iOS Share Sheet Performance Bug

Bug reports
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1

Steps to reproduce

  1. Invoke the Share Sheet from iOS Obsidian
  2. Select a shortcut that exhibits this slowdown issue

I’ve explained the whole issue at the bottom of this report. But the easiest way to see what’s going on is to try this with the test shortcuts (attached at the bottom).

Did you follow the troubleshooting guide? [Y/N]

Y

Expected result

I would expect the shortcut to complete basically instantly or within ~4 seconds (as it has done for a couple years).

Actual result

It takes ~30 seconds to complete.

Environment

SYSTEM INFO:
Obsidian version: 1.13.4 (353)
API version: 1.13.4
Operating system: iOS 26.6 (Apple iPhone16,2)
Login status: logged in
Language: en
Catalyst license: insider
Live preview: on
Base theme: light
Community theme: none
Snippets enabled: 17
Restricted mode: off
Plugins installed: 1
Plugins enabled: 1
1: Quick Switcher++ v6.1.4

Additional information

Full Bug Report

Summary

When a Shortcut containing one or more Save File actions is invoked from the Obsidian iOS share sheet, execution slows dramatically (~30 seconds). I’m not convinced this is tied to Save File, but it may be… but the only shortcut I run that exhibits this has a couple Save File actions, so :man_shrugging:

The same Shortcut, processing the same note, completes almost instantly when invoked from another editor (Textastic), suggesting an interaction between Obsidian’s share extension / file
coordination and Shortcuts rather than the Shortcut logic itself.

This slowdown has been going on for awhile (I think around the time that then new Obsidian Share Sheet stuff was dropped a month or whatever ago), so it’s absolutely not tied to yesterday’s iOS 26.6 update.

Environment

  • Platform: iOS 26.6
  • App: Obsidian v1.13.4 (current Catalyst)
  • No theme, only one plugin (QuickSwitcher++)
  • Comparison editor: Textastic

Expected Behavior

The Shortcut should complete in approximately the same amount of time regardless of which editor invoked it.

Actual Behavior

  • Invoked from Obsidian: approximately 30 seconds.
  • Invoked from Textastic with the same note: effectively
    instant.

The slowdown appears specifically tied to execution while hosted inside Obsidian’s share-sheet extension.

Investigation

The Shortcut architecture was modified to isolate where the slowdown occurs.

Test 1: Normal execution

This is how the shortcut normally works. Basically a more involved version of the test shortcuts I’ve attached.

Result: takes ~30 seconds to write the file

Test 2: Clipboard handoff + detached worker

This is the same idea as the “normal” shortcut test, but instead of passing the dict to the worker shortcut as normal (setting the dict to the Run Shortcut action’s input), I’m:

  • Setting the clipboard to the dict
  • Launching the shortcut using `shortcuts://run-shortcut?name=workerShortcutName
    • You’ve got to do this otherwise the shortcut will hang ~30 seconds as it would above
  • Then in the worker shortcut just get the dict from the clipboard rather than from Shortcut Input

Result: approximately 4 seconds.

This workflow was tested roughly 10 times with consistent results.

Test 3: Clipboard handoff but Run Shortcut

Same architecture as Test 2, with only one change: replace the URI launch with the Shortcuts Run Shortcut action.

Result: execution returns to approximately 30 seconds.

Conclusions

The following do not appear to be responsible:

  • Shortcut logic
  • Dictionary serialization
  • Clipboard transfer
  • Worker shortcut complexity
  • Note content

The dominant factor appears to be how the worker is launched while the shortcut is executing inside Obsidian’s share-sheet extension.

Launching the worker as a new Shortcuts execution via the shortcuts://run-shortcut URI substantially reduces/eliminates the delay.

2

we can’t reproduce this problem.

Are you using iCloud? Did you configured keep download on in it?

3

Yup iCloud. And yeah I’ve had “keep downloaded” on all devices for as long as I can remember.

I’m honestly surprised this isn’t reproducible on your end. And to double check: you’re saying running the test shortcuts I provided run & complete basically instantly on your phone?

Anything else I can try on my end?

4

yes

I can’t think of anything right now

5

Interesting. Thanks for the response.

I’ve got restricted mode on, have deleted the TestFlight version, installed the App Store version, restarted, etc. Nothing changes. I still get the 30 second hang.

This is so weird considering how tightly sandboxed iOS is that without any plugins running we’re getting totally different results.

I’ve tested this so thoroughly that I’m struggling to think of what it could be if it’s not an obsidian thing… especially since I get consistent ~30 second hangs when obsidian is in the pipeline and instant results when it isn’t.