Shortcut Maker

Review by eFreeware

Shortcut Maker is a free personalization app from developer Rushikesh Kamewar that creates home screen shortcuts for just about anything on your phone. Instead of digging through menus, you pick a feature, tap create, and a shortcut appears on your home screen. The app has been downloaded more than 10 million times and holds a 3.6 average from nearly 25,000 ratings, which tells you it has found a large audience even if opinions are mixed.

The main reason to consider it is convenience. If you regularly open the same file, folder, website or system setting, a shortcut can save you several taps every time. It is not a launcher replacement; it is a small utility that fills in the gaps your launcher leaves, and it works alongside whatever home screen setup you already have.

What you can turn into a shortcut

The core feature is broad by design. You can create shortcuts for installed apps and their activities, which means you can jump straight into a specific screen inside an app rather than its main menu. Folders and files stored on internal storage can also be turned into shortcuts, so a document or a photo directory can sit right on your home screen.

System intents are supported too, and these launch with your default app for that action. Websites get their own shortcut type, and quick settings shortcuts let you change system settings without opening the settings app. A user-requested section collects features that came from feedback, and a custom section lets you pull shortcuts from installed apps and edit them before creating.

The intent and activity options are the most interesting part for anyone who likes to fine-tune their phone. They are also the part that assumes some familiarity with how Android works, since you are choosing from technical options rather than a simple list of apps.

Preview, history and favourites

Before a shortcut is created, the app shows a preview. On that screen you can rename the shortcut and mark it as a favourite, which is a small but useful step: it means you can give a file shortcut a clearer name than the file itself, or label an activity shortcut so you remember what it does.

Two lists keep things organized. History shows the shortcuts you have created, and Favourite shows the ones you have starred. If you make a lot of shortcuts and later forget what one of them was for, the history list is the place to check. There is also a contact shortcut that opens an email to the developer so you can send suggestions, and the app notes that user requests have shaped some of its features.

What the app asks of you

Shortcut Maker is free to download, contains no ads, and offers in-app purchases. The app was released in January 2020 and was updated in April 2026, so it has been maintained over a long period.

The recent update brought adaptive 1x1 widgets that can be customized with an icon, label and spacing, a Material 3 interface, and a shortcut delay option. It also added work app support, faster indexing and loading, message shortcuts, and automatic favicons for links. The developer notes that this was a major database update and asks anyone who runs into data migration issues to email directly, which is a sign that the update touched stored data rather than just the interface.

Getting the most out of it

The practical way to use this app is to start with the shortcuts you will actually tap. A website you check daily, a folder you open often, or a system setting you toggle regularly are all good candidates. Creating dozens of shortcuts at once tends to clutter the home screen, and the history list becomes harder to scan.

The preview and rename step is worth using every time. A shortcut named after an internal activity or a file path is not helpful later, so giving it a plain name makes the home screen easier to read. Marking the ones you rely on as favourites keeps them separate from experiments.

If you are new to activities and intents, expect some trial and error. The app gives you access to those options, but choosing the right one is up to you. The app includes a contact shortcut and the developer's email address for suggestions.

A utility for people who like to tinker

Shortcut Maker does one job and does it broadly: it puts a shortcut on your home screen for almost anything you can point at. The 3.6 rating suggests the experience is not flawless for everyone. The reliance on activities and intents also means the more advanced options reward users who are comfortable poking around Android's internals.

If you want faster access to specific files, folders, websites or settings, this is a sensible install. If you are looking for a full home screen replacement or a way to redesign your phone's look, this is a narrow tool rather than a theme engine. For the specific job of creating shortcuts, it covers more ground than most launchers offer on their own.

What's new in version 5.0.7

10M+ Downloads! 🚀 Rebuilt for Modern Android. - Bug fixes ✅ NEW: Adaptive 1x1 Widgets (Fully customizable, icon, label & spacing) ✅ NEW: Material 3 UI & Shortcut Delay ✅ NEW: Standardized Shortcuts for easier sharing & integration ✅ IMPROVED: Work App support & faster indexing/loading ✅ FIXED: Massive cleanup of long-awaited bugs ✅ SMARTER: Message shortcuts & auto-favicons for links Major database update! If you face data migration issues, please email me directly. ❤️