Add Task: A Things 3 Shortcut
A Shortcut to quickly add simple/multiple/checklist type tasks to Things 3. Works great on iOS, MacOS, and Apple Watch.
I’ve been using Things for a few years now and made a simple Shortcut that's become my go-to for capturing tasks, especially when I'm out and about. I always thought it was too basic to share, but getting my first Apple Watch a few months ago made me rethink how I use this and other Shortcuts. While updating it, I figured it might be helpful to share after all.
Siri and Apple Watch
With my watch I use Siri and dictation more often. There seems to be no way to add newlines when triggering a Shortcut using Siri, though you can do it in dictation mode. I know Siri will improve soon and I’m looking forward to that, but for now, we still need a workaround. Also, using Shortcuts on my watch can be hit or miss depending on the app. Some Shortcut actions in apps like Things often get stuck, run slower, or do not work properly.
So, even if you already have a good Things 3 Shortcut, I thought sharing this might be useful for those interested in creating Shortcuts and finding ways around current limitations.
This Shortcut allows you to temporarily save tasks in the native Reminders app on your Apple Watch, and add them to Things automatically when you open the app on your iPhone. Learning how to do this can be useful for apps with limited Apple Watch or MacOS support. For example, you could modify it to create temporary Things 3 tasks on your desktop (without having Things installed), and they would then be auto-imported in the Things 3 app on your iPhone.
What This Shortcut Does
Quickly Create Four Task Types:
Simple: First line is the task title, everything after goes into the notes section of the task.
Multiple: Each new line creates a separate task.
Checklist: First line is the task title, subsequent lines go inside the notes of your task as a checklist.
List: Creates tasks in a specific project (e.g., shopping list), behaving like Multiple. Aside from this task type, all others go to the user’s inbox in Things 3.
Can be Used as Standalone or Receive Input
Prompts user to choose task type.
Automatically applies proper formatting before creating task(s) in Things 3.
If user learns the correct formatting, this can work as a plugin-style Shortcut, accepting as arguments pre-formatted tasks or lists. This also enables integration with third-party tools (e.g., via AppleScript), or other Shortcuts. I have this “Shopping List” Shortcut which connects with the main “Add Task” Shortcut skipping the list selection… it’s the fastest way to add items to my Shopping List in Things from my watch.
Input flexibility:
Replaces "/" (slash) with newlines, facilitating Siri dictation.
Example of pre-formatted input: - This is a Task with Checklist/ First Checklist Item/ Second Checklist item ← This creates a task with title and two checklist items.
Device-specific behavior:
MacBook/iPhone: Immediately imports tasks to Things.
Apple Watch: Saves tasks to the native Reminders app.
Notes on Setup
Make sure you have a project in Things for your "List" tasks. You can remove this type of tasks if you don’t need it.
Make a list in your Reminders app that will exclusively store temporary tasks.
If you do plan to store temporary tasks in your Reminders app (for Apple Watch users), make sure to also download the second Shortcut which will import your tasks to Things 3 and set it up as an automation when opening the Things App. You can do this inside your Shortcuts app.
Set up an automation to run the Shortcut for the importing of tasks.
Download and Closing
Download the “Add Task” Shortcut.
(Last updated on 07/06/2024)The “Watch - Things” Shortcut which needs to be automated.
(Last updated on 07/06/2024)
The Shortcut includes comments to help you understand how it works and the formatting. This should you to customize the Shortcut if needed :)
The approach I use with Things was heavily influenced by THIS ARTICLE I read years ago. It really is the best workflow for my use case and may be useful for anyone trying to figure out how to use the app.
If you find my shortcut useful, I would be incredibly grateful if you could support me by buying me a coffee at THIS LINK. Your generosity would mean the world to me.
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