Workflow, the automation app that Apple acquired back in March of 2017, was today updated to version 1.7.8, introducing a new Mask Image action, and a long list of other bug fixes and improvements.

As MacStories points out, the Mask Image action added in today's update is a feature Workflow users have been wanting for several years. The new action, which applies a mask to an image and cuts it into any desired shape, is designed to make it easier to simplify image editing workflows that require image masking features.

workflowforios
By default, the masking feature offers rounded rectangle, ellipse, and icon masking options, but custom masks can also be used.

The new Workflow update also introduces new fields for the Add Things To-Do action, it makes items reorderable in the dictionary action, and it adds support for opening workflows to the URL scheme. Extracting text from PDFs has also been improved, as has drag and drop handling. Multiple bug fixes are included, as outlined before:

  • Workflow names are now case-insensitive
  • Fixed a crash when running the Edit Image action
  • Fixed Todoist and Slack authentication when using a Google account
  • Fixed an issue where icons from Search App Store and Get My Workflows were saved as JPEG, not PNG
  • Fixed an issue where the Encode Media action may not delete temporary files properly when encoding to MP3
  • Fixed an issue where the Custom X-Success URL parameter of the Open X-Callback-URL action did not work
  • Fixed an issue where variables could not be added to arrays in the Dictionary action
  • Fixed an issue where booleans could not be added to dictionaries inside dictionaries in the Dictionary action
  • Fixed an issue where a duplicate workflow could appear after searching for a workflow
  • Fixed an issue where Workflow could crash when deleting many workflows at once
  • Fixed an issue where double-tapping a variable button cleared the variable
  • Fixed an issue where the Tweet and Post on Facebook actions did not work from the Today Widget or Apple Watch
  • Fixed an issue where passing the output of Scan QR Code to Open URL did not work properly
  • Fixed an issue where workflows could not be edited after being opened via 3D Touch
  • Performance improvements to workflow running
  • VoiceOver improvements
  • Other bug fixes and minor additions

Since purchasing Workflow in March of 2017, Apple has continued to provide regular updates to the Workflow app, allaying fears that it would be discontinued and abandoned.

The last update to the app, introduced a long list of bug fixes for third-party app actions, was released in November of 2017.

Workflow can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

Stella Avatar
101 months ago
Workflow is screaming to have integration with Siri. Must be coming soon.

Create easily your own Siri workflows
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannys1 Avatar
101 months ago
Every time an update comes out for this i’m reminded that it’s a brilliant app I still haven’t found a use for.

Then people post their ideas in replies and I think they’re great. Try a few out, totally forget about them and never use it again.

I dunno, I guess I’ll just never get Workflow to work in my “workflow” and probably because I use iOS as little as I can.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
petsounds Avatar
101 months ago
Every time an update comes out for this i’m reminded that it’s a brilliant app I still haven’t found a use for.

Then people post their ideas in replies and I think they’re great. Try a few out, totally forget about them and never use it again.

I dunno, I guess I’ll just never get Workflow to work in my “workflow” and probably because I use iOS as little as I can.
That's pretty much me right now as well. My work is done on my Mac. I use iOS for focused tasks that can be completed by one app. I transfer stuff between apps sometimes, but generally if I have a more complex task it's quicker to just open my Mac. If I was able to use an iPad for what I do, maybe I'd find it useful there.

In a perfect world where Siri wasn't terrible and it was connected to Workflow, we could say something like, "Siri, translate this PDF into French and send that in an email to Julie at Apple" and it would chain together its own workflow to try to act on requests. That would be very compelling, but I fear we're a long way away from that day.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
101 months ago
That's pretty much me right now as well. My work is done on my Mac. I use iOS for focused tasks that can be completed by one app. I transfer stuff between apps sometimes, but generally if I have a more complex task it's quicker to just open my Mac. If I was able to use an iPad for what I do, maybe I'd find it useful there.

In a perfect world where Siri wasn't terrible and it was connected to Workflow, we could say something like, "Siri, translate this PDF into French and send that in an email to Julie at Apple" and it would chain together its own workflow to try to act on requests. That would be very compelling, but I fear we're a long way away from that day.
"Here's a list of french paedophiles called Julie who like Apples I found on the web", replies Siri.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
101 months ago
I need to spend some quality time with this app. It is very intriguing.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smirking Avatar
101 months ago
I dunno, I guess I’ll just never get Workflow to work in my “workflow” and probably because I use iOS as little as I can.
I completely concur. I had Workflow on my phone for like three years and I finally accepted that I'd never find a practical use for it and deleted it last year. If I'm doing something that requires a complex workflow, I'll pull out my laptop. My idea of workflow on an iOS device, is limited to "swipe, tap, press."
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...