From your AirPods, straight to Obsidian.
Use "Hey Siri, send a memo with Simple Memo" to hand over a note from your AirPods. Complete initial setup, check Siri permissions and confirm the current destination. In normal mode, email sending and Obsidian appending use separate paths. Check your inbox and target note separately after the response. Your device may ask you to unlock.
New to Siri? Start with the 3-step illustrated guide to sending a note by speaking to your iPhone.
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Read the English video transcript
The Japanese guide illustrates invocation and destination setup. It does not establish simultaneous delivery or current-build device performance.
- Activate Siri. “Hey Siri” is the reliable way; whether pressing the AirPods stem starts Siri depends on your model and settings. The video shows the Japanese phrase “シンプルメモで残す”; use the English setup instructions below when Siri is set to English.
- Answer Siri’s note prompt. Your spoken words become the note text.
- The guide screen says email and Obsidian receive the note at the same time. That is earlier wording: email and the vault are separate paths, and Obsidian requires its integration to be configured.
- Before starting, check email verification, Obsidian setup if used, and the SimpleMemo Siri shortcut.
"Send a memo with Simple Memo" passes your text from Siri into the app's send process. In normal mode, its email result and Obsidian append are separate. "Memo sent" does not confirm a vault write or sync to another device. Check the integration, selected folder and actual target note. While Obsidian-only mode is active, the memo is not sent by email.
Example: two turns through Siri
This is an example of answering Siri's note prompt after invoking the shortcut. Responses and authentication requests depend on device state and settings. It illustrates the steps; it is not a new device test of the currently distributed build.
- 🎧 You"Hey Siri, send a memo with Simple Memo"
- Siri"What do you want to note down?"
- 💬 YouSpeak your memo
- Siri"Memo sent."
Siri may respond aloud or on screen, depending on context. Apple explains that a shortcut which opens an app asks you to unlock a locked device. "Start a Voice Memo" opens the app; it is different from the sending shortcut.
Example in-app guide screens
Six existing in-app guide screens illustrate the steps. The images include older wording such as "at once", "always works" and "phone stays pocketed". These are not current operation guarantees: permissions, authentication, recognition and each destination must be checked separately. Verify email receipt, local vault storage and sync to another device separately.
What to check when sending through Siri
Check the phrase and selected action
The trick is choosing a phrase that doesn't collide with built-in iPhone features. Start with "send a memo with" and check which action Siri selects.
| Phrase | Result |
|---|---|
| ◎ "Send a memo with Simple Memo" | Recommended. Check that Siri selects the sending action and asks for your text. |
| △ "Send to Simple Memo" | If Siri offers multiple actions, select the intended sending action and check the response. |
| × "Note in Simple Memo" | If Notes or another action is selected, try the registered sending phrase. |
| × "Simple Memo" (name only) | Check whether Siri opens the app or selects a registered sending action. |
Setup in 3 steps
- iPhone (iOS 16.4+; the one-tap Control Center control needs iOS 18+, and voice input in the app needs iOS 26+ with a supported device and language)
- Simple Memo's initial setup done (recipient email verified)
- For Siri through AirPods, check permissions and device conditions (the phone's Siri is another entry point)
- Finish the app's initial setup
Verify your recipient email and make sure a normal send works. If you use Obsidian integration, select the local vault folder, confirm write access and check your first memo in the target note. - Check the Siri toggle in the Shortcuts app
Open the Shortcuts app and make sure Siri is enabled for Simple Memo. If it's off, no phrase will work — this is the #1 thing to check when Siri doesn't respond. - Say "Hey Siri, send a memo with Simple Memo"
Answer the note prompt and check whether Siri reports sending, saving, queueing, setup requirements or another result. Verify the inbox and target note separately from Siri's completion response.
High-Quality Recording is an option for in-app voice input through AirPods microphones. It requires a supported iOS version and AirPods model and is changed under Settings → Voice Input & Sound. It is separate from the shortcut that passes text from Siri into the send process. This page does not measure the startup-time difference caused by microphone selection.
When Siri doesn't respond
On AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation) and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, pressing and holding the stem switches Noise Control by default. You hear a sound either way, but Siri never starts.
To change it: Settings → Bluetooth → ⓘ next to your AirPods → Press and Hold AirPods → Siri. Each earbud has its own setting, so set both.
If you'd rather leave it alone, "Hey Siri" can be tried after checking Siri permissions for your device.
- Try "Hey Siri" first
In Settings → Siri, check that "Listen for Hey Siri" is on and allowed while locked. It works regardless of the stem setting, so it isolates the problem fastest. - Check the Siri toggle for Simple Memo in the Shortcuts app
If it's off, no phrase is recognized. Right after install, registration can take a few minutes — launch the app once, then try again. - Check that Siri's language matches your phrase
Settings → Siri → Language. A Japanese phrase will not reach an English Siri. - Use the phrase "Send a memo with Simple Memo"
Check that Siri selects Simple Memo's sending action rather than Notes or another app. - Make sure your recipient email is verified
Siri can answer and still have nowhere to deliver. Open the app and finish the initial setup.
Great for these moments
FAQ
Pressing and holding the AirPods stem doesn't start Siri
On AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation) and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, press-and-hold switches Noise Control by default — it does not start Siri. It makes a sound either way, which is why the failure is easy to miss. Change it in Settings → Bluetooth → ⓘ next to your AirPods → Press and Hold AirPods → Siri (each earbud has its own setting). If you'd rather not change it, "Hey Siri, send a memo with Simple Memo" can be tried after checking Siri permissions for your device.
Siri doesn't respond / says it can't find an app for that
Open the Shortcuts app and make sure Siri is enabled for Simple Memo — if it's off, no phrase is recognized. Then say "Hey Siri, send a memo with Simple Memo." Right after install, registration can take a few minutes: launch the app once and try again shortly.
"Note in Simple Memo" did something else
Try "Send a memo with Simple Memo" and check that Siri selects the sending action and asks for text. If another app or action is selected, check Siri language and shortcut registration. Saying the app name alone can select app launch or a registered sending action; follow Siri's response. Interpretation has not been tested on every device with the current build.
How does it send without opening the app?
The sending shortcut passes text from Siri into the app's send process. Initial setup, including recipient verification, is required. In normal mode, email sending and the Obsidian append are separate: "Memo sent" does not confirm a vault write. A successful local write also does not confirm sync to another device. "Start a Voice Memo" is a different shortcut that opens the app.
What happens offline?
If Siri passes text to the app and a normal-mode email is queued, the memo is retained in the encrypted Outbox and delivery is attempted after connectivity returns. Siri invocation or speech recognition is not guaranteed offline. Direct vault writes need an available local folder and write access. Check queued email, local vault storage and remote sync separately.
Is it fully hands-free with AirPods?
With the required setup, you can pass a memo through a voice exchange with Siri. Locked-device permissions, the selected shortcut and device state can require unlocking or screen interaction. "Start a Voice Memo" opens the app; the sending shortcut passes text into its send process. No-touch operation is not guaranteed in every state. Verify your first memo in both the inbox and the target vault note.
What is High-Quality Recording?
High-Quality Recording is an option for in-app voice input through AirPods microphones. It requires a supported iOS version and AirPods model and is changed under Settings → Voice Input & Sound. It is separate from the shortcut that passes text from Siri into the send process. This page does not measure the startup-time difference caused by microphone selection.
Does Siri sending work on the free plan?
Yes. Siri sends count the same as in-app sends and share the free plan's daily quota. If you've used it up, Siri reports the daily limit. Whether the response is spoken or shown depends on device state.
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Related Pages
References
- Apple — App Intents — Official docs for exposing app features to Siri
- Apple — App Shortcuts — Official docs for zero-setup Siri phrases
- Simple Memo - for Obsidian — App Store — App Store download page