Create shortcut buttons and small macros on Android

Before you start

Pair a compatible Android 9-or-newer phone with a computer that permits Bluetooth keyboard input. Check the selected computer and Shortcut keys setting before testing.

Test in an empty document. Avoid passwords, terminal commands, payments and destructive file actions while learning the editor.

How to do it

1. Open a button in Edit

   Choose Buttons, then Edit, and open a button or empty slot. Use Button label (optional) to name the result, such as Draft greeting. In Tap, review the existing steps before adding more so you do not accidentally keep an old command.

2. Build an observable first action

   Use Add step and choose Type text. Enter a short US-layout example such as Hello from my phone. Save the button, choose Done to leave Edit, focus the empty document on the computer and tap the button once. Check the full text, including spaces and punctuation.

3. Add one step at a time

   Add a Delay followed by a Key press if needed: type a short sample, pause, then send an arrow key. Test each addition separately. A Delay waits for time to pass; it does not check that the computer is ready.

4. Separate tap and long press

   Use Long press when you want a distinct action for holding the same button. Review that action independently from Tap, and make the label or your layout easy to remember. Use Style for presentation changes, then choose Save before testing either gesture.

5. Keep a known-good copy

   Save the working deck as a profile before major changes, or export a backup before moving it. Review imported actions that type text, launch apps or contact web addresses.

Choose a step for its actual effect

Treat typing as keyboard input

Type text supports up to 500 US-layout characters. Direct CJK text, emoji and unsupported accented characters are not supported; unsupported text can be skipped with a warning. The separate Keyboard screen can reject unsupported typed input instead of sending it. Do not assume these paths behave like pasting Unicode from a clipboard.

The computer’s keyboard layout and active input method still affect the output. Check a sample containing the punctuation you actually need. Keep a normal keyboard available for input the phone cannot represent.

Review network actions separately

A Webhook sends its configured HTTPS request from the phone and can run without a Bluetooth connection. The URL, request method and any body you enter matter to the receiving service and your privacy. Manual JSON import disables webhooks by default; its review screen offers an explicit option to keep them enabled. Drive restore preserves saved enabled states, so review network actions before using a restored deck.

Longer sequences remain dependent on focus, timing and the selected host. If a step fails, stop and inspect the partial result before running the button again. Repeating a partly completed macro can duplicate text or perform an action twice.