Siri and Alcove: every phrase that works

Short answer

Say "Hey Siri, add a task to Alcove" to add a task, "Hey Siri, what's on today in Alcove" to hear your day, and "Hey Siri, take a note in Alcove" for a note. Every phrase must include "Alcove", or Siri sends it to Apple's Reminders instead. Each phrase is also an action in the Shortcuts app.

Siri is the fastest way to catch a task when your hands are busy. The one rule to remember is that every phrase needs the app's name in it.

Why every phrase needs "Alcove"

Siri sends to-do requests to Apple's Reminders unless you name another app. "Hey Siri, add a task" goes to Reminders. "Hey Siri, add a task to Alcove" comes to Alcove. That's how Siri works for every app, so the phrases below all include Alcove.

Add a task

Hear your day

Check your lists

ToSay
Hear what's in a list"Hey Siri, what's in my Alcove list" or "what's due in Alcove"
Count your tasks"Hey Siri, how many tasks do I have in Alcove" or "Alcove count"

Tick off, move and remind

ToSay
Finish a task"Hey Siri, mark a task done in Alcove", "complete a task in Alcove", "tick something off in Alcove" or "finish a task in Alcove"
Move a task to another day"Hey Siri, move a task in Alcove" or "reschedule a task in Alcove"
Set a reminder"Hey Siri, remind me about a task in Alcove" or "set a reminder in Alcove"

Notes

ToSay
Take a note"Hey Siri, take a note in Alcove", "new note in Alcove", "note this in Alcove" or "write this down in Alcove"
Add to a note"Hey Siri, add to my Alcove note" or "append to a note in Alcove"
Hear a note"Hey Siri, read my Alcove note"

Use them in Shortcuts

Every command above is also an action in the Shortcuts app, under Alcove. That means you can build your own:

For one-tap capture without Siri, Alcove also has Control Center controls and widgets. See the widgets guide.

Questions people ask

Why does Siri add my task to Reminders instead of Alcove?

Siri sends task requests to Apple's Reminders unless the phrase names another app. Say "add a task to Alcove", not just "add a task".

Do I need to open Alcove first?

No. Siri works with Alcove while the app is closed.

Can I use these in the Shortcuts app?

Yes. Each of these commands is also an action in the Shortcuts app, under Alcove, so you can build your own shortcuts, such as adding the selected text as a task.

Which devices does Siri work with Alcove on?

iPhone, iPad and Mac.

See it in motion. The four-minute demo shows quick add, notes, boards, the menu bar, widgets and the iPhone and iPad apps.

More guides