The Reminders app on your iPhone or iPad helps you remember and complete tasks. But the app isn't as useful if you can't jot down tasks the second they come to you. Here's how to quickly jot down reminders using Shortcuts.

If you find the process of opening the Reminders app (or asking Siri) tedious, you can set up a shortcut that will help you add a task to a Reminders list with just a tap. Once it's created, you can add this shortcut to the home screen as a bookmark or widget.

Before we get started, open the Reminders app and take a moment to decide which list you want to add a reminder to. You can also create a new list here. Tap the "Add List" button from the bottom-right corner to do so.

Create a new Reminders list using the "Add List" feature.

Give the list a name, customize the look, and tap the "Done" button.

Customize the list with a name, color, and icon. Then tap "Done" to save it.

Now, open the Shortcuts app. Shortcuts is a built-in automation app on your iPhone or iPad. It can be used to create simple, repeating tasks (We won't delve into complex automation here.). If you can't find the Shortcuts app on your device, you can download it from the App Store.

Related: How to Find and Install Third-Party Shortcuts on iPhone and iPad

In the Shortcuts app, go to the "My Shortcuts" tab. Here, tap the "+" button from the top-right corner.

Tap Plus button to create a new shortcut in Shortcuts app.

This will take you to a blank shortcut. Tap the "Add Action" button to create a new action.

Create a new automation action using "Add Action" button in Shortcuts.

Here, search for and add the "Add New Reminder" action.

Use the "Add New Reminder" action in the shortcut.

First, let's configure the source of the reminder. To do that, tap the "Reminder" button from the action.

Tap the "Reminder" button to customize the shortcut input.

Then, choose the "Ask Each Time" as the variable. This ensures that the shortcut will ask you for a new text-based reminder each time.

Use "Ask Each Time" as variable for the shortcut.

By default, the action will just add the task to a list called "Reminders," which is the default list in the Reminders app. If you want to switch to a different list, tap the "Reminders" button from the action.

Select the Reminders button to customize the default Reminders list.

Here, switch to the list that you want.

Switch to a different reminder list.

Your basic shortcut is now configured. Tap the "Next" button from the top.

Tap "Next" to save the shortcut.

Give your shortcut a short and recognizable name (We'll be adding it to the home screen after all.). Then, tap the "Done" button.

Give the shortcut a short name, and tap the "Done" button.

Now, you'll see the shortcut at the top of the My Shortcuts tab. You can tap the shortcut to create a new reminder. But we still have one last step---adding the shortcut to the home screen.

Tap the three-dot menu button from the top-right corner of the shortcut.

Tap the three-dotted Menu button from the shortcut to customize it.

Then, tap the three-dot menu icon again from the shortcut screen.

Tap the three-dotted Menu button from the shortcut to customize it.

Choose the "Add to Home Screen" option.

Tap the "Add to Home Screen" button to create a home screen shortcut.

Tap the "Add" button.

Customize the shortcut if you want, and tap the "Add" button.

Go to your iPhone or iPad's home screen to find the newly created Shortcuts bookmark. Tap the shortcut icon to trigger the automation.

Tap the shortcut icon from the home screen.

You'll see a text box slide down from the top of the screen. Type in the reminder and tap the "Done" button from either the pop-up message or the keyboard itself.

Type in your reminder and tap the "Done" button.

Now, you'll see the reminder in the Reminders app.

The reminder added using the shortcut will show up in the designated Reminders list.

Once the reminder has been added, you can go into the Reminders app to add more contextual information. For example, you can turn it into a recurring reminder, or even assign it to a friend or co-worker!

Related: How to Set Up Recurring Reminders on iPhone and iPad