This is the English edition of a how-to from my Japanese YouTube channel, iestaLife. I review gadgets from my home studio in Japan, so product links go to Amazon Japan.
Quick take
With one iPhone Shortcut, I can copy a YouTube link, tap a button in Control Centre, and have Gemini give me the video’s conclusion, its key points, and a quick credibility check. It takes a few minutes to set up and is most useful for long seminars and study videos. I adapted the idea from someone I saw sharing it on X.
What I tested
- The Shortcuts app and the Gemini app on iPhone
- A Control Centre button that runs the shortcut
- One of my own videos (about 8 minutes, on moving an eSIM) as the test
What I found
- The flow is: Share → Copy in YouTube, tap the shortcut in Control Centre, Gemini opens, long-press the input box and paste, then send.
- Gemini returned the conclusion first, then about five key points, then checked the claims with a web search and added extra notes the video didn’t mention.
- Seeing the outline first makes long videos easier to follow — like skimming a textbook’s contents page before reading.
How to build it
- Open Shortcuts (free from the App Store if it isn’t installed) and tap + in the top right.
- Search actions for “Text” and add it.
- Search for “Copy to Clipboard” and add it (it copies the output of the Text action).
- Add “Open App” and set the app to Gemini.
- Paste the prompt below into the Text action and insert the Clipboard variable after it.
- Rename the shortcut, e.g. “YouTube Summary”.
- Optional: long-press an empty area of Control Centre → Add a Control → search “Shortcut” → Run Shortcut → pick yours.
My prompt is in Japanese. An English version of the same instructions:
Please tell me about this YouTube video in the following order: 1. First, write the video’s conclusion (what it argues) in one sentence. 2. Next, summarise only the important points as concise bullet points (don’t make it too long). 3. Finally, check whether what is said in the video is true and reliable using web search, and add or correct anything as needed. Video URL:
Who it’s for
- People who are often asked to “just watch this video” for work or study
- Anyone who wants the gist of a long video before deciding to watch it all
- Shortcuts beginners — it’s just your usual steps, recorded as blocks
Watch the video
The video is in Japanese, and the iPhone screens are in Japanese. Useful points: around 1:40 the summary in action, 6:10 building the shortcut, and 8:30 adding it to Control Centre.
Limitations
This depends on Gemini being able to read YouTube links, which could change. At the time of recording, YouTube itself didn’t offer this kind of one-tap summary in my app. AI summaries can still be wrong, which is why I ask it to fact-check.
Products
Apple iPhone 17: on Amazon Japan
The Amazon Japan links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Check the listing for the exact model, current price and shipping availability in your region.
More reviews in English
All Phones (10) →Browse all English reviews →
This review is also available in Japanese.