Trigger it, speak, send. Five seconds.
The fastest memo is the one where you never look for the app. Hold the Action button on the side of your iPhone and "Voice Memo" launches — and voice input is already running the moment the screen appears. Speak, tap send once. Five seconds later you're back on the Home Screen and the note is in your inbox and your Obsidian vault.
Just speak, or type what you thought of
Buy milk on the way home.
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0.0s
Hold the Action buttonNo unlocking, no hunting for an icon — you can press it while pulling the phone out.
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1.4s
Already listeningThe mic is on the instant the compose screen appears. There is no button to press.
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2.0s
SpeakOn-device recognition transcribes as you go. The audio never leaves the phone.
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4.0s
One tap to sendNo "choose a destination" screen. It lands in your email and your Obsidian vault at once.
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5.0s
DoneYou're back to a blank memo. Sorting happens later, in your inbox.
An animated re-creation of the real thing; the taps and timings are measured from a device.
Assign "Voice Memo" to the Action button (or Back Tap), then turn on "Auto-start voice input on launch" in the app. Wiring those two together removes launching, starting the mic, and picking a destination — all that's left is speaking and sending.
It's fast because of what isn't there
Nothing was added to make this fast. Five seconds is what's left after removing the steps that used to sit between you and the note.
Versus the usual note app
Line it up against capturing one voice note in a typical note app and the difference is all in what happens before and after you speak.
| Step | Typical note app | This workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | Unlock, find the page, tap the icon | Hold the side button — eyes free |
| New note | A list opens, then tap "new" | A blank memo is what opens |
| Start dictation | Raise the keyboard, find the mic, tap it | Already recording |
| Save | Pick a folder or note, tap done | One send tap (email + Obsidian) |
| Finding it later | Open that app and go looking | Already in the inbox you open daily |
| Time looking at the screen | Nearly the whole way | Only the send tap |
The left column describes a representative flow for capturing one voice note in the stock iOS Notes app; it varies by app and settings.
Four ways to trigger it — pick one
The app publishes a "Voice Memo" shortcut to iOS, so there's no recipe to build in the Shortcuts app — it simply appears in the assignment lists.
On iPhone 15 Pro / 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 lineup onward, including 16e.
Setup (about a minute)
- An iPhone (an Action button model, or iPhone 8+ for Back Tap)
- Voice input requires a supported device on iOS 26+
- Your destination email verified during first-run setup
- Turn on auto-start voice
App settings → Advanced settings → "Auto-start voice input on launch." You can also flip it from Settings → Help → "Recommended workflow (5 seconds)." - Assign the trigger
iOS Settings → Action Button → Shortcut → "Voice Memo." Without an Action button, use Settings → Accessibility → Touch → Back Tap → Double Tap and pick the same "Voice Memo." - Test it once
Hold the Action button. If the compose screen opens and it's already recording, you're set. Say something, send it, and confirm it lands in your inbox. - (Optional) Wire up Obsidian
Turn on Obsidian integration in Advanced settings and pick your vault folder. From then on every send lands in both your email and your vault.
If "Voice Memo" isn't in the Action button or Back Tap list, launch the app once and reopen Settings — right after install the shortcut registration can lag. If it opens but doesn't record, check your iOS version and that "Auto-start voice input on launch" is on.
Holding your phone or watching the screen while driving or riding is illegal and dangerous in Japan (distracted cycling has been penalized since Nov 2024). Stop somewhere safe first. See hands-free voice memo for how to use it on the move.
FAQ
Is it really five seconds?
About five seconds, measured from trigger to sent. Roughly 1.5s for the Action button press and launch, ~2s of speaking, and 0.4s from the send tap to an empty screen. Say more and it takes longer — but the time spent finding the app, pressing the mic, and choosing a destination stays at zero.
What if my iPhone has no Action button?
Assign the same "Voice Memo" shortcut to Back Tap instead (iPhone 8 and later): Settings → Accessibility → Touch → Back Tap → Double Tap. A Lock Screen control, a Home Screen shortcut, or Siri all work too. For reference, the Action button is on iPhone 15 Pro / 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 lineup onward, including 16e.
Do I have to build a shortcut myself?
No. The app publishes "Voice Memo" and "New Memo" as system shortcuts, so they show up directly in the Action button and Back Tap lists. There's no recipe to assemble in the Shortcuts app.
How do I make voice start the instant it opens?
Turn on "Auto-start voice input on launch" under Advanced settings. You can also flip it from Settings → Help → "Recommended workflow (5 seconds)." It requires a supported device on iOS 26 or later.
Where does what I said end up?
Sending emails it to your own inbox. With Obsidian integration on, the same text is appended to a note in your vault. Transcription happens entirely on device — neither the audio nor the text goes to an external speech service.
What if I misspeak?
Just say it again. You can fix it with the keyboard before sending, and what you've entered is auto-saved encrypted on device, so an interruption doesn't lose it. The point of the fast path isn't perfect prose — it's not losing the thought.
Related Pages
References
- Apple — Use Back Tap on iPhone — Apple's official guide to Back Tap
- Apple — App Intents — Official docs for how apps publish shortcuts to the system
- National Police Agency — Ban on distracted driving — Japan NPA — official info on the ban on phone use while driving