Siri Shortcuts turn Brain Dump into a hands-free capture system. Instead of opening the app manually every time, you can trigger recording with your voice, append to running notes automatically, or route ideas into specific folders.
I use three shortcuts daily. They've turned voice notes from "something I do sometimes" to "how I capture everything."
Why shortcuts matter
Every tap between thought and capture is a chance to lose the idea.
Without shortcuts:
- Unlock phone (1-2 seconds)
- Find Brain Dump app (2-3 seconds)
- Open it (1 second)
- Tap record (1 second)
Total: 5-7 seconds and 4 actions.
With shortcuts:
- Say "Hey Siri, brain dump now"
Total: 1 second, zero taps.
That difference matters when you're:
- Cooking with messy hands
- Walking while carrying things
- Driving (parked safely)
- Lying in bed half-asleep
The three shortcuts I actually use
Most people overcomplicate shortcuts. I built a dozen before realizing I only use three:
1. Quick capture (the essential one)
What it does: Opens Brain Dump ready to record
Siri phrase: "brain dump now"
Setup:
- Open Shortcuts app
- Tap + → Add Action
- Search "Open App" → Choose Brain Dump
- Tap info (ⓘ) → Add to Siri
- Record phrase: "brain dump now"
When I use it: Every single day. Morning thoughts while making coffee. Project ideas while walking. Meeting prep while commuting.
See the detailed Siri phrase guide for step-by-step instructions.
2. Append to daily journal
What it does: Adds a new entry to today's journal note instead of creating separate files
Siri phrase: "add to journal"
Why it's useful: I journal 3-4 times a day. Without this, I'd have 100+ separate journal files a month. With it, I have one file per day.
Setup: See the append to last note guide for complete instructions.
When I use it: Morning intentions, lunch break reflections, evening wrap-ups. All land in one daily note automatically.
3. Voice Memo → Text
What it does: Imports an existing Voice Memo recording into Brain Dump for transcription
How to access: Share Sheet in Voice Memos app
Why it's useful: Sometimes I record something in Voice Memos (walking meetings, interviews, long brainstorms). This shortcut sends it to Brain Dump for instant Markdown transcription.
Setup: See the Voice Memo shortcut guide for building it yourself, or download it from /shortcuts.
When I use it: After recording a 30-minute meeting in Voice Memos. After interviewing someone. When I've captured a long thought and want it as searchable text.
Automation ideas (if you want to go deeper)
Once you have the basics working, you can build more sophisticated workflows:
"Capture bug report" → Auto-file to Bugs folder
- Trigger: Voice phrase "bug report"
- Action: Open Brain Dump
- Action: Set default save location to "Bugs" folder
- Action: Start recording
"Send summary to me" → Voice + AI + Email
- Trigger: Voice phrase "summarize and send"
- Action: Record note in Brain Dump
- Action: Trigger AI summary (if enabled)
- Action: Email summary to yourself
"Morning pages" → Time-based daily journal
- Trigger: 7 AM every day
- Action: Open Brain Dump
- Action: Append to note titled "Journal-[today's date]"
- Action: Notification: "Time for morning pages"
"Add to work journal" → Context-specific append
- Trigger: Voice phrase "work note"
- Action: Append to "Work-Journal-2025.md"
- Action: Add timestamp separator
I don't use these advanced ones. But if you have specific workflows, they're possible.
How to pin shortcuts for quick access
Even without Siri, you can make shortcuts one-tap accessible:
Add to Home Screen:
- Open your shortcut
- Tap info (ⓘ) → Add to Home Screen
- Now it's an app icon you can tap
Add to Share Sheet:
- When building the shortcut, enable "Show in Share Sheet"
- Choose what types it accepts (Audio, Text, etc.)
- Now it appears when you tap Share in other apps
Add to Widget:
- Long-press home screen → Add Widget → Shortcuts
- Choose which shortcuts to show
- Tap the widget to run the shortcut
I have "brain dump now" as a widget. One tap from the home screen.
Common mistakes I made
Mistake 1: Building too many shortcuts I created 15 different shortcuts for different note types. Never remembered which was which. Now I have 3. I actually use all 3.
Mistake 2: Complex multi-step automations Built a shortcut that would ask me questions, format the answers, file them into folders based on keywords. Broke constantly. Went back to simple: open app, record, done.
Mistake 3: Not testing the Siri phrase I set up "add note" as a phrase. Siri kept thinking I said "ad note" or trying to web search. Changed to "brain dump now" which is impossible to mishear.
Mistake 4: Forgetting to enable permissions Shortcuts need permission to access files, microphones, etc. If something doesn't work, check Settings → Privacy & Security → Shortcuts.
When shortcuts aren't working
Siri doesn't recognize my phrase
- Use distinct, multi-word phrases
- Avoid phrases similar to existing commands
- Re-record the phrase more clearly
Shortcut runs but nothing happens
- Check app permissions in Settings
- Make sure Brain Dump is installed
- Try running the shortcut manually first
"Add to Siri" option is grayed out
- Some actions can't be voice-triggered
- Try simplifying the shortcut
- Use "Open App" as the core action
Shortcut works on iPhone but not iPad
- Make sure the shortcut is synced via iCloud
- Check that Brain Dump is installed on both devices
- Some shortcuts are device-specific
The shortcuts I wish existed (but don't)
These would be cool but aren't technically possible with current iOS limitations:
- Auto-categorize notes based on content - Would need on-device AI that Shortcuts doesn't expose
- Background recording triggered by location - iOS doesn't allow background audio without user initiation
- Automatic transcription of all Voice Memos - Can't trigger on new Voice Memo creation automatically
Maybe someday. For now, the manual shortcuts work great.
Start with one
Don't try to automate everything at once. Start with one shortcut:
Week 1: Set up "brain dump now" Siri phrase. Use it for a week. Get comfortable with voice-triggered capture.
Week 2: If you journal multiple times daily, add "append to journal" shortcut.
Week 3: If you use Voice Memos, add the import shortcut.
That's enough. More than enough, honestly.
The goal isn't maximum automation. It's minimum friction between thought and capture.
Related guides:
- Siri phrase setup for detailed voice trigger instructions
- Append to last note for building continuous journal entries
- Voice Memo import for transcribing existing recordings
Download pre-built shortcuts: /shortcuts page has ready-to-use shortcuts you can install with one tap.