Siri and Shortcuts
With Siri you capture tasks without opening the app. In the Shortcuts app you build the Focus one actions into your own workflows: create tasks with list, Area, project and date, get the tasks of a list, open lists, Areas and projects, or output a project as Markdown. Almost everything is free; only creating a project from a template is Pro.
Capture with Siri
For example, say “New task in Focus one”. Siri asks “What’s the task?”, you say the title, and Siri confirms with “Added to the Focus one Inbox.” This is handy in the car, in the kitchen or on a walk.
These phrases work:
- “New task in Focus one”
- “New in Focus one”
- “Add a task in Focus one”
- “Add a new task in Focus one”
- “Add To do in Focus one”
- “Add new To do in Focus one”
- “Create a task with Focus one”
- “Dictate a task in Focus one”
- “Quick add in Focus one”
- “Add to inbox in Focus one”
- “Focus one new task”
The task always lands in the Inbox, without an Area or project. If Siri didn’t catch a title, it says “I didn’t catch a title.” and creates nothing.
Good to know: Focus one isn’t opened. The app picks up the task the next time you open it, or after a few seconds if it is already running. Until then, widgets and counters don’t show it.
The actions in the Shortcuts app
Search the Shortcuts app for Focus one. You’ll find these actions:
| Action | What it does | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Add Task (no parameters) | Opens Focus one with Quick Add | – |
| Add Task (with parameters) | Creates a task with all details without opening the app | – |
| Add task by voice | Asks for the title and creates the task in the Inbox | – |
| Get Tasks | Returns the open tasks of a list | – |
| Open List | Opens a list, optionally in an Area | – |
| Open Area | Switches to an Area or to “All Areas” | – |
| Open Project | Opens a project | – |
| Get Project as Markdown | Returns a project with its tasks as text | – |
| Create Project from Template | Creates projects and tasks from YAML text | Pro |
Two actions are named “Add Task”: the one without parameters opens Quick Add, the one with parameters creates the task directly.
The actions “Set Focus” and “Get Current Focus” come from iOS and refer to the system’s Focus modes, not to Focus one.
Add Task (with parameters)
The action with the most options. Only the title is required, everything else is optional:
| Parameter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Title | Name of the task |
| Note | Text for the note field |
| List | Inbox, Next, Scheduled, Waiting for, Anytime or Someday |
| Area | An Area. “All Areas” counts as no Area |
| Project | A project. It determines the task’s Area |
| Date | Completion date (“Scheduled”). The app only takes the day, not the time |
| Deadline | The task’s deadline (also only the day) |
Focus one applies the same rules as when you capture in the app:
- Without a list, the rest decides: with a date the task lands in “Scheduled”, with a project in “Anytime”, otherwise in the Inbox.
- A project sets the Area. A different Area is ignored.
- “Inbox”, “Next”, “Anytime” and “Someday” have no completion date. A date you pass is not set there.
- “Scheduled” without a date gets tomorrow as its date.
Focus one isn’t opened. The app creates the task once you open it, or after a few seconds if it is already running. The shortcut answers “Task added.” If a shortcut gets tasks right afterwards, it may not see the new task yet.
Get Tasks
Returns the open tasks of a list, in the app’s order and with the same rules as the lists there. The app isn’t opened.
| Parameter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| List | Inbox, Focus, Next, Scheduled, Waiting for, Anytime or Someday. Default: Next |
| Area | Optional. Without a choice, or with “All Areas”, all Areas are included. The Inbox always spans all Areas |
| Project | Optional: only tasks of this project |
| Maximum number | Default 50, at most 500 |
Without a chosen project, the app’s setting for active or inactive projects applies; if you choose a project, it doesn’t matter.
Each returned task has the properties Title, Note, Project, Area, Date and Deadline. In the Shortcuts app you can reuse them individually, for example the title in a notification or in text.
Open List, Open Area and Open Project
These three actions open Focus one and take you there. Open List knows Inbox, Focus, Next and Scheduled and can also choose an Area. Without an Area, the app stays in the current Area; with “All Areas” it switches to all Areas. Open Area switches to the Area, and the list you last chose is kept. Open Project shows the project.
Get Project as Markdown
Returns a project with its tasks as Markdown text, just like Share → Markdown in the app. This is free. You can process the text further, for example by saving it as a file in Obsidian or in Notes.
Create Project from Template (Pro)
Creates one or more projects from YAML text, in the same format as Import from Project Template in the app. You’ll find the format and a template to download under Export, import and templates. If the text can’t be read, you get “The template could not be read. Please check the YAML format.” and nothing is created. Without Pro, the action reports that importing templates is a Pro feature.
Examples
Capture from the clipboard. Actions: Get Clipboard → Add Task (title: Clipboard). Put the shortcut on the Home Screen as a widget or on the Action button.
Read out your Focus. Get Tasks (list: Focus) → Speak Text or Show Notification. One sentence to Siri and you hear what’s on today.
Morning overview. As an automation at 7:30: Get Tasks (list: Next, Area: Office) → Show Notification with the titles.
Save a project to Obsidian. Get Project as Markdown → Save File in your vault.
Recurring project from a template. A text with your YAML template → Create Project from Template. That way a shortcut creates the tasks for your monthly bookkeeping (Pro).
When you arrive at the office. Automation “Arrive” → Open Area (Office). Focus one immediately shows only your office tasks.
Ways to run a shortcut
You start a shortcut with Siri, from the Shortcuts app, as an icon on the Home Screen, with the Action button, as a Shortcuts widget or by automation (time, location, Focus mode and more). The share sheet in other apps can also start shortcuts.
If something doesn’t work
- The task doesn’t show up in Focus one. Open the app once. Tasks created with Siri or a shortcut are picked up the next time you open it. If the title is empty, nothing is created.
- Areas or projects are missing in the picker. The pickers use the data Focus one last provided. Open the app so new Areas and projects appear. For projects, only those of the current view appear, either the active or the inactive ones, depending on the app’s setting.
- “Focus one could not load the tasks.” Open the app once and run the shortcut again.
- “The project could not be found.” The chosen project was deleted or renamed. Pick it again in the shortcut.
- Siri doesn’t understand “Focus one”. Say the phrase more slowly, or start the shortcut from the Shortcuts app.
Siri and Shortcuts also work on the Mac.
See also: Widgets and controls, Capturing tasks, Export, import and templates.