How to Create Automatic Daily Routines on Your Android
I have been using my smart speaker in my daily life ever since Amazon released them for their Echo devices. And I don’t call the chain of action by shouting out some random phrase. Rather, my routines run at different times throughout the day – in fact, it’s just wake up time and bedtime – so I can get a quick snapshot of important information like the weather and upcoming calendar events.
If you don’t have a smart speaker and instead wake up to the soothing sounds of your Android smartphone, you can now play these kinds of routines on your device. Google has updated the default Clock app for Android to include Google Assistant, and setting up daily activities that run at specific times is as easy as it gets.
First, make sure you have the latest version of the Google Clock app installed via Google Play. If for some reason your smartphone doesn’t have a watch, you can download it here .
Open the Clock app, tap the Alarm section and tap the big blue plus icon at the bottom to create a new alarm. Set the time you want your routine to start, tap OK and set it to repeat (if you like) and ring or vibrate (maybe not needed if you’re just creating a daily routine rather than an alarm + routine combination .).
Once you’ve done that, click on the new ‘Google Assistant Routine’ option under ‘Label’ and you’ll get a large splash screen that tells you a little more about what routines are. To get started, tap the small “Customize Procedure” box in the lower right corner.
You will then see a screen that should look pretty familiar if you have any Google smart speakers. If this is all new to you, take some time to enjoy what your smartphone is now doing for you. It includes:
- Setting the desired volume level of your device at a specific time
- Turn connected smart devices on and off, including lights and switches, or set the home thermostat to specific settings
- I warn you about the weather
- By telling you how good (or terrible) your commute can be today
- View today’s calendar events
- Reminder of any reminders you created earlier
Once Google Assistant looks at those items on your list, it can complete your routine by playing the latest updates from your favorite news sources, turning on a podcast, or launching an audiobook – the perfect combination for morning oatmeal if you’re eating that today .
Once you’ve made your choice for any procedure you create, scroll to the top of the screen to reorder most of your selections – news, podcasts, or audiobooks will always play after your other items. Tap the gray checkmark to complete the procedure. You will be asked if you want the Assistant to launch your routine from the lock screen to complete the job. Of course, why not?
Now that your daily routine is active, you can go back and edit whatever options you want by clicking on the Google Assistant subroutine heading – not the minus sign with a circle around it – in the alarm options. The minus sign does not pop up with confirmation if you click on it, so be careful when navigating this section, otherwise you might accidentally delete a customized routine.