Quick Links
Sometimes, life can be overwhelming, but Google is here to help! Routines are an automated function of the Google Home app on Android devices that I use to organize my work and home activities and make my life a little less hectic.
Waking Up With Google Routines
Using an alarm to wake up is likely the one part of my day where automation could be considered essential. I use a Google Routine with myGoogle Nestfor alarm calls, but these functions can be automated and played back on your smartphone or smart speaker.
Once awake, Iconfigure various Google Routinesvia the Google Home app to deliver notifications and automate functions to be better organized and start my day positively.
Setting My Alarm With Music and Radio
How I wake up can help determine my mood for the entire morning, so I like to ease gradually into my day by setting a Google Routine to play the latest news updates or music as my alarm. In early 2024, Google switched media alarms from Google Assistant to Routines, and this is now the only way to use your Google Home-enabled device as a radio alarm clock.
Access theAutomationsmenu in your Google Home app tocustomize your Google Home news feedand configure your device to play news and music as an alarm. From the Automations menu, you can access all the other features mentioned in this article to help you streamline your life and boost your productivity.
Planning My Day With Google Routines
Once I am fully awake, with coffee in hand, I like to hit the ground running by saying, “Hey Google, tell me about my day.” This can be a more concise command, such as “Good morning” or “I’m up.“When Google hears the command, it will launch your preferred sequence of notifications configured within theGood morningsection of theAutomationsmenu.
My notifications include a weather report, the day’s calendar events, and today’s tasks. I habitually use Google’s Calendar app for important events, deadlines, and tasks to consolidate all my important information and keep me on track. Hearing this information first thing in the morning gradually slides me into work mode and makes me think about how things will pan out throughout my day.
Managing Your Workday With Google Routines
Good organization is a crucial component of a happy and successful working life. With Google Routines, I can manage my daily commitments, stay informed, and keep myself occupied when traveling to and from the workplace.
Using Google Routines on My Commute
If you are a regular commuter, you can ask Google to perform specific tasks to keep you updated and entertained while in transit. I use my Bluetooth earbuds for this, but it can also be configured using Android Auto if you travel by car.
To set this up, I first set my home and work locations in the Google Home app. Then, when I give the voice command, “Hey Google, let’s go to work,”I receive traffic information, estimated arrival time, and other information about my route. Once these actions are finished, I can automate my device to relay calendar information, give a weather update, and play music or the radio.
Organizing My Daily Tasks With Routines
If you’re not keen on listening to your work schedule immediately upon waking up, you can automate a Routine to relay that information at the start of your working day. I use theWorkdayroutine to boost my productivity when I don’t work remotely, as it puts me in a positive headspace that continues throughout the morning.
As with my early morning Routine, my workday information usually involves a reminder of the day’s tasks gleaned from my Google Calendar. These often include repeated functions for a given day of the week, such as regular reports, scheduled meetings, and team exercises.
Having my daily tasks laid out helps me build a picture of my day and better use my time between tasks for the myriad of other commitments that my work demands.
Going to Sleep With Google Routines
A good night’s sleep is essential to my productivity and I let Google Routines take over when I turn in for the night. By automating the end of my day, I can keep better sleeping habits, organize the next day’s activities, and even improve the quality of my sleep if necessary.
Automating My Devices for Sleep Mode
Select theBedtimeroutine in Google Home Automations to access the various actions that help you settle down for the night. You can choose from a list ofStartersfor when you want these to take effect, such as at sunset or at a specific time, but I like mine to activate when I give the voice command “Hey Google, good night.”
Upon giving this command, my Android devices automatically go into Do Not Disturb mode and the Assistant asks me what time I’d like my alarm to be set. The latter is more of a fail-safe to let me know that the alarm is set and hasn’t been accidentally deactivated. You can also use this command tocontrol your smart home devices using Google Assistantat the end of the day.
For example, you could adjust your thermostat to your desired sleeping temperature and turn off lights around the house if you have them configured to work with Google Home.
Preparing Myself for the Next Day
While I generally don’t like to think about work when I fall asleep, it often helps to remind myself of upcoming commitments and events at the end of the day, especially if these require extra preparation beforehand.
In this instance, I will set a reminder via my Google Calendar app with specifics on what is required of me or anything else I need to prepare. Google Assistant can then be configured to remind me of my forthcoming calendar events as part of my Bedtime routine.
Playing Sounds to Help Me Sleep
At the end of your day, even as you drift off to sleep, Google Routines can help you achieve a better sleep pattern by playing relaxing sounds. I must admit that I only used this function with a rain noise setting once out of sheer desperation, but I can see how it might help those who have trouble falling asleep regularly.
So, from the very start to the end of my day, Google Routines has real value as a productivity tool and general assistant. As a longtime fan of Google’s free lifestyle apps, I find Google Home secondary only to Google Maps in terms of usefulness, largely thanks to its Routines function.
Whether you use the Google Home app solely via your smartphone or link it to multiple smart devices around your home, Routines can make you sharper, better organized, and more relaxed at home, at work, and on your daily commute.
