You can add drafts via Echo devices (Alexa) with IFTTT

Say something like “Alexa, add ‘this-and-that’ to the to do list” and get in Drafts. Useful in the kitchen or in the bath.

It works by using this applet from IFTTT that sends Alexa to dos to the Reminders app, which can then be imported by Drafts.

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A couple of additional points.

To use this you need to enable automatic reminders import, in Drafts, on one of your devices.

You then need to ensure that the reminders list being used by the IFTTT applet also matches the reminders list you are importing from. i.e. if you use reminders for non-Drafts importing then you want to specify a particular reminders list. It will still pull in anything you add to your Echo’s todo list, but then you are keeping it separate from your other reminders - particularly your default.

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I have tried using IFTTT many times in the past with Alexa todos into Drafts or Things via Reminders. Every time I have had to abandon it as IFTTT is frustratingly unreliable (the to do never arrives in Reminders).

IFTTT only checks about every hour for unpaid users, I think. So the drafts will have a certain delay, which is annoying, but at least for me they always ended up at Drafts

Thanks. That is good info to know about the free accounts

That’s cool. I’m going to try this now!

Edit: It works, but unless you pay for IFTTT, it’s slow… as @armenotan said:

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“Slow” is probably OK - as long as it’s reliable. That is unless you’re dictating a pilot piece of text and immediately fixing it up in Drafts.

(“OK” in the context of “fire and forget”.)

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Sure, it’s fine.

I also ran into a different issue. Alexa’s To-Do list is a To-Do list, not a drafts-lift or a note-list. I already sync Alexa’s To-Do’s with my task manager Todoist, so unless I can instruct that only stuff from a specific list get imported into drafts, it doesn’t make much sense. (I tried, and it seems you need IFTTT premium for that…) Nevermind, you just can’t do that; I had to apply for a feature request.

The solution to transcript notes to drafts, the best one is simply an Apple Watch with the app, but I don’t have one.

IFTTT supports shopping list and to do list, but does not look like it supports other lists. I have a pro IFTT account and I only see those as options and I do have a custom list oavailable to my Echo. If you are syncing your to-dos, could you use the shopping list instead?

Also, while an Apple Watch is indeed a great way to capture, don’t forget your phone is pretty good too. It may not be strapped to your wrist, but it is more portable than most Echo devices, and Siri will listen to the room. On quite a few occasions, I have captured ideas direct to Drafts on my phone when I have had an idea in the shower, got out, and called the action across the room to my phone.

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As you said, I settled for my iPhone. It’s the best I’ve got right now. And my Siri likes to say “one sec”… “on it” to me quite often, but regardless: We are settled. No improvements (not really) are to be made in regard to my “voice-inbox”.