How to Take Notes From Podcasts While Driving
You're driving, listening to a podcast, and the guest says something you want to remember.
By the time you park, it's gone.
The problem isn't your memory. It's that there's no safe way to capture insights while driving. You can't touch your phone, you can't type notes, and mental bookmarks don't work.
This guide shows you how to save those moments using just your steering wheel controls.
The Solution: CarPlay + AI Note-Taking
Most people don't even try to take notes while driving because there's no safe way to do it. You can't touch your phone, you can't type, you can't pull over every few minutes.
That's why we built Snipd. It's a podcast app with AI note-taking that works with CarPlay and Android Auto..
Here's how it works:
- When you hear something you want to remember, you simply tap the skip backwards button on your steering wheel.
- Snipd's AI captures the segment, transcribes it, and generates a summary note called a "snip" (short for snippet)
- The podcast keeps playing, you keep driving.
- When you arrive, all your notes are stored nicely organized in the app.
How It Works: Step by Step
Step 1: Download Snipd
Download Snipd from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). The app has access to all podcasts. You can easily import your subscriptions from your current podcast app via OPML.
Step 2: Connect to CarPlay or Android Auto
Plug your phone into your car (or connect wirelessly if supported). CarPlay or Android Auto starts automatically in most newer vehicles.
Step 3: Open Snipd
Launch the Snipd app from your car's screen. You'll see your podcast queue, subscriptions, and downloaded episodes.
Step 4: Start Listening
Select any episode and press play.
Step 5: Capture Insights While You Drive
When you hear something valuable, press your steering wheel's skip backwards button (⏮️). The AI captures the moment, transcribes it, and generates a note. The episode continues playing without interruption.
Step 6: Review After Your Drive
Open Snipd on your phone. All your captured insights are in your Snips library with the audio, transcript, and AI-generated summary. Add your own thoughts, organize with tags, or export to Notion, Readwise, or Obsidian.
Why This Is Safe
You never touch your phone. In most places, handling your phone while driving is illegal. Steering wheel controls are explicitly allowed. They're the same buttons you use for volume and track skipping.
Zero cognitive load. You're not deciding what to write, how much context to capture, or where to save it. You press one button. The decision-making happens later, when you're parked.
No visual distraction. You don't look at a screen, type anything, or interrupt your focus on the road. The podcast keeps playing, your car keeps moving, and the note gets saved in the background.
More Features That Help While Driving
Auto-Snipping: If you don't want to press any buttons at all, enable this. The AI identifies key moments automatically and saves them. You review what it captured after you park.
AI-Generated Chapters: Some episodes are 2+ hours without structure. Snipd breaks them into chapters with descriptions. From CarPlay, you can skip them using your steering wheel. No scrubbing through a timeline.
Automatic Sync: Connect Snipd to Readwise or Notion once, and all your snips sync automatically. Every insight you capture while driving appears in your knowledge system without any extra steps.
Some Tips for Maximizing Your Learning
Capture selectively. Focus on ideas that surprise you or directly apply to your current challenges. Three to five quality insights per episode is plenty.
Review within 24 hours. Spend five to ten minutes reviewing your snips the same day. Add a sentence about why each matters to you.
Connect to action. Ask yourself "How can I use this today?" Action-oriented notes are more memorable.
Export to your system. Send valuable snips to Notion, Obsidian, Readwise, or whatever tool you use for knowledge management.
Learn more about Snipd features here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to touch my phone at all?
No. Once your phone is connected to CarPlay/Android Auto (usually happens automatically when you plug it in), you can start listening and create snips through your car's steering wheel or touchscreen. Your phone can stay in your pocket the entire drive.
What if my steering wheel doesn't have media controls?
You can configure a Siri voice command to create snips hands-free or use the auto snipping. There's also an option to create a snip from the touchscreen.
What if my car doesn't support CarPlay or AndroidAuto?
If your car supports Bluetooth, you can still use your steering wheel buttons to create snips after connecting your phone via Bluetooth.
Does this work with all podcasts?
Yes. Snipd has access to virtually all podcasts. AI features work with over 1 million already-processed shows.
Do I need a Premium subscription?
No. The free version includes CarPlay and Android as well as AI features for two episodes per week. For more information, please check out our pricing page.
Turn Your Commute Into Learning Time
If you drive to work, that's probably 30-60 minutes each way. Lots of people use that time for podcasts, but forget most of what they hear.
Snipd helps you retain more from your podcasts by having a capture system that works "hands-free".
Try it out and test it on your next commute. Pick one episode, create 2-3 snips using your steering wheel, and see what you remember when you get home. That's the difference.
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