Use the following comparison when deciding where an action belongs.
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|---|---|---|
| Trigger | App → Is Opened | App → Is Closed |
| Event meaning | The selected app is opened or switched to | The selected app is closed or switched from |
| Typical role | Enter or prepare the workflow | Leave, reset, or finish the workflow |
| Action scope | One action or a multi-step sequence, including actions involving other apps | One action or a separate multi-step sequence for exit handling |
| Screen layout | Can be designed around an existing Split View pair | Can respond to leaving an app in that pair |
| Run style | Automatic response to an app event | Automatic response to an app event |
| Manual alternative | A shortcut can still be launched manually if you create one | A shortcut can still be launched manually if you create one |
The table describes the roles of the two triggers, not a requirement that every workflow use the same actions. Your entry and exit sequences can be as small or as extensive as the task requires.
Does switching apps count as opening or closing?
Yes. Apple’s App trigger documentation defines Is Opened to include opening or switching to the selected app, and Is Closed to include closing or switching from it. That means a workflow can react when you move into the selected app and can also react when you leave it for another app.
Plan for that behavior when choosing exit actions. If switching away should not reset your work, do not place destructive or irreversible steps in the Is Closed sequence. Prefer an exit action that is safe whenever the app loses focus, and test both a genuine close and a simple switch to another app.
How should I test an open-and-close pair?
Test each automation on its own, then test the complete transition between apps. A two-part workflow can appear correct when the entry actions work but still fail during the handoff or exit.
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- Test entry from a neutral state. Start outside the selected app, then open or switch to it and verify each entry action in order.
- Check the paired layout. If the routine relies on Split View, confirm that both panes are present and that the companion app is the one you intended.
- Test a normal switch away. Move from the selected app to another app and observe whether the Is Closed actions run as expected.
- Test a close separately. Close the selected app using the normal Duo interface and check the same exit routine.
- Inspect action order. If a later action depends on an earlier one, verify that the earlier action completed before the next begins.
- Retest after edits. Any change to the trigger, selected app, or action list should be tested again before relying on the automation.
Apple’s personal-automation workflow includes testing before saving. Use that test capability while building, but also perform a real open-and-switch cycle because the trigger is event-based.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What commonly goes wrong, and how can I fix it?
The automation never runs
Confirm that you created a personal automation under Automation, selected App, chose the intended app, and picked the correct condition. An automation watching one app will not respond to a different app. Reopen the editor and verify the trigger before changing the actions.
The wrong event runs the sequence
Check whether the action is in the Is Opened or Is Closed automation. Because switching to and switching from an app are both covered by the App trigger, an action placed in the wrong automation can appear to run at the wrong time. Move entry-only actions to Is Opened and exit-only actions to Is Closed.
The second app is not beside the first
Review the Duo Split View arrangement rather than the Shortcuts trigger. Pairing is controlled by the Duo interface. Open the device in landscape, establish the two-pane layout, and use the center divider to adjust or remove the pairing.
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The workflow behaves differently after an iOS update
Recheck the visible labels in Shortcuts. Apple’s WWDC26 material says automations now live directly in the Shortcuts editor and highlights screenshot, keyboard-connection, and notification automation types in iOS 26. Those labels and locations are version-sensitive, so the control used to create a new personal automation may appear as a first-time “Create Personal Automation” button or as a plus button in another version.
An action works in a test but not in the full routine
Break the sequence into smaller checks. Verify the trigger first, then confirm each action in its position and test the complete transition again. If the action depends on another app or on Split View, reproduce the same two-app layout used during normal operation before judging the result.
How can I keep the workflow reliable over time?
- Name each automation clearly. Include the app and direction, such as an entry or exit label, so the two routines are distinguishable in the Automation list.
- Keep entry and exit responsibilities separate. Avoid putting reset behavior in the opening routine or setup behavior in the closing routine.
- Document the intended layout. Note which two apps should be paired and which one is the trigger app.
- Retest after changing the paired apps. A Split View change can alter the context in which your actions run even when the Shortcuts trigger is unchanged.
- Review after system updates. Version-sensitive labels may move, while the App trigger’s Is Opened and Is Closed choices remain the concepts to look for.
- Use reversible actions where possible. Since switching away can satisfy Is Closed, an exit routine should not assume that the user permanently quit the app.
Can one automation handle both opening and closing?
The documented App trigger presents Is Opened and Is Closed as separate choices, so create separate personal automations when you need both entry and exit behavior. Keeping them separate also lets you test and modify one direction without changing the other.
Can Shortcuts create the Duo Split View pairing by itself?
No pairing mechanism is established by the documented workflow. Split View pairing is controlled through the iPhone Duo interface; Shortcuts actions can be planned to work with that layout after it has been established.
Does the close trigger mean the app was force-quit?
Not necessarily. Apple defines Is Closed broadly enough to include closing the app or switching from it, so treat it as an app-leaving event rather than proof that the app process was terminated.
Can Split View show two windows from the same app?
Yes. Apple’s Duo multitasking description allows two different apps or two windows from the same app to share the screen when the device is open in landscape. The Shortcuts trigger still watches the selected app event; the window arrangement is handled by Duo.
Why do the Shortcuts labels look different on my iPhone Duo?
Creation controls can vary by version: a first automation may show Create Personal Automation, while later versions may use a plus button. iOS 26 materials also describe newer automation types and an editor-centered workflow, so follow the current labels while looking specifically for the App trigger and its Is Opened or Is Closed options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the same companion app for both directions?
Yes. The opening and closing automations can reference actions involving the same second app, but each sequence should be tested independently so an exit action does not undo an entry action unexpectedly.
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Remember that Apple’s Is Closed condition includes switching from the selected app. Replace the reset with a non-destructive exit action, or redesign the workflow so the selected app is one you leave only when a reset is actually wanted.
Do I need a separate shortcut to use a personal automation?
No. A personal automation contains its own trigger and action list in Shortcuts. A manually tapped shortcut is a different way to launch actions and is optional for this workflow.
Can I remove only the Split View pairing without deleting the automations?
Yes. Drag the center divider fully to the left or right edge to remove the Duo pairing. The Shortcuts automations remain separate from that display arrangement.
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