Siri & Shortcuts

Whether you're rushing out the door or mid-thought, Siri Shortcuts and the Shortcuts app make it incredibly easy to capture tasks into ByDesign—without even opening the app.

Written By Chirali Jain

You can create two types of shortcuts:

  1. Quick Task – lets you speak or type a task into ByDesign

  2. Send to Inbox – adds the task directly to your Inbox in ByDesign

Here’s how to set them up 👇

🔧 1. Set Up the Quick Task Shortcut

This shortcut opens the ByDesign task capture input and lets you quickly type or speak a task on the go.

  1. Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone

  2. Tap the "+" in the top right to create a new shortcut

  3. Tap “Add Action”

  4. Search for ByDesign in the list of apps

  5. Select “Quick Task” as the action

  6. The shortcut will default to the name “Quick Task” — you can rename it if you prefer (e.g., “New Task” or “Add Reminder”)

  7. Tap Done

You’ve now created a Siri-enabled shortcut!

🎙️ How to Use It with Siri

Just say:
“Hey Siri, Quick Task”
…and Siri will launch the ByDesign capture window so you can speak or type your task.

📲 2. Add Quick Task to Your Home Screen

Want to add tasks without even talking? Add your shortcut to the home screen for instant access.

  1. In the Shortcuts app, tap the three dots (•••) on your Quick Task shortcut

  2. Tap the arrow icon next to the shortcut name (top of the screen)

  3. Choose “Add to Home Screen”

  4. You can:

    • Rename the shortcut if needed

    • Customize the icon (choose a color or image)

  5. Tap Add

You’ll now see a custom Quick Task icon on your home screen—tap it anytime to capture a task in seconds.

📥 3. Set Up the Send to Inbox Shortcut

This shortcut skips the calendar and dashboard—it sends the task straight to your Inbox in ByDesign.

✅ Setup Instructions

  1. Open the Shortcuts app

  2. Tap "+" → Add Action

  3. Search for ByDesign

  4. Select “Send to Inbox”

  5. Name the shortcut (e.g., “Inbox Task” or “Task Drop”)

  6. Tap Done

You can now run this from:

  • The Shortcuts app

  • “Hey Siri, Inbox Task”

  • Or from your home screen if you follow the steps below ⬇

🏠 4. Add Inbox Shortcut to Home Screen

  1. Tap the three dots on the Send to Inbox shortcut

  2. Tap the arrow icon next to the shortcut name

  3. Select “Add to Home Screen”

  4. Customize the icon and name if desired

  5. Tap Add

Now you’ve got one-tap access to drop tasks directly into your Inbox from your home screen.

🧠 Pro Tip

Set up both shortcuts—one for Quick Task when you want to add and sort tasks immediately, and one for Send to Inbox when you’re just capturing on the go.