How to add a note shortcut to the homescreen on Android

A quick guide to adding a shortcut to a note on Android.

(Find an updated version on my Publish here (including instructions on using Automate, a free app.)

Downloads

  • Download the Obsidian mobile app
  • Install the “Advanced URI” plugin
  • Download Tasker, an automation app

Setup

Obsidian

  • Open the command pallete in the Obsidian app (swipe down by default).
  • Search for “Advanced URI” and select with file you want to copy a link to.

Tasker

  • Open Tasker. Through the + icon, create a new task and give it a name.
  • Add an action with the + icon. Select “Browse URL”.
  • Paste the copied URI in the “URL” box.
  • With the arrow back, go to the task overview and select an image by tapping the icon in the middle at the bottom.
  • Save the task and exit Tasker.

Homescreen

  • Add a widget to the homescreen. Select “Task Shortcut” in the “Tasker” section.
  • There you go! By long-pressing you can customize the name or icon.
  • Now you can add shortcuts to anything!

Let me know if you run into any issues!

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Genius! Are there other ways you use Tasker for Obisidian?

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Not yet, but I have a bunch of ideas :grinning:

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This is great, but tasker is not free. There is other automation apps out there. Do you know “automate”? If so could you make an alternative guide, that uses it?

For Automate it’s almost the same.

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Thanks @Bounz, you just right beat me to it! My version is slightly different but yours is even easier!

I created a flow in the Automate community that you can easily download and modify: Open Daily Note in Obsidian ⋅ Community ⋅ Automate for Android

I also updated my guide with instructions for Automate: How to add an Obsidian note to the home screen on Android.

The is an even simpler way with a more appropriate app named Shortcut Maker. Just go to Activities → Obsidian Main Activity → Paste the URI in Data

Actually this way doesn’y really work. I used the Tasker method and it worked fine instead.

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The Shortcut Maker app does work if you add the obsidian URI as a website shortcut, remove the http:// it automatically adds in the data field, and then select Obsidian as the default app.

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Amazing, thanks for sharing!

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Just want to drop a message to thank you for the instructions Joschua! Just switched to Android from an iphone and figuring things out

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I’ve created the button using the following Tasker task to add Zettelkasten-like notes

<TaskerData sr="" dvi="1" tv="5.14.6">
 <Task sr="task2">
  <cdate>1638645183701</cdate>
  <edate>1640665610787</edate>
  <id>2</id>
  <nme>Create Obsidian Note</nme>
  <pri>7</pri>
  <Action sr="act0" ve="7">
   <code>123</code>
   <Str sr="arg0" ve="3">date "+%Y-%m-%d-%H-%M-%S"</Str>
   <Int sr="arg1" val="0"/>
   <Int sr="arg2" val="0"/>
   <Str sr="arg3" ve="3">%formattedDateTime</Str>
   <Str sr="arg4" ve="3"/>
   <Str sr="arg5" ve="3"/>
  </Action>
  <Action sr="act1" ve="7">
   <code>104</code>
   <Str sr="arg0" ve="3">obsidian://advanced-uri?vault=Obsidian&amp;filepath=__Inbox\%2F%formattedDateTime.md&amp;mode=append</Str>
  </Action>
  <Img sr="icn" ve="2">
   <cls>md.obsidian.MainActivity</cls>
   <pkg>md.obsidian</pkg>
  </Img>
 </Task>
</TaskerData>
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Is there a way to display the preview of a note as a widget?

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Maybe with Markdown Widget (ch.tiim.markdown_widget)? But it seems like the App is not ready to download from Github or F-Droid?

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I second using the shortcut maker app. Free and and faster than Automator. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.deltacdev.websiteshortcut

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Thank You Very Much for the link & app name. I found this to be the simplest solution!

1 Like