To set up a dictation shortcut on iOS:

  1. Open the Apple shortcuts App.
  2. Press the + button to add a new shortcut.
  3. Scroll down in the app list and select “OverView”
  4. If you’ve already opened the app and created your first Overview, you’ll now see it as an option under “Add a Note.” Select it.
  5. Now, at the bottom of the screen, tap “Search Actions” then type “Dictate Text” and select it.
  6. Drag the new Dictate Text action above the Add a Note action.
  7. Then, under “Add a Note” tap on the gray “Note Content”, then “Select Variable.”
  8. Click on the “Dictated Text” variable to connect it.

See the image for the end result you want. In this example the shortcut is named “Note.”* Speak this into Siri to trigger the shortcut. Change the title of the shortcut to whatever word or phrase you want to use to trigger it (e.g., Reminder, To Do, Groceries, etc.)

*To actually use the word “Note” as a Siri shortcut, you have to delete the Apple Notes app from your phone. Any other word or word combination should work fine and does note require deleting the Apple Notes app. Same for “Reminder.”