shortshare.app

What is Shortshare?

Shortshare is a URL-shortener utility app that puts link shortening into your everyday workflow instead of making you open a service's website. It connects to many established shortening services, plus custom APIs and self-hosted setups, and integrates with macOS, iOS and Windows through menu bar icons, keyboard shortcuts, Safari/Share extensions and the Windows Share menu. Link history syncs across macOS and iOS via iCloud.

Its practical appeal is breadth and native integration: you can keep using the service you already pay for or self-host, while triggering shortening from the browser or share sheet.

Important availability note: Shortshare is no longer available for iOS and macOS, and it is no longer compatible with iOS 27 / macOS 27 or newer. Existing macOS customers can download a fixed build for macOS 27+ via the developer's site, Shortshare.

Who it was for

• People who shorten links frequently and want one consistent shortcut across apps and devices.
• Teams or individuals already committed to a specific shortener (including self-hosted options like YOURLS) rather than a single vendor.
• Mac and iOS users who value Safari and Share-sheet integration over a web dashboard.

What it did

• Shortened the current URL from a menu bar icon, keyboard shortcut, Safari toolbar button, Share extension or the Windows Share menu.
• Supported custom keywords where the underlying service allows them, e.g. branded short links.
• Offered a Safari App Extension on macOS, plus Chrome and Firefox extensions installed from their official stores.
• Synced link history across macOS and iOS with iCloud.

Trade-offs to weigh

• The main trade-off is lifecycle risk: the developer states the iOS and macOS apps can no longer be updated or used on the newest OS versions, so this is not a safe long-term choice for new users.
• Because it depends on third-party shortener APIs, behaviour and keyword support vary by service.
• If you only shorten links occasionally, a browser bookmarklet or the shortener's own site may be simpler.

Next step: if you're an existing macOS customer on a newer OS, check the developer's fixed build before assuming the app is unusable; if you're choosing a tool today, treat Shortshare as a legacy option and compare current alternatives from the shortener services you already use.

How do I connect my Bitly or YOURLS account to Shortshare?

Shortshare is no longer available for iOS and macOS, so this connection advice applies mainly to the Windows version or to existing customers using the fixed macOS build. Setup happens inside the app: you pick your URL shortener service and enter the credentials or API details it asks for.

Connecting Bitly

1. Open Shortshare and go to its settings or services/accounts section.
2. Choose Bitly from the list of supported services.
3. Paste in the access token or API key from your Bitly account when prompted.
4. Save, then shorten a test link to confirm it appears in your Bitly dashboard.

Bitly is one of the 14 established services Shortshare supports, and it also supports custom URL keywords where the service allows them — so you can create links like bit.ly/your-short-url rather than accepting a random string.

Connecting YOURLS

YOURLS is self-hosted, so it is handled through the custom API or self-hosted option rather than a standard service entry. You will typically need:

• The base URL of your YOURLS installation
• A signature token or username/password, depending on how your instance is configured
• Any custom API endpoint path your setup uses

Because YOURLS configurations vary, the exact fields depend on your installation. The app's knowledge base is the right place to check the required values before you start.

A practical note

If you run both services, connect the one you use most as your default and switch per link when needed — that keeps the shorten action a single keystroke instead of a menu choice every time. For a concrete example: a marketer tracking campaigns in Bitly can keep Bitly as default, while a developer shortening internal documentation links through a self-hosted YOURLS instance switches only for those links.

For setup details specific to your configuration, start with the knowledge base linked from Shortshare.

Can I still use Shortshare on iOS or macOS 27 and newer?

No. Shortshare is no longer available for iOS or macOS, and the developer states it is incompatible with iOS 27 / macOS 27 and newer. Existing macOS customers can still download a fixed build for macOS 27+ from the site.

What this means in practice

• New users on iOS or current macOS: Look elsewhere — the app is not offered for these platforms anymore.
• Existing macOS customers: You can keep using the fixed macOS build, but don't expect future updates or compatibility beyond what's provided.
• Existing iOS users: No equivalent fix is mentioned, so plan to migrate to another shortener tool.

Why it stopped

The developer says the app can no longer be updated "for reasons out of my control." That typically happens when a platform changes APIs, extension rules or store requirements in ways a solo developer can't absorb — especially for an app that depends on third-party shortener APIs.

If you need a replacement

The core job — shortening a URL from a browser or share menu — is handled by most shortener services directly:

• Bitly and TinyURL offer browser extensions and mobile share targets.
• dub.co and Short.io provide link management with custom domains.
• YOURLS is a self-hosted option if you want to own the infrastructure.

Decision criterion: If your main need was Safari integration on macOS, check whether a replacement offers a native Safari extension rather than only a bookmarklet or web dashboard — that's the feature Shortshare users will miss most.

How do I shorten a link in Safari, Chrome, or Firefox with Shortshare?

Shortshare shortens the current tab from a browser toolbar button, but the browser you're in changes how it works.

• Safari on macOS: Shortshare includes a native Safari App Extension. Enable it in Safari, and a Shortshare button appears in the toolbar; click it to shorten the URL of the current tab. You can also use the menu bar icon, a keyboard shortcut, or the Share Extension.
• Chrome and Firefox on macOS: the extensions for these browsers are installed from the Chrome Web Store and the Firefox Add-On Directory. Expect the same one-click flow from the toolbar, but check the knowledge base for the exact setup steps, since these are separate extensions rather than the native Safari one.
• Windows: there is no browser extension; instead you use the Share menu to send a URL to the app and shorten it. Shortshare is distributed through the Microsoft Store on Windows.
• iOS: the app offers the same features as the Mac version, though there's no Safari extension mentioned for iOS.

One important caveat: the page states Shortshare is no longer available for iOS and macOS and is no longer compatible with iOS 27 / macOS 27 or newer. Existing customers can download a fixed macOS build. So if you're on a current or upcoming macOS version and don't already own it, the Safari extension route may not be a viable option for you.

Next step: open Safari's Settings → Extensions (or your browser's extension manager) to confirm the Shortshare extension is enabled and pinned to the toolbar. If the button doesn't appear, the knowledge base linked from the site is the place to check the setup for your specific shortener service — Shortshare supports 14 established services plus custom APIs and self-hosted solutions like YOURLS, and each may need its own API key or account connection.

Decision criterion: if you mainly shorten links from Safari and already own Shortshare, the native extension is the fastest path. If you're setting up fresh on macOS 27 or later, or you rely on Chrome or Firefox, verify compatibility and extension availability before committing, since the macOS app is no longer being updated.

Does Shortshare sync my link history between Mac, iPhone, and Windows?

Yes on Mac and iPhone, no on Windows. Shortshare's own page states that link history synchronises across macOS and iOS devices via iCloud. Windows is listed as a supported platform, but only in the sense that you can send a URL to the app through the Share menu to shorten it — the page says nothing about Windows taking part in the iCloud history sync.

That split matters in practice:

• Apple-only workflow — if you shorten links on a Mac and an iPhone, the same account and iCloud setup should give you one shared history across both.
• Mixed workflow — if Windows is part of your day, treat its history as separate. You can still shorten links there, but don't expect a link you created on the PC to appear on your iPhone later.

A quick way to decide: if the main reason you want Shortshare is a single, searchable archive of every link you've ever shortened, and you work across all three platforms, iCloud-only sync will leave a gap. If Windows is occasional and Apple devices are where you actually manage links, the sync covers the part that matters.

One more thing to check before relying on it: the page says Shortshare is no longer available for iOS and macOS and is not compatible with iOS 27 / macOS 27 or newer, with a fixed macOS build offered to existing customers. So this is a tool to evaluate for an existing setup, not a safe bet for a new cross-platform workflow. If cross-platform history is essential, compare against a shortener whose sync is account-based rather than tied to one vendor's cloud — for example Bitly or dub.co, both of which Shortshare itself supports as back-end services.

Where can I download a working build of Shortshare for macOS 27 or later?

The developer provides a fixed macOS build directly from the Shortshare site for macOS 27 and newer: Shortshare. The main distribution has ended — the iOS and macOS versions are no longer updated or compatible with iOS 27 / macOS 27, so the App Store listing won't give you a working version on those systems.

What this means in practice

• If you're on macOS 26 or earlier and already own the app, your existing install still works.
• On macOS 27+, use the developer's fixed build rather than the App Store version.
• Existing customers are the intended audience for this build; it's a compatibility fix, not a new release.

Next step

Open Shortshare and look for the "Shortshare for macOS 27+" download link near the top of the page. After installing, check that your shortener service (for example Bitly, Tinyurl, dub.co or a self-hosted YOURLS setup) still authenticates, since API credentials sometimes need re-entering after a reinstall.

If you rely on iCloud history syncing between Mac and iPhone, note that the iOS side has no equivalent fix, so plan for the Mac as your main shortening tool going forward.