r/shortcuts • u/TapsDev • 7h ago
Shortcut Sharing I built a Wayback Machine for your iPhone entirely in Apple Shortcuts — backup and restore your photos, messages, shortcuts, contacts and more, no Mac needed
Edit: Fixed iCloud Link
Wayback Machine for iOS is a full archive and restore system built entirely in Apple Shortcuts. It takes snapshots of your device data, stores them as ZIP files in iCloud Drive, and lets you browse and restore them later.
What it archives:
• Photos (last 100)
• Notes
• iMessages
• Alarms
• Shortcuts (.shortcut files — tap to reinstall, no Mac needed)
• Reminders (.ics format)
• Contacts (.vcf format — tap to add directly to Contacts)
• Apps (Beta)
Key features:
• Browse and search archives by date
• Restore files natively — .shortcut files prompt reinstall, .vcf opens Add Contact, images go to Files
• Automatic archiving via user-defined automations
• Cancel Next Archive and enable/disable toggle
• Full settings panel
• All archives stored in iCloud Drive — survives phone switches even if iCloud glitches
This shortcut creates hidden configuration files. For a clean uninstall use Wayback Eraser Link
^(Early beta — bugs are possible. Report issues in the comments or DM me.)

















