Build a GTD Quick Capture Inbox on iPhone That Empties Itself
Every GTD practitioner knows the rule: if it's on your mind, capture it — into one trusted inbox, immediately, with zero friction. And every GTD practitioner also knows what actually happens: the inbox fills faster than the weekly review can empty it, trust erodes, and the system quietly collapses.
The capture requirements (per GTD)
A capture tool has to be: always available (one gesture away), frictionless (no folder decisions at capture time), and trusted (everything captured provably ends up where it belongs). Most apps nail the first two and fail the third — capture is easy, but processing is a job you still owe.
The twist: an inbox that processes itself
Sorta collapses GTD's capture and clarify steps into one. Each capture is interpreted on-device at the moment you make it, and routed to the right bucket in Apple's native ecosystem:
- Time-specific commitments → Apple Calendar (GTD's "hard landscape")
- Next actions → Apple Reminders (your action lists, with alerts)
- Reference & someday/maybe material → Apple Notes
A live preview shows the destination before you confirm — that's your ten-second clarify step, done at capture time instead of piling up for Sunday night.
Setting up the workflow
- Make Sorta your single capture point. One universal inbox beats six half-used ones. Type or hold-to-speak from the bottom-anchored bar.
- Capture in natural language. "Email Marcus re: contract by Thursday" carries the action and the deadline — Sorta extracts both.
- Let your lists live in Apple's apps. Because everything lands in Calendar, Reminders, and Notes, your GTD system works everywhere those apps do — Watch, Mac, CarPlay, Siri.
- Keep the weekly review — make it shorter. With clarifying already done, your review becomes what it should be: scanning lists and calendars, not archaeology on an overflowing inbox. Capture Insights (Pro) shows your capture patterns at a glance.
Why this builds trust
GTD works when your brain believes the system. Watching "dentist Tuesday 2pm" become an actual Calendar event three seconds after you said it — every time — is what makes your mind finally let go. Free to start; Pro is a one-time $4.99, and everything runs privately on-device.
Weekly Planner – Sorta
The GTD quick capture inbox that empties itself. Free to start.