How to Use OmniFocus with Siri

Edited 1 month ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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OmniFocus is a powerful task management application that helps you keep track of your tasks, projects, and overall productivity. If you're an Apple user, you can improve your OmniFocus experience by integrating it with Apple's virtual assistant Siri. This integration allows you to add tasks, check your to-do list, and manage your project hands-free using just your voice. In this guide, we'll explore the different ways you can use OmniFocus with Siri to streamline your task management process.

Before we dive into how you can take advantage of Siri with OmniFocus, it's important to make sure both Siri and OmniFocus are set up on your Apple device. OmniFocus is available on macOS and iOS, so make sure it's installed on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Likewise, make sure Siri is enabled on your device. Once both tools are set up, you're ready to start using them together.

Setting up Siri with OmniFocus

To use OmniFocus with Siri, you'll need to make sure Siri is enabled on your Apple device. Open the Settings app, scroll down to Siri & Search, and make sure the toggle for Listen for "Hey Siri" is turned on. Additionally, it's a good idea to enable Allow Siri When Locked to make sure you can use Siri even when your device is locked.

If you have OmniFocus installed on your device, you will need to allow Siri and OmniFocus to interact with each other. You can do this by going to the Settings app on your Apple device, scrolling down to find the OmniFocus app, and making sure the option to use with Siri is enabled. This will allow Siri to access and manage your tasks within OmniFocus.

Adding tasks using Siri

One of the simplest and most used features is adding tasks to OmniFocus using Siri. This can be done by saying, "Hey Siri, add a task to OmniFocus." Siri will then ask you for the details of your task. For example, let's say you need to set a reminder to buy groceries on Saturday. You can say, "Hey Siri, remind me to buy groceries on Saturday in OmniFocus." Siri will then create a task in OmniFocus with that description and a due date.

You can specify various details when adding a task. If you don't provide a specific due date, Siri will add the task to your inbox in OmniFocus, where you can categorize or prioritize it later. Here are some examples of using Siri to add tasks:

• "Hey Siri, add 'Call John about the meeting' to OmniFocus."
• "Hey Siri, remind me to submit a report in OmniFocus by Friday."

This ease of adding tasks ensures that you don’t have to enter tasks manually, saving you time and effort.

Checking your task list

In addition to adding tasks, you can also use Siri to check and manage your to-do list. By asking Siri about your tasks, you can get an overview of your day without having to manually open the OmniFocus app. For example, you can say:

• "Hey Siri, what are my tasks in OmniFocus today?"
• "Hey Siri, show me my tasks from this week in OmniFocus."

Siri will then provide you with a summary of the tasks to be done or your upcoming tasks on the dates you specify. This feature helps you stay updated about your workload and plan accordingly.

Marking tasks as complete

Marking tasks as complete through Siri is another convenient feature in OmniFocus. When you complete a task, you can ask Siri to mark it as complete, eliminating the need to search for the task within the app and manually update it. For example, saying "Hey Siri, mark 'Call John about the meeting' as complete in OmniFocus" will update the task's status immediately.

Marking tasks as complete in this way can greatly increase your workflow efficiency, especially when you have multiple tasks to update and want to stay hands-free.

Organize tasks with Siri Shortcuts

Siri Shortcuts can make OmniFocus even better by allowing you to create voice commands for specific actions within the app. Siri Shortcuts are custom commands you can create that will perform a sequence of actions. With Shortcuts, you can create a voice command to organize tasks in a particular way or trigger a series of actions in OmniFocus.

To create a shortcut, open the Shortcuts app on your device, tap the + icon to add a new shortcut, and search for OmniFocus actions you can automate. For example:
Create a Shortcut named "Weekly Review" that, when triggered, shows a list of tasks tagged as "review" in OmniFocus. Use it by saying "Hey Siri, start my weekly review."

Managing projects and references

OmniFocus isn't just limited to individual tasks; it also supports larger projects and contexts. While you can't create new projects directly through Siri, you can add tasks to existing projects or contexts using voice commands. This helps you ensure that all relevant tasks are properly assigned without opening the app. For example, you can say:

• "Hey Siri, add 'Draft Budget Proposal' to my work project in OmniFocus."
• "Hey Siri, remind me to send an email to Lucy at home in OmniFocus on Thursday."

Contexts allow you to group tasks related to specific locations, people, or situations, helping to keep your task management organized and effective.

Scheduling and reminders

Scheduling tasks and setting reminders is another important feature that you can manage using Siri with OmniFocus. With voice commands, you can easily provide specified dates, times, and even repeating intervals for tasks. For example, if you need a recurring reminder, you can say:

• "Hey Siri, remind me to water the plants every Thursday at 8 AM in OmniFocus."
• "Hey Siri, set a task to review my budget every month in OmniFocus."

Using these features, you can ensure that tasks don’t get missed and are reminded of them at the right time.

Things to keep in mind

Although the OmniFocus and Siri integration is powerful, it's important to remember a few things for optimal use:

• Smart naming: When creating tasks, use clear and specific names to ensure that Siri understands your requests.
• Privacy: Tasks added to OmniFocus via Siri are stored within the app. If your environment requires privacy, maintain discretion with your vocal input.
• Synchronization: Make sure your devices and apps are updated to support seamless interactions without any data loss.

Conclusion

Using OmniFocus with Siri can significantly increase your productivity. The combination of a powerful task manager and a smart voice assistant makes it easy to stay organized and manage your tasks efficiently. Whether you're adding tasks, checking off your to-do list, marking items as complete, using Siri shortcuts, managing projects, or scheduling reminders, voice integration provides a hands-free and convenient way to ensure nothing gets missed.

Remember that practice makes perfect. The more you use Siri with OmniFocus, the more you'll discover unique ways to customize the integration to your specific workflow needs. The versatility of combining Siri with OmniFocus means you can achieve a high level of productivity while keeping things easy and efficient.

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