How to add a note shortcut to the homescreen on Android

[Joschua]

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!

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Let me know if you run into any issues!

[mzantsi]

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

[Joschua]

Not yet, but I have a bunch of ideas

[P4r4b0x]

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?

[Bounz]

For Automate it’s almost the same.

• Create a new flow and add “View content” block.
  

  

• In its settings in “Content URI” press fx button and paste previously copied obsidian URI (daily note URI in example).
  

  

• Now add a widget with a shortcut to the home screen — and voilà!

[Joschua]

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.

[danilo.m]

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.

[Gorkycreator]

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.

[danilo.m]

Amazing, thanks for sharing!

[Victor.Sim]

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

[mnaoumov]

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>