Text input when running Shortcut from Search

[Gordon Robb]

Christopher Lawley had a great video about using Shortcuts from Spotlight Search (do we still call it that). Some really great things that can be done.

One example, need to add a task? Command - space To open search, type the name of the shortcut, it runs and you can type in the task name. Awesome. Same for adding calendar stuff etc. Only one peoplem, it doesn’t work.

If you run a shortcut from search that requires some text Input, the text you type doesn’t go into the shortcut, it’s still typing on the search field. Has anyone found a way to fix this. It doesn’t happen that way on Chris’s video. Is this a known problem?

Please help as this is a fantastic way to do stuff if you’re using a keyboard.

 

[gwhizkids]

Not really sure what you are asking here. Might help if you posted a link to the video you are referring to

 

[Gordon Robb]

Not really sure what you are asking here. Might help if you posted a link to the video you are referring to

Here is a link to the Video I was referring to

The whole video is about running shortcuts from ‘search’. Problem is, any that require text input do not work as they do in his video. It’s not his shortcuts though as I cannot get any thing to work like that from search. I have attached a video (hopefully) of what actually happens. I hit Cto-space to start search. Start to type the name of my shortcut, run it, and type text when asked. You’ll see nothing happens, but when I finish, it has just entered the text in ‘search’. Does that make sense?

 

[ventmore]

Just had a play with this and I’m seeing the same thing. It seems to be related to using the hardware keyboard as it works fine with the software keyboard. The workaround is to hit command-Space again, after the shortcuts text prompt appears, to close spotlight in the background. You should then be able to type into the prompt.

 

[Gordon Robb]

Yeh, it is definitely only with external keyboard. I’ve tried your workaround. It works, although I’m having to press in the text box to get it tow work. Is that right?

 

[ventmore]

No...it works fine for me if hit Cmd+Space, either tap on or select the shortcut with the keyboard, then hit Cmd+Space again and just start typing.

 

[Gordon Robb]

No...it works fine for me if hit Cmd+Space, either tap on or select the shortcut with the keyboard, then hit Cmd+Space again and just start typing.

Yeh, it seems to work sometimes and sometimes not. I think it’s dependent on what appyour in at teh time. So for example, it’s not working if I do it from Mail. But either way, it’s a great work around.

 

[ventmore]

Yeh, it seems to work sometimes and sometimes not. I think it’s dependent on what appyour in at teh time. So for example, it’s not working if I do it from Mail. But either way, it’s a great work around.

I’d been testing from the Home Screen, but I’ve just tested from an app and I’m seeing the same behaviour as you. It seems that when you close spotlight, focus transfers to the app rather than the text box.

 

[NazarForReal]

Yeh, it seems to work sometimes and sometimes not. I think it’s dependent on what appyour in at teh time. So for example, it’s not working if I do it from Mail. But either way, it’s a great work around.

The workaround for this workaround will be to press the "Arrow Up" key after pressing the cmd+spacebar. It will immediately move the focus to the input window of the shortcut.