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Things 3

Things 3 is a popular task manager for Apple devices. TellDone integrates with Things 3 to automatically export your voice-created tasks and keep them in sync.

Local integration

Things 3 works entirely on your device using URL schemes and Apple Shortcuts. It does not count against your server integration slots and works on all plans.

How it works​

When Things 3 is enabled as an integration, TellDone sends your tasks to Things 3 automatically after each voice note is processed. The integration uses the Things 3 URL scheme to create tasks with title, notes, deadline, and tags.

Things 3 sends back the IDs of created items so TellDone can link them together. This means TellDone knows which of your tasks are also in Things 3.

Setup​

  1. Make sure Things 3 is installed on your device
  2. Go to Settings > Integrations
  3. Toggle on Things 3
  4. Install the sync Shortcut when prompted (optional, for two-way sync)

Automatic task export​

After you record a voice note and TellDone creates tasks from it, the tasks are automatically sent to Things 3. Each task is created with:

  • Title - the task title extracted from your voice note
  • Notes - the task description (if any)
  • Deadline - if a date was detected in your voice note
  • Tags - matched from your TellDone tags

You do not need to do anything manually - tasks appear in Things 3 within seconds of being created in TellDone.

Manual export​

You can also send individual tasks to Things 3 from any task detail view:

  1. Open a task
  2. Tap Share or the export icon
  3. Choose Send to Things 3
  4. Things 3 opens with the task ready to save

Shortcuts-based sync​

For full two-way sync, TellDone uses an Apple Shortcut that runs automatically.

Installing the sync Shortcut​

When you first enable Things 3, TellDone offers to install the TellDone Things Sync Shortcut. You can also install it later from Settings > Integrations > Things 3 > Install Shortcut.

What the Shortcut does​

The Shortcut runs in two modes:

  • Silent sync - runs in the background (triggered by Shortcuts Automation) and syncs completed/uncompleted tasks between TellDone and Things 3 without any user interaction
  • Manual sync - shows a brief UI confirmation when triggered manually

Setting up automatic sync​

To keep TellDone and Things 3 in sync automatically:

  1. Open the Shortcuts app
  2. Go to the Automations tab
  3. Create a new Personal Automation
  4. Choose a trigger (e.g., Time of Day - every evening at 23:00, or App > Things 3 > Is Closed)
  5. Select Run Shortcut > TellDone Things Sync
  6. Turn off Ask Before Running

This way, when you complete tasks in Things 3, the completion syncs back to TellDone for your daily reports.

tip

A good automation trigger is running the sync every evening before your daily report is generated at midnight. This ensures completed tasks from Things 3 are reflected in your report.

Task linking​

TellDone and Things 3 tasks are linked by ID. When a task is exported to Things 3, TellDone stores the Things 3 ID in the task's external_links. This means:

  • You can see which tasks are synced to Things 3
  • Completing a task in either app can sync the status to the other
  • Tasks are not duplicated if exported multiple times

Using alongside other integrations​

Things 3 works independently from server-side integrations like Todoist and Notion. A common setup is:

  • Todoist for team/shared tasks (server-side, real-time two-way sync)
  • Things 3 for personal task management on Apple devices
  • Apple Reminders for location-based and time-based reminders

All three can be active simultaneously. Each integration receives the same tasks from your voice notes.

Good to know​

Things 3 opens on screen during task export

Things 3 does not have a background API - it only accepts data via URL schemes. This means the Things 3 app briefly opens on screen when TellDone exports tasks.

TellDone sends all tasks from one voice note in a single batch, so Things 3 opens once per voice note (not once per task). After creating the tasks, Things 3 automatically returns you to TellDone via a callback link. The same happens when Smart Context completes tasks in Things 3.

This is a fundamental limitation of how Things 3 works with other apps on iOS. If you find the app switching disruptive, consider using Todoist instead - it syncs entirely in the background through a server-side API, with no app switching at all.

Shortcuts sync may not work on a locked device

The TellDone Things Sync Shortcut has two parts:

  1. Reading data from Things 3 - the Shortcut queries Things for completed tasks and passes the data to TellDone
  2. Applying the sync - TellDone matches the data and updates task statuses

Part 1 requires Apple Shortcuts to run, and Apple restricts Shortcuts automations on a locked device. If your automation triggers while the phone is locked (e.g., a time-based trigger at 23:00), iOS may silently skip it or show a notification asking you to tap to run.

This is an iOS limitation, not a TellDone issue. To work around it:

  • Best approach: use a trigger that fires when the device is unlocked - e.g., When Things 3 is closed or When I arrive home
  • Time trigger: if using a time-based trigger, make sure the device is unlocked at that time
  • Allow running on locked device: check Settings > Shortcuts > Advanced to allow automations to run without confirmation even when locked
  • Manual fallback: you can always run the TellDone Things Sync Shortcut manually from the Shortcuts app or via Siri

Limitations​

  • Apple devices only - Things 3 is available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS only
  • No Android support - use Todoist for cross-platform task sync
  • Requires Things 3 installed - the integration uses URL schemes which need the app present
  • Sync direction - automatic export is TellDone → Things 3. Reverse sync (Things 3 → TellDone) requires the Shortcuts automation described above

See also​