Does anyone know how to send a note to the drafts app from a desktop (Windows specifically)?
This app is very useful when I’m away from the desk, but when I’m at the desk, having to take out my phone is a HUGE distraction. If there is a browser interface, or a way to email into drafts, I don’t know about it. If this functionality is out there someone knows about it, right?
I sometimes need to get some text into Drafts if I’ve been working on a Chromebook. So I just save a text file in Google Drive, then in Drafts, I press the ‘+’ sign in the top left-hand corner and choose ‘import file.’ You select the file and in comes the text. You can do the same with Dropbox etc.
Here’s how I do it if my watch, phone and iPad are not to hand (which is very rae these days) and I’m at my work PC.
First of all, enable the Reminders Import setting in Drafts. I use a reminders list called “Drafts” to import from.
Next, either create an account for or login to IFTTT (a free web automation connectivity service). If you don’t already have them set-up in IFTTT, enable e-mail as a service and iOS reminders as a service.
Create a new applet in IFTTT that takes an e-mail (from your connected e-mail address), with a tagged subject line (I use #drafts as my tag) and creates an iOS reminder based on the e-mail’s subject line.
When you e-mail to the trigger@applet.ifttt.com e-mail address from your associated e-mail account with appropriately tagged subject line, the IFTTT applet will trigger shortly thereafter. This will create the reminder. This will sync shortly after that with your iOS device (usually within a few seconds given decent connectivity). When you next open Drafts, it will check for reminders to import and create a new draft based on the subject line you mailed (excluding the IFTTT tag).
Hope that helps.
Thanks for the feedback.
The solution I am looking for will not require me to take out my phone to save a note to drafts. I would be able to save my thoughts in the app, and get back to work without opening up my phone. When I look at my phone later, I would be reminded of my note by a push notification (since it would already be in the app).
Same answer here, but thanks for your feedback.
The goal of this solution would be to create a push notificaiton on my phone (on the Drafts badge app icon) without ever having to open it. This would help keep my focus on what I’m trying to get done, and would make sure I am reminded of my note before the day is done.
The Drafts badge count isn’t going to increment with any current approach. There’s no API to write Drafts content direct to iCloud whch I believe is what would be required for your specific additional requirement.
You could of course trigger a banner based notification through a reminder alarm (as submitted through IFTTT), or by building a more complex ‘maker’ recipe and incorporating your preferred messaging app for an instant notification.
Beyond that, I’d suggest potentially investing in an Apple watch and circumventing the Windows/iOS disjoint by always having an iOS device to hand.
Hope that helps.
Good suggestion.
I do have an Apple Watch but constantly talking into my wrist in the office would earn me a very special reputation. This seems like a simple ask, but there are surprisingly few solutions.
Thanks for the thoughts and for your time. I’ll make a feature suggestion and cross my fingers. I’ve seen emailing into an Apple app done from a Windows computer before - maybe it’s a future feature possibility.
This is one of the reasons I haven’t switched to using Drafts as my note repository on iOS. I use 1Writer via Dropbox. That way, when I’m on my laptop or desktop, I can just create a plain text (or markdown) file in the Dropbox folder, and it’s in 1Writer when I go there. I also use Editorial with the same Dropbox folder for some things.
I use Drafts extensively to create new notes, tag and name notes automatically, etc. But they all go to the same Dropbox folder (or subfolders), and then when I need to look at or search them, I use 1Writer or Editorial.
This was perfect for me.
Thank you.