How to use Siri to maintain a shared shopping list

By Georgia
last updated

Courtesy of The Early Edition developer Nick Takayama, here's how to setup a shared Reminders list for shopping, and keep it updated via Siri. Hey, relationships are hard enough, so easy, fun, and geeky ways to reduce the friction are always appreciated.

The Setup

  1. Get an iPhone 4S
  2. Create iCloud account for you and your significant other (or whomever you want to share the list with)
  3. Create an iCloud synced Reminders list called Shopping
  4. Go to iCloud.com and, in the Calendar, share that Shopping list with your significant other's iCloud account

The Use

  1. Tell Siri to "add donuts to shopping list" (or add whatever you want on the list!)
  2. That's it!

Adding donuts (or whatever) to your Shopping list automagically shares it to your significant other's list, and checking it off on your list automagically checks it of on the shared list, and Siri makes it super easy to keep adding more stuff as it occurs to you. Sure there are a bunch of apps for that, but if you want Siri to do it for you, this is how to do it for now.

Source: @ntakayama

Georgia
Georgia

Senior Editor at iMore and a practicing therapist specializing in stress and anxiety. She speaks everywhere from conferences to corporations, co-host of Vector and Isometric podcasts, follow her on Twitter @Georgia_Dow and check out her series at anxiety-videos.com.

33 Comments
  • Now it makes me want to have iPhone 4s. I want to start using this Siri thing that people are crazy about.
  • Now it makes me want to have iPhone 4s. I want to start using this Siri thing that people are crazy about.
  • i have siri shut off.
    by the time it listens to you, thinks and then if your lucky, gets what you say right, you could have typed it in yourself.
    helps battery life too.
  • Because telling them in person is hard work right?! lols. Oh wait, does it work via remote too?
  • Because telling them in person is hard work right?! lols. Oh wait, does it work via remote too?
  • I set this up and had it send notification to my Wife's .me account that I'm sharing a list, but her account never got the email. I've tried it twice with no luck.
  • Me too, I created a reminders list and shared it with my wife but she has not recieved an e-mail nor has the shared reminders list shown up on her i-phone or in her calander when logged into iCloud.
  • I can't get past step one.
  • I can't get past step one.
  • Same here Leanna. When Siri is working (most of the time), she's usually fast and understands about 98% of everything I say. Maybe Ty's problem is that he has an accent? Not sure on that, but I've been incredibly impressed with Siri.
  • I don't care about the sharing aspect but definitely cool to have learned to set up new lists and be able to use Siri to add stuff to them!
    Works like a charm!
  • Me also, have found it to be very accurate and when there is a misunderstanding it mostly is due to running words together or due to a noisy enviorment. As for processing it has been quick, I have not experienced the delays as some people have claimed.
  • Me also, have found it to be very accurate and when there is a misunderstanding it mostly is due to running words together or due to a noisy enviorment. As for processing it has been quick, I have not experienced the delays as some people have claimed.
  • Me also, have found it to be very accurate and when there is a misunderstanding it mostly is due to running words together or due to a noisy enviorment. As for processing it has been quick, I have not experienced the delays as some people have claimed.
  • Siiri keeps telling me I don't have a shopping list when I try this. I tried naming it "store", but she didn't find that either. Not trying to share it with anyone but my iPad, but that shouldn't matter.
  • Never mind.
  • Never mind.
  • Never mind.
  • Yup.. Your all set to annoy the hell outa everyone around you at the store... Just get groceryIQ and stop yelling out like a freak in the store..
  • if you are at the store.. why would you add more to you list? just get while you are there.
  • I came across a coupon for iPhone and iPad, I guess Apple is doing this for the Holiday Season, Check it out here http://www.saveadollardad.com I also recommend the groceryIQ app.....awesome
  • NO MORE SIRI :( : http://j.mp/vB9vfB
  • Thanks for this tip. I'm using it with my wife for a grocery list, but we currently have the iPhone 4 and have to enter each item "old school" by typing. How quaint!
  • Everything about this is awesome, including the example using donuts.
  • Everything about this is awesome, including the example using donuts.
  • i have had a few issues with the location based reminders... twice now i have told her to remind me of "xxxx" when i leave here. She creates it, but then doesnt bother to actually remind me when i leave the area.
  • does anyone know whether this works out for siri talking German? I tried but it doesn't work!
  • AWESOME thanks
  • We were just at costco last night saying I wish we could do this and BAM this morning here it is!
  • im stuck... when i say "Add XXXX to my Shopping list" Siri locates shopping malls near me. Renamed to Grocery... and she finds Gorcery stores near me. Shill will NOT add it to the list unless i add the word Reminder... "Add Donuts to my Shopping list reminder" ?
  • Siri is an idiot! I say "Add peanut butter to the shopping list". It interprets it as "And a peanut butter to the shopping list", then says "Sorry, I can only look for business in the United States, and when you're using U.S. English." What???? I have it set to Australian English anyway. And where did it get the idea I was looking for a business? I was excited when Siri was announced, but it has been a rare time it actually works, and I spend more time trying to correct it than I would use to type it myself. Siri is brain dead as far as I am concerned.
  • I set up a shared shopping list (no Siri so I have to TYPE it) but my sharing invitation had to be accepted on a computer first since the iPhone does not let you see the full iCloud web site and accept the invitation. It just clocks.
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