‍Earlier this month, a group of Shortcutters joined other iOS devs from across the Nordics for a 3-day Apple event in Stockholm. The experience, with vibe on par with the good old WWDCs—the kind you could actually attend in person (if you were lucky enough to win the attendance lottery)—was part of Apple’s new global initiative. The event offered an exciting blend of keynote-style presentations, hands-on workshops, and invaluable networking opportunities.

Topics ranged from the practical magic of App Intents to the future-forward VisionOS and Apple Intelligence. It wasn’t just a look at what’s next in app development—it was a chance to get hands-on with the tools shaping that future.

Here’s what we took away, why it’s worth paying attention to, and how it all fits into the European tech scene.

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Day 1 – The latest & greatest: Apple Intelligence and VisionOS

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The first day set the stage with engaging presentations, introducing big ideas and providing just enough detail to spark curiosity. Apple’s evangelists broke down their latest and greatest—Apple Intelligence and VisionOS—making the case for why these tools will redefine what apps can do.

Apple Intelligence, their new generative AI system, promises to make apps smarter and more connected. VisionOS, meanwhile, showed off its potential to make mixed-reality experiences more intuitive (and way cooler). While it was mostly a high-level overview, the energy in the room made it clear: these technologies are going to be game-changers.

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Day 2 – Getting Our Hands Dirty with App Intents

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Day two was all about rolling up our sleeves and coding. The focus? App Intents, which let apps play nicely with Siri, Spotlight, and widgets. Think of it as giving your app its own personal assistant and exposing features of your app into the whole OS ecosystem.

We worked on a simple journaling app and leveled it up with some sweet new features. By the end of the day, you could log your mood with a quick Siri command, add entries through Spotlight, or slap a shortcut onto the home screen. The big takeaway? App Intents make apps feel more integrated with the phone’s ecosystem—and we’re here for it.

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Day 3 – Reality Check with VisionOS and RealityKit

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If day two was a coding marathon, day three was more like arts and crafts—only with 3D models and particle effects. Using Apple’s Reality Composer Pro, we built a mixed-reality app featuring a train simulation. Yes, we made a train honk its horn and stop at stations. Was it nerdy? Absolutely. Was it also insanely fun? You bet.

The hands-on workshop gave us a real sense of what Vision Pro can do. It wasn’t just about the tech; it was about imagining how these tools could create experiences that are immersive, interactive, and—dare we say—delightful.

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Beyond the Tech – Connections That Matter

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The magic of the event wasn’t just in the tools we explored; it was in the conversations we had. Whether it was chatting with Apple employees about integrating App Intents into real projects or swapping ideas with other developers from across the Nordics, the event was as much about people as it was about code.It was a reminder that tech is as much about community as it is about innovation.

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Why It Matters

This event wasn’t just a look at what Apple is cooking up—it was a chance to see how these tools fit into the European tech landscape. With Apple Intelligence coming to the EU next year and Vision Pro slowly becoming more accessible, the innovations we explored in Stockholm are about to go mainstream.

At Shortcut, we’re already thinking about how we can use what we learned to make smarter, more user-friendly apps.

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And if Apple brings this event back? Count us in.

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