Enhance share to Anytype function on Android #2711
Description
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- I have read CONTRIBUTING.md
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Clear and concise description of the problem
On Android, the system Sharesheet: 'Add to Anytype' flow only allows a URL (or other shared content) to be captured as either a brand-new Bookmark or Note. This causes friction when:
- you want the link inside an existing research note, reading list, or task;
- you need it saved as another Object type (e.g., Task, Article, Collection, Page, other Resource);
- you want to tweak the title/description/url before saving;
- you organize content by Space / Collection and need to file it immediately.
Suggested solution
-
Sharesheet entry-point
The user taps “Add to Anytype” in the Android system share menu, just as they do today. -
Quick-save bottom sheet appears
A Material-3 bottom sheet slides up, showing a rich preview of the shared content (title, thumbnail or favicon, URL/text snippet, HTML content, etc). -
Choose a workflow: “New” vs. “Append”
- At the top of the sheet are two tabs (or a segmented control):
- +New – create a brand-new object.
- Append – insert the shared item into an existing object.
- The app remembers whichever tab the user picked last for faster future captures.
- If the user remains on “New”
- Existing "Space" option remains to choose the space
- A Save as dropdown lets them pick the object type (Bookmark, Note, Task, Article, or any custom Type enabled in the current Space).
- Below that, an inline Title and Body field are pre-filled with scraped metadata but remain editable.
- Optional advanced section (collapsible) lets the user pick Collection(s), Tags, any other properties before tapping Add.
- If the user switches to “Append”
- A quick-search bar plus a “recent objects” list appears, allowing the user to find the destination object by title or tag.
- Once selected, the user can choose where to place the link (top, bottom, or current cursor position if the note is open elsewhere).
- Editing and context settings (Space, Collection, Tags) remain available if needed, then Add/update button finalizes the insertion.
- This would be valid for any object like image, audio, url, text, html, markdown, etc
- Confirmation & undo
A snackbar pops up: "Saved to ___” with an Open shortcut and an Undo option for quick mistakes.
Alternative
- Default Behaviour Setting – In Anytype ▸ Settings ▸ Share-to, let users choose: auto-save as Bookmark in Space X, or always open editing sheet.
- Multi-link Queue – When several consecutive shares occur, offer “Add another” to queue and save all at once.
- Smart Suggestions – Machine-learn frequently used Objects (“Daily Reading List”) for one-tap append.
- Offline-first – Cache shares locally; sync when online.
- Template Hooks – If a custom Type has required Relations (e.g., “Source”, “Status”), the sheet surfaces those fields inline.
- Deep-link Intent – Allow third-party Android apps / shortcuts to pre-fill Type & Space via intent extras (e.g., type=Task&space=Work).
Additional context
Benefits & Impact
- Faster knowledge capture → fewer taps, less context-switching.
- Consistent organisation at the moment of inspiration; no inbox clean-up later.
- Greater adoption of custom Types & Collections, showcasing Anytype’s graph flexibility.
- Parity with desktop “Paste to Object…” workflow, bringing mobile closer to full-featured creation.
Thank you for considering this enhancement. It would make Anytype an even more seamless “second brain” on Android. Sorry I'm not a real developer or I'd offer a pull request 😬 Absolutely love Anytype and I've tried EVERYTHING there is to try.
Rough UI possibilities:
New Bookmark:
New Task:
Append: (or "Add to")
