How to add a note shortcut to the homescreen on Android

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2

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?

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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.

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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.

Screenshot_20210819-202458_Shortcut Maker
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Screenshot_20210819-202620_Shortcut Maker
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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!

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For anyone looking to do this easier:

Install the quickadd plugin and create a capture. This is better because it allows you to insert the capture at precisely the place you want.

Then create a uri to the corresponding command and launch that per Tasker.

I use this to write down what I do in my daily app. With Samsung modes i just click my power button twice and can write down my current task. Also this way you don’t have to click the text field, the keyboard will jump up automatically

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Thanks for the tip. I wrote a little guide for myself to remember how to set this up exactly and wanted to share it:

You can use Obsidian plugins to have a shortcut (like long press of volume button) or just a launcher on the home screen to add a note (or task or anything) to a specific Obsidian file at a specific location.

For this you need

  • the quickadd plugin for Obsidian
  • the advanced uri plugin for Obsidian
  • The tasker app installed

Quickadd

  • In the quickadd plugin
    • go to the settings and specify a new caputre
    • You can choose the filename and e.g. that it should be inserted at a specific location in the file
  • Now you can mark the new capture command as active by clicking on the flash in the quickadd settings
  • Test your new capture command via the command pane in obsidian, the command name has the name you gave the capture

URI

  • Now you can use the advanced URI “copy URI for command” command to find the URI for your new capture command and the respective file
    • Execute this command and choose no file and the new capture command as the command
    • the result is copied to your clipboard

Tasker

  • Now you can go into tasker and create a new task, as described in the Obsidian forum post
    • You basically create a Browse URL task and add the URI in it
    • And create a launcher for this task
  • Optionally map this task to your long volume button press with a tasker event
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I just found this post on how to add quicknotes without opening Obsidian, which is interesting since launching Obsidian takes quite some time

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Joschua’s instructions have moved to a new location:
https://notes.joschua.io/50+Slipbox/How+to+add+an+Obsidian+note+to+the+homescreen+on+Android#a)+Automate

@Joschua Could you update the link in your post accordingly?

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The instructions for Shortcut Maker above didn’t work for me now that the app has been updated.

I had to use an app shortcut and change the intent to a ‘VIEW’ intent and add the URI in the data field.

Screenshot_20230811-114212
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I know there has been a feature request for this and you replied to it

BUT, I’d personally benefit from a button. The flow is not complicated, but for frequent use, it gets old real fast. I’d very much prefer a button.

Do you guys know if there is an active feature request for this? I haven’t found any, but wanted to check, just in case, so I don’t post something redundant. Thanks!