diff --git a/app/build.gradle b/app/build.gradle
index 34a2421b9..c281df885 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle
+++ b/app/build.gradle
@@ -198,3 +198,7 @@ task copyLicense(type: Copy) {
 
 preBuild.dependsOn copyLicense
 
+apply plugin: 'de.timfreiheit.resourceplaceholders.plugin'
+resourcePlaceholders {
+    files = ['xml/shortcuts.xml']
+}
diff --git a/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index 3f0df81f1..31b832b26 100644
--- a/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@
                 <category android:name=
                     "android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
             </intent-filter>
+
+            <meta-data
+                android:name="android.app.shortcuts"
+                android:resource="@xml/shortcuts" />
         </activity>
 
         <activity
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/activity/MainActivity.java b/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/activity/MainActivity.java
index a2d968031..7983db393 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/activity/MainActivity.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/activity/MainActivity.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import de.danoeh.antennapod.R;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.event.MessageEvent;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.preferences.UserPreferences;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.util.StorageUtils;
+import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.util.download.AutoUpdateManager;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.dialog.RatingDialog;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.fragment.AddFeedFragment;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.fragment.AudioPlayerFragment;
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ public class MainActivity extends CastEnabledActivity {
     public static final String EXTRA_FRAGMENT_ARGS = "fragment_args";
     public static final String EXTRA_FEED_ID = "fragment_feed_id";
     public static final String EXTRA_OPEN_PLAYER = "open_player";
+    public static final String EXTRA_REFRESH_ON_START = "refresh_on_start";
 
     private static final String SAVE_BACKSTACK_COUNT = "backstackCount";
 
@@ -407,10 +409,15 @@ public class MainActivity extends CastEnabledActivity {
 
     private void handleNavIntent() {
         Intent intent = getIntent();
-        if (intent.hasExtra(EXTRA_FEED_ID) || intent.hasExtra(EXTRA_FRAGMENT_TAG)) {
+        if (intent.hasExtra(EXTRA_FEED_ID) || intent.hasExtra(EXTRA_FRAGMENT_TAG) || intent.hasExtra(EXTRA_REFRESH_ON_START)) {
             Log.d(TAG, "handleNavIntent()");
             String tag = intent.getStringExtra(EXTRA_FRAGMENT_TAG);
             Bundle args = intent.getBundleExtra(EXTRA_FRAGMENT_ARGS);
+            boolean refreshOnStart = intent.getBooleanExtra(EXTRA_REFRESH_ON_START, false);
+            if (refreshOnStart) {
+                AutoUpdateManager.runImmediate(this);
+            }
+
             long feedId = intent.getLongExtra(EXTRA_FEED_ID, 0);
             if (tag != null) {
                 loadFragment(tag, args);
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/xml/shortcuts.xml b/app/src/main/res/xml/shortcuts.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..03042f224
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/main/res/xml/shortcuts.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<shortcuts xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+    <shortcut
+        android:enabled="true"
+        android:icon="@drawable/ic_playlist_shortcut"
+        android:shortcutId="queue"
+        android:shortcutShortLabel="@string/queue_label">
+        <intent
+            android:action="android.intent.action.VIEW"
+            android:targetClass="de.danoeh.antennapod.activity.MainActivity"
+            android:targetPackage="${applicationId}">
+            <extra
+                android:name="fragment_tag"
+                android:value="QueueFragment" />
+        </intent>
+    </shortcut>
+
+    <shortcut
+        android:enabled="true"
+        android:icon="@drawable/ic_feed_shortcut"
+        android:shortcutId="episodes"
+        android:shortcutShortLabel="@string/episodes_label">
+        <intent
+            android:action="android.intent.action.VIEW"
+            android:targetClass="de.danoeh.antennapod.activity.MainActivity"
+            android:targetPackage="${applicationId}">
+            <extra
+                android:name="fragment_tag"
+                android:value="EpisodesFragment" />
+        </intent>
+    </shortcut>
+
+    <shortcut
+        android:enabled="true"
+        android:icon="@drawable/ic_folder_shortcut"
+        android:shortcutId="subscriptions"
+        android:shortcutShortLabel="@string/subscriptions_label">
+        <intent
+            android:action="android.intent.action.VIEW"
+            android:targetClass="de.danoeh.antennapod.activity.MainActivity"
+            android:targetPackage="${applicationId}">
+            <extra
+                android:name="fragment_tag"
+                android:value="SubscriptionFragment" />
+        </intent>
+    </shortcut>
+
+    <shortcut
+        android:enabled="true"
+        android:icon="@drawable/ic_refresh_shortcut"
+        android:shortcutId="refresh"
+        android:shortcutShortLabel="@string/refresh_label">
+        <intent
+            android:action="android.intent.action.VIEW"
+            android:targetClass="de.danoeh.antennapod.activity.MainActivity"
+            android:targetPackage="${applicationId}">
+            <extra
+                android:name="refresh_on_start"
+                android:value="true" />
+        </intent>
+    </shortcut>
+</shortcuts>
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 88273960d..724f54d62 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@ buildscript {
         google()
         jcenter()
         mavenCentral()
+        maven { url "https://plugins.gradle.org/m2/" }
     }
     dependencies {
         classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:3.5.0'
         classpath 'com.getkeepsafe.dexcount:dexcount-gradle-plugin:0.8.5'
+        classpath 'de.timfreiheit.resourceplaceholders:placeholders:0.3'
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/res/drawable-anydpi-v26/ic_feed_shortcut.xml b/core/src/main/res/drawable-anydpi-v26/ic_feed_shortcut.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ae080d335
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/res/drawable-anydpi-v26/ic_feed_shortcut.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<adaptive-icon xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+    <background android:drawable="@color/grey100" />
+    <foreground>
+        <inset
+            android:drawable="@drawable/ic_feed_black"
+            android:inset="33.3%" />
+    </foreground>
+</adaptive-icon>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/res/drawable-anydpi-v26/ic_folder_shortcut.xml b/core/src/main/res/drawable-anydpi-v26/ic_folder_shortcut.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ee30ab73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/res/drawable-anydpi-v26/ic_folder_shortcut.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<adaptive-icon xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+    <background android:drawable="@color/grey100" />
+    <foreground>
+        <inset
+            android:drawable="@drawable/ic_folder_black"
+            android:inset="33.3%" />
+    </foreground>
+</adaptive-icon>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/res/drawable-anydpi-v26/ic_playlist_shortcut.xml b/core/src/main/res/drawable-anydpi-v26/ic_playlist_shortcut.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..60f95db32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/res/drawable-anydpi-v26/ic_playlist_shortcut.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<adaptive-icon xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+    <background android:drawable="@color/grey100" />
+    <foreground>
+        <inset
+            android:drawable="@drawable/ic_playlist_black"
+            android:inset="33.3%" />
+    </foreground>
+</adaptive-icon>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/res/drawable-anydpi-v26/ic_refresh_shortcut.xml b/core/src/main/res/drawable-anydpi-v26/ic_refresh_shortcut.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1a7752443
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/res/drawable-anydpi-v26/ic_refresh_shortcut.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<adaptive-icon xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+    <background android:drawable="@color/grey100" />
+    <foreground>
+        <inset
+            android:drawable="@drawable/ic_refresh_black"
+            android:inset="33.3%" />
+    </foreground>
+</adaptive-icon>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_feed_shortcut.xml b/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_feed_shortcut.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fa5a0267c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_feed_shortcut.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+    <item android:drawable="@drawable/ic_shortcut_background" />
+    <item
+        android:drawable="@drawable/ic_feed_black"
+        android:gravity="center" />
+</layer-list>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_folder_shortcut.xml b/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_folder_shortcut.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2906c2795
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_folder_shortcut.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+    <item android:drawable="@drawable/ic_shortcut_background" />
+    <item
+        android:drawable="@drawable/ic_folder_black"
+        android:gravity="center" />
+</layer-list>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_playlist_shortcut.xml b/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_playlist_shortcut.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d2b5815d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_playlist_shortcut.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+    <item android:drawable="@drawable/ic_shortcut_background" />
+    <item
+        android:drawable="@drawable/ic_playlist_black"
+        android:gravity="center" />
+</layer-list>
diff --git a/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_refresh_shortcut.xml b/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_refresh_shortcut.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2f1b37337
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_refresh_shortcut.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+    <item android:drawable="@drawable/ic_shortcut_background" />
+    <item
+        android:drawable="@drawable/ic_refresh_black"
+        android:gravity="center" />
+</layer-list>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_shortcut_background.xml b/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_shortcut_background.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9327150d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/res/drawable/ic_shortcut_background.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<inset xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
+    android:inset="2dp">
+
+    <shape android:shape="oval">
+        <solid android:color="@color/grey100" />
+        <size
+            android:width="44dp"
+            android:height="44dp" />
+    </shape>
+</inset>
diff --git a/core/src/main/res/values/colors.xml b/core/src/main/res/values/colors.xml
index efbc75f34..d3813235f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/res/values/colors.xml
+++ b/core/src/main/res/values/colors.xml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 <resources>
 
     <color name="white">#FFFFFF</color>
+    <color name="grey100">#f5f5f5</color>
     <color name="grey600">#757575</color>
     <color name="light_gray">#bfbfbf</color>
     <color name="black">#000000</color>