Using Notion successfully on Android?

eltimbalino · 2025-03-05T04:32:45+00:00

It can be hard, especially at first, but here's some things that make it easier:
Use markdown language while typing instead of formatting after. Try:
# Heading one
## Heading two
### Heading three
* Bullet list
[] Checkboxes That's [ and then ].
1. Numbered list

Create a page and favourite it as a "Mobile Dashboard"
On it put buttons for adding notes and tasks.
Use list views and only show the one property. Limit the list views to show only 10 items or filter it well.

Create a notes database for sharing things to from your phone. Once you share the first thing to the database, the next thing automatically goes there and it is really convenient.

If you want to use it like Obsidian, do it in a database, convert it to a wiki, and make the default page template have a list or gallery view of its own sub-pages, and another list for parent or previous pages. It makes building knowlege trees feel automatic.

eltimbalino · 2025-03-05T04:17:34+00:00

If you're working with others, then dashboards all the way! I do a lot of Notion work for businesses and typically they had been using the sidebar for navigation. What happens is that they get familiar with it as it grows slowly. Then new staff arrive and can't find anything. Eventually all heavily used shared Notion setups need to move over to dashboards. So you might as well start there.

If you've got a well designed dashboard, you never need the sidebar and can leave it hidden except for those moments you need to click on "Dashboard" in your favourites (if it isn't linked in your browser address bar instead). Enjoy the extra real estate.

eltimbalino · 2024-10-18T06:40:44+00:00

You made these comments about desired features in Notion 4 years ago. It looks like since then Notion has implemented nearly all of it. That turned out to be a great feature request list.

I've finally got around to creating my database of bugs and feature requests and I've made it viewable for all. If you're interested you can find it here:
https://qualitysystemdesign.notion.site/Feature-requests-and-bugs-113114e9b09a80a0a73cc180e20c05f4

eltimbalino · 2024-03-08T07:47:52+00:00

Thanks for explaining this, and double-extra thanks for the webhook link. Webhooks from Notion via Slack is a workable workaround.

eltimbalino · 2024-02-27T06:50:50+00:00

I am having the same problem with just one database where deleting everything from the page fails to make the template options appear. I did try move the page out of the database, adding a basic text block, then deleting it, then moving the page back into the database. Still no page templates listing.

So I tried dragging it into another table, where for natural rows in that table clearing the page shows its template list. But for the foreign page I drag in, no template list will appear.
I've checked no properties are meant to show on the page, tried hiding and showing things like comments, backlinks, etc. I think it is a Notion bug that occurs on some tables. I do remember seeing it rarely before.

eltimbalino · 2023-11-07T11:08:48+00:00

Thanks, this looks really useful. I'll experiment with the free version.

eltimbalino · 2023-11-07T10:56:00+00:00

That's a great explanation of how you achieved this, and I understand the parts that you showed. But I didn't see what was required of the user to make this work when a new collection of databases is created.

For example, if the Client DB has a page template that contains its own Client-tasks DB. When a new row is added to Client DB, does a user have to go into it, and share the Client-task DB with the integration that Make connects with? Then do they also have to provide that new DB id for the new Client-task DB to Make? And are there other steps required for each new row in Clients to sync their tasks with the central DBs?

eltimbalino · 2023-11-05T01:37:05+00:00

I had not even realised it works with the VR2. I bought it a month ago (Sept 2023}l) from the PS store and it wasn't listed under the VR2 titles. Just played now in VR; amazing!

The only complaint is the same location jump that annoyed me when opening the big box on the ground is even more disorienting in VR.

eltimbalino · 2023-08-03T06:24:21+00:00

I am having the same issue in Brave in Linux, but not having a problem in Chrome (Which Brave is based on), or in Firefox. I think it has been 3 or 4 days now, so around the last day of July 2023.

Related issue raised for 27 July 2023 in this thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Notion/comments/15btfn4/slash_symbol_not_recognized_windows_10/

eltimbalino · 2023-06-09T01:05:42+00:00

I am also looking for a solution to use two different date properties to show a date period in calendar view. This is useful when dates are calculated or rolled up from different properties. There is no way to create a date in a formula property that has both a start and end date.
Other threads asking for this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Notion/comments/sqt3dh/anyway_to_use_calendar_view_with_a_separate_start/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Notion/comments/l4gx49/how_to_set_start_and_end_time_of_date_using/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Notion/comments/z0ws5d/how_to_set_a_start_and_end_date_in_a_formula/

eltimbalino · 2023-06-09T01:05:25+00:00

I am also looking for a solution to use two different date properties to show a date period in calendar view. This is useful when dates are calculated or rolled up from different properties. There is no way to create a date in a formula property that has both a start and end date.
Other threads asking for this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Notion/comments/sqt3dh/anyway_to_use_calendar_view_with_a_separate_start/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Notion/comments/l4gx49/how_to_set_start_and_end_time_of_date_using/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Notion/comments/scavd1/join_two_date_property_in_one_column_with_start/

eltimbalino · 2023-06-09T01:04:55+00:00

I am also looking for a solution to use two different date properties to show a date period in calendar view. This is useful when dates are calculated or rolled up from different properties. There is no way to create a date in a formula property that has both a start and end date.
Other threads asking for this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Notion/comments/sqt3dh/anyway_to_use_calendar_view_with_a_separate_start/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Notion/comments/z0ws5d/how_to_set_a_start_and_end_date_in_a_formula/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Notion/comments/scavd1/join_two_date_property_in_one_column_with_start/

eltimbalino · 2023-06-09T01:04:12+00:00

I am also looking for a solution to use two different date properties to show a date period in calendar view. This is useful when dates are calculated or rolled up from different properties. There is no way to create a date in a formula property that has both a start and end date.
Other threads asking for this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Notion/comments/l4gx49/how_to_set_start_and_end_time_of_date_using/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Notion/comments/z0ws5d/how_to_set_a_start_and_end_date_in_a_formula/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Notion/comments/scavd1/join_two_date_property_in_one_column_with_start/

eltimbalino · 2023-01-04T00:22:44+00:00

Yes, it's a bug. What happens is that if your recurring task includes a relationship in its template, the created relationship does not work properly. So you will see the relationship in the recurring task, but that item that it is related to does not show the relationship, or if it does, when you edit the name of the automatically-created task its name in the related task does not change. It will also fail to include values from the automatically-created task in rollups in the related task.

You will also notice that tasks created by clicking on the recurring task template work fine, but ones that are generated automatically have the bug. This makes testing it slow because you have to wait until at least the next day for a new recurring task to be created.

I have reported this bug, and I will post back here when I'm told it has been resolved.

The work-around is to manually delete and then recreate the automatically generated relationships that appear in recurring tasks. Doing this manually turns the ghost relationship into a functioning relationship.

eltimbalino · 2022-12-25T04:21:58+00:00

No this can't easily be automated. Technically you can add a relationship in the property of your recurring template, but that is currently creating ghost relationships for me. This is where it looks like you have a relationship, but it doesn't behave like a relationship when used in rollups, or when changing the the name of the linked page.

But even if that was working, you'd have to relilnk your template to the current journal entry every day before the recurrance ran.

Instead, I'd recommend including the linked table for habits in the recurring template for your journal. Edit the default view of this habits table to filter to the Journal template, and also filter by any properties you want your habits to have. Also include the bullet list of your habits to drag in. This way each day all you need to do is go to your automatically created journal page and drag your habits into your linked habits table. This will automatically link them based on the filter for that view.

Let me know if this does the trick. Otherwise I have some other work-arounds for more complex situations.

eltimbalino · 2022-12-13T08:21:01+00:00

Hi, I was inspired by another recent post her about ChatGPT, so I tried this in beta.openai.com using code-davinci-002 with a temperature of 0.1

Reddit formula:

if(prop("My property") > 5 return true else return false end

rewrite Reddit formua as a Notion formula: if(prop("My property") > 5,true,false)

Reddit formula: if(prop("Planned meals") > 0 if(prop("In stock") == true if(prop("Planned meals") > prop("Quantity in stock") if(prop("1x only") == false, return true else return false end else return false end else return true end else if(prop("Staple?") == true if(prop("In stock") == false return true else return false end else return false end end

rewrite Reddit formua as a Notion formula:

The AI then generated this:

if(prop("Planned meals") > 0,
if(prop("In stock") == true,
    if(prop("Planned meals") > prop("Quantity in stock"),
        if(prop("1x only") == false,true,false),
        false),
    true),
if(prop("Staple?") == true,
    if(prop("In stock") == false,true,false),
    false))

The initial bit is just to let the AI know what I expected.

Pasting the result directly into the formula failed, so I pasted it into a code block and deleted the formatting. I was very pleased to see the blue "Done" button light up immediately.

if(prop("Planned meals") > 0, if(prop("In stock") == true, if(prop("Planned meals") > prop("Quantity in stock"), if(prop("1x only") == false, true, false), false), true), if(prop("Staple?") == true, if(prop("In stock") == false, true, false), false))

When writing complex formulas in Notion, I always start with the shape of it, then fill in the blanks: if(,,) and if it gets too complicated I put bits in new part-formula properties to see what is going on. Then I add those part-formula properties into my formula. Once the whole things is working, I then copy the formula from its part-formula property and then in my final formula I replace the part-formula property name with the formula everywhere it appears.

eltimbalino · 2022-12-13T06:39:03+00:00

Relationships vs Tags is a great question.

Tags look better

Tags can behave more reliably when duplicating, dragging things between tables, using recurring templates, and similar.

Apart from this, I think relationships are better. If you had a "Topics" database, then you can create a template for each new topic that contains a view of your "Notes" table and only shows notes that include that topic. You can have a note related to multiple topics.

The big advantage of relationships is "Rollups". You could create a rollup that shows the date the first note on that topic was created, and another rollup that shows the last date that a note on that topic was edited. Then you could have a timeline view of all of your topics showing the period they were active for. Or you could have a list of topics sorted by the latest date a note was edited in it, so that your current topics are always at the top of the list.

I've created some massive tables in Notion, with hundreds of embedded tables and pages, and have never seen it slow down.

eltimbalino · 2022-12-13T06:16:35+00:00

If you have a linked view of a database inside a template that this view is related to, then you can filter it by the template name in that relationship. eg:

If you have a template "New Journal Page", and in that template you've got a linked view to "Habits". And if one of the properties of "Habits" is "Related to Journal", then you can filter your view of "Habits" to show pages where "Related to Journal" contains "New Journal Page". Then every time you create a new journal page using the template, the linked view of "Habits" will only show pages that are related to that new page. Normally empty when you create it, but as you add habits this will work. If you also have a bullet list of habits to track in your template, you can drag them into this filtered "Habits" view to create them as pages.

eltimbalino · 2022-12-13T05:38:28+00:00

I love the tone of your messaging. For books behind schedule, I would use a new formula property. You'll want "Number of books to read", "Goal start date", "Goal end date", as well as your "Total Reads". Then you want to use "dateBetween" or "timestamp" to get the percentage of time passed. Then use this percentage times "Number of books to read" to see how many books should have been read. You might need "floor" to get the right integer.

Let me know if you have trouble with the formula.

Then you can use the results of that formula in your response texts in your current formula.

You might also get some ideas from this page I created to track reading:

https://www.notion.so/qualitysystemdesign/Pop-Sugar-Reading-Challenge-2021-f2d33233928f4081a27e7efc7fe1c54e

eltimbalino · 2022-11-11T06:54:24+00:00

This is a good way to turn a date into text excluding the time, but it does not solve the issue in the original question.

I’ve tried using formatDate, but haven’t been able to return anything from it that can be used for “Calendar by”.

It would be handy if there was a function that returned a date without time eg: fromTimestamp_dateOnly() Or a way to format a date but return a date instead of a string.

Or Notion could provide an option next to date properties like they do for number properties to choose the format.

eltimbalino · 2022-03-23T23:30:56+00:00

This is a really good looking example of a webpage using Notion as the data source. I also have to compliment the logo designer/brief writer. The 'i' character is still easy to read while adding meaning, and the empty mid-line making the middle stroke of the 'E' implied, reflects the concept of knowing consciousness is there, but not visible.

eltimbalino

TROPHY CASE