Dictate a Note shortcut

Use Apple Shortcuts to dictate a note into a variety of apps without any fuss or on-screen buttons to tap.

This shortcut helps you quickly save a note to your app of choice by way of dictation. It was designed to be run from the Action Button, Lock Screen, or Control Center, and you can end the dictation by locking the device without losing the text.

Upon first setup, you will be asked to choose from one of the supported apps (Apple Notes, Drafts, Bear, Things, Reminders, or a text file). If you want to change your preference later, simply edit the shortcut and go to Info (“i”) → Setup → Customize Shortcut… to follow the setup prompts. The dictated text is always copied to the clipboard as a backup, too.

The origin and methodology of this shortcut are documented in this blog post.

Download the shortcut ↓

See It in Action

Watch this video to see how the shortcut works, including how you can end dictation by locking your device:

Required Apps

Only the app you choose to dictate into is required; you don’t need to have all the listed apps installed.

• Drafts
• Things
• Bear
• Apple Notes
• Apple Reminders

Run This Shortcut

You can run this shortcut from its URL (such as from within a note, calendar event, or to-do item):

shortcuts://run-shortcut?name=Dictate%20a%20Note

Latest Release Notes

Version 1.0 — 2024-12-13

• Introducing ‘Dictate a Note’
• Download version 1.0

Version History

No prior versions.

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Thanks for checking out this shortcut! It’s part of the HeyDingus Shortcuts Library. If you’re sharing my shortcuts or modifying them (or see a bug or have a feature request), I’d love to hear from you — please give me a shout! And maybe consider a donation if you find this shortcut fun or useful. Thank you. ✌️