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Siri and Shortcuts

TellDone integrates deeply with Siri and the Shortcuts app on iOS and Mac. You get 3 Siri voice commands, 6 Shortcuts actions, and full support for Control Center and Action Button recording.

Siri voice commands​

After installing TellDone, these voice commands work immediately with "Hey Siri" or just "Siri":

CommandWhat it does
"Add a note in TellDone"Siri asks for your text, then sends it to TellDone's AI
"Show my tasks in TellDone"Siri asks for a filter (Open, Done, or All), then reads your tasks
"Today's events in TellDone"Lists your events for today with times

Alternative phrasings also work: "New note in TellDone", "My tasks in TellDone", "My schedule in TellDone".

note

Siri commands work without opening the app. You'll hear a spoken response and see the result on screen. The app stays in the background.

Multilingual

Commands also work in Spanish and Russian when your device language matches. For example: "Oye Siri, agrega una nota en TellDone" or "Привет Siri, добавь заметку в TellDone".

Example: adding a note by voice​

"Hey Siri, add a note in TellDone" Siri: "What would you like to say?" "Meeting with Alex tomorrow at 3pm, discuss Q2 budget, remind me to prepare slides" Siri: "Note added to TellDone"

TellDone's AI processes the text and creates:

  • A calendar event "Meeting with Alex" for tomorrow 3pm
  • A task "Prepare slides" with a reminder
  • A meeting note with the full context

Example: checking tasks​

"Hey Siri, show my tasks in TellDone" Siri: "Which tasks? Open, Done, or All?" "Open" Siri: "You have 5 open tasks."

Siri shows the list on screen and reads the titles.

Shortcuts actions​

Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone or Mac to find all TellDone actions. You can use them standalone or combine them into automations.

ActionInputOutputDescription
Add NoteText-Sends text to TellDone's AI (creates tasks, events, notes)
Get TasksStatus filter (Open/Done/All)Text listReturns a bullet-point list of task titles
Complete TaskTask name-Finds a task by name and marks it done
Today's Events-Text listReturns today's events with time ranges
SearchQuery + scope (Tasks/Notes)Text resultsReturns up to 10 matching results
Things SyncTasks JSON-Syncs task completion with Things 3

All actions except Things Sync run silently in the background - the app does not open.

tip

Complete Task uses case-insensitive name matching and prefers exact matches. If you have a task called "Buy groceries", the name "Buy groceries" will find it even if similar tasks exist.

Recording from Control Center​

You can start and stop a TellDone recording without ever opening the app:

  1. Open Settings > Control Center
  2. Scroll down and tap + next to TellDone
  3. Now swipe down to open Control Center and tap the TellDone button

When recording is active:

  • The Control Center button shows the recording state
  • Dynamic Island shows a live recording indicator (iPhone 14 Pro and later)
  • Tap the button again to stop and upload
note

Recordings shorter than 2 seconds are automatically discarded. This prevents accidental taps from creating empty notes.

Recording from Action Button​

On iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, and later models with an Action Button:

  1. Open Settings > Action Button
  2. Swipe to Shortcut
  3. Choose the TellDone recording shortcut

Now pressing the Action Button starts a recording. Press again to stop and send it to TellDone for processing. This is the fastest way to capture a thought - one physical button press.

Automation examples​

In the Shortcuts app, tap Automation to trigger TellDone actions automatically.

Morning briefing​

Get a daily summary of tasks and events at 8am.

  1. Create a new Personal Automation > Time of Day > 8:00 AM
  2. Add action: Get Tasks (filter: Open)
  3. Add action: Today's Events
  4. Add action: Show Notification - combine the task count and event list in the body

Daily review reminder​

Review what's still open before bed.

  1. Create a new Personal Automation > Time of Day > 22:00
  2. Add action: Get Tasks (filter: Open)
  3. Add action: Show Notification with the task list

Quick voice note after meeting​

No automation needed - just say:

"Hey Siri, add a note in TellDone" "Met with the design team, decided to postpone the launch to next Friday, John will handle the landing page, remind me to update the roadmap"

TellDone AI creates the event, tasks, and a meeting summary automatically.

Location-based auto notes​

Capture notes when you arrive at or leave a location.

  1. Create a new Personal Automation > Arrive or Leave > select your location
  2. Add action: Add Note
  3. Set the text (e.g., "Started work day" or "Left office - end of day thoughts")

Quick task completion from widget​

Complete tasks with one tap from the Home Screen.

  1. Create a new Shortcut called "Done!"
  2. Add action: Ask for Input > "Which task?"
  3. Add action: Complete Task (use the input from step 2)
  4. Add this shortcut to your Home Screen for one-tap access

Sync Things 3 before midnight​

  1. Create a new Personal Automation > Time of Day > 23:30
  2. Add the Things Sync action
  3. Tasks sync silently in the background
tip

TellDone + Things 3 is a powerful combination. Dictate tasks by voice in TellDone, then sync them to Things 3 via the Shortcuts action. See Things 3 integration for full setup details.

Required shortcuts​

Some TellDone features use Apple Shortcuts that are installed automatically the first time you enable the integration:

ShortcutPurpose
TellDone Things SyncReads tasks from Things 3 for bidirectional sync
TellDone Add to NotesExports notes to Apple Notes
TellDone Add to JournalExports entries to Apple Journal

If a shortcut is deleted, go to Settings > Integrations and tap Reinstall Shortcut for the integration, or the app will prompt you automatically when the shortcut is needed.

Troubleshooting​

"Shortcut Not Found"​

The required Apple Shortcut was deleted. Go to Settings > Integrations, find the integration, and tap Reinstall Shortcut.

Siri doesn't recognize TellDone commands​

  1. Make sure TellDone is installed and you've logged in at least once
  2. Try the exact phrases listed above
  3. Go to device Settings > Siri > TellDone to see available shortcuts

Things sync shows no tasks​

Things 3 has no tasks, or the "TellDone Things Sync" shortcut can't read them. Make sure Things has tasks and the shortcut is installed.

Task completion doesn't sync to Things​

You need the Things Auth Token. In Things: Settings > General > Enable Things URLs > copy the token. In TellDone: Settings > Integrations > Things > Auth Token > paste.

See also​