Background Mode
By default, your automation only runs while the Shortcuts Toolbox window is open. Background Mode lifts that limit — it runs the server as a lightweight macOS background service so scheduled shortcuts, AI tasks, and app renders keep firing even after you close the window or quit the app.
The problem it solves
Out of the box, Shortcuts Toolbox is a normal desktop app: the scheduler lives inside the window. Close the window and your scheduled jobs stop running with it. That’s fine if you leave the app open all day, but it’s the wrong answer to the question most people eventually ask: how do my scheduled jobs run when the app is closed?
Background Mode is that answer. When enabled, the server keeps running after you close the app, and you can even reach it from a web browser. Your automation stops depending on the window being open.
What keeps running
Scheduled shortcuts
Every cron, interval, delay, and one-time job keeps firing on its configured schedule.
AI tasks
Scheduled natural-language tasks the assistant carries out continue running unattended.
App & workflow renders
Live webpage apps and their workflows keep regenerating on schedule, writing to their destinations.
Remote access
The server stays reachable in a browser, so your instance is available even with the app closed.
How it works
Background Mode installs Shortcuts Toolbox as a macOS LaunchAgent — a small background service the operating system keeps running for you. The app describes it plainly in settings: “Run the server as a macOS background service (LaunchAgent). When enabled, the server continues running after you close the app, and you can access it from a web browser.”
The handoff between the foreground app and the background service is seamless. When you turn Background Mode on, the in-app server hands off to the LaunchAgent without an interruption; when you turn it off, the LaunchAgent hands control back to the foreground app. You don’t restart anything or reconnect — the toolbox manages the transition for you, and your jobs carry on across it.
Turning it on
Background Mode is a toggle in settings. Open the Background Service pane and choose Enable Background Mode; the same pane shows Disable Background Mode once it’s running, along with the address you can reach the server at in a browser. You can also choose how widely the background service is reachable — this computer only, your local network, or a custom hostname for reverse-proxy and tunnel setups.
The trade-off: Background Mode means always-available automation, at the cost of a lightweight process always running on your Mac. If you only schedule jobs for times the app is already open, you may not need it. If you want your scheduled shortcuts and AI tasks to run on their own, turn it on.