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Actions

Add an Action to a task to make a call, send a message, open a website, or get directions with a tap.

Adding an Action​

Open a task and tap Action in the editor's bottom toolbar, or press ⌘B with a hardware keyboard. The panel offers six types:

  • Call opens your chosen calling app with the number.
  • Message opens Messages with the recipient filled in.
  • Mail opens a new email, pre-addressed.
  • Visit opens an address in your chosen map app.
  • URL opens a link.
  • Google runs a web search.

Tap one and the panel asks for what that action needs: Enter Number, Enter Email, Enter Link, Enter Address, or Enter Search Term. Tap Done to add it, then tap the panel's Done to save it.

Nothing is written until you save, so choosing a type and then backing out leaves the task exactly as it was.

Choose the calling and map apps under Advanced in Settings > General. Set Default Calling App to Always Ask if you want to pick an app for each call. See Advanced settings for each choice, including how WhatsApp works.

Picking from Contacts​

For Call, Message, Mail, and Visit actions, tap Pick Contact instead of typing. Choose a contact and 2Do pulls the number, email address, or address straight out of it.

Opening Apps and Running Shortcuts​

URL actions can open websites, supported app links, and shortcuts saved in Apple's Shortcuts app.

To run a shortcut from a task:

  1. Create and test the shortcut in Apple's Shortcuts app. To open another app, add its Open App action and choose the app.
  2. In 2Do, open the task's Action panel and choose URL.
  3. Tap Run Shortcut, enter the shortcut's exact name, and tap Use Shortcut. 2Do fills in the link for you.
  4. Tap Done, then tap the panel's Done. Perform the task's action when you want to run the shortcut.

The shortcut must be available under that name on the device where you run it. If you rename it in Shortcuts, update the task's action too. Syncing a task syncs its link; it does not install the shortcut or the apps it uses.

This setup runs the shortcut without passing the task's title, notes, or address. Opening an app alone does not create a route or send it a destination. For shortcuts that accept input, you can enter a complete link in Enter Link using Apple's documented Shortcuts URL format.

To create these tasks from another app, see Shortcut and App Links in the URL Handler.

What the Task Says It Will Do​

Once an action is set, the panel states it in a sentence: Call Anna, Open example.com, Show 12 Rue Cler on the map, or Search the web for whatever you saved. An action saved with an empty value is an Indication Only action: the task carries the action's icon but has nothing to run.

The same sentence appears as a coloured banner on the right of the editor's list row. Tap the banner to perform the action; touch and hold it and choose Edit to change it.

Performing an Action​

A task with an action shows its action icon on its row in the task list. To run it:

  • Touch and hold the task and pick the action from the menu, which names it directly, such as Call Anna.
  • Tap the action banner in the task editor.
  • Press P with the task selected and a hardware keyboard connected.

An Indication Only action opens the Action panel instead of running anything, so the banner is never dead.

tip

Mail actions open a message addressed to the contact with an empty body. Copy what you need from the task's notes if you want context in the message.

Editing or Removing an Action​

Open the Action panel again. It shows what the task currently does, the six types, and a Remove control underneath. Tapping Remove asks first, then clears the action.

Google (Search) Actions​

The Google action stores the search text you enter, separately from the task's title. That means the task can read one way and search for another: a task titled Sort out the leak can search for plumbers near me.

tip

Use Google actions for research tasks. Save the query once, and running the action later needs no typing.

Combining with Locations​

A task can carry both a Location and an Action. A common pattern:

  • Location: Home Depot, 123 Main St
  • Action: Visit, pointing at the same address
  • Tag: @errands

The task then shows up in the Nearby page when you are close, can alert you on arrival, and its action gives you directions in one tap.

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