3 Google Assistant Routines you should set up right now

Google Assistant routines
Google Assistant routines (Image credit: Android Central)

In just a few short years, Google Assistant has gone from a cool glimpse of the future to come to a legitimate digital helper that you can use every day with your smartphone, Google Home speakers, and soon via Google Assistant-powered smart displays.

One of the coolest new ways to use Google Assistant is the Routines feature which allows you to use one command to get Assistant to complete multiple actions. This feature is not available in all language and is best supported for English (U.S.), where custom created routines are still rolling out to users in America.

But custom routines aside, these are the most convenient Assistant routines you should set up right now!

Google Assistant Routines: Everything you need to know

Enhance your morning routine

Mornings are hard, but Google Assistant can help you be more productive as you're waking up. It's pretty common for people to reach for their smartphone as soon as you wake up in the morning — whether it's to check for any emails or messages received or simply to turn your phone off silent. But that ultimately distracts you from the other routine stuff you need to do to prepare for your day.

With the "Good Morning Routine", your Assistant can handle those mundane tasks like taking your phone off silent while also give you the day's weather forecast so you can plan your outfit and an estimation on your commute to work so you know how much time you have before you need to be out the door.

Depending on the Assistant-controlled smart devices in your home, you can also control the smart lights around the house or start brewing your day's first cup of coffee.

Then you can have Google play your favorite playlist, give you a rundown of the latest news, start playing your favorite morning radio station or load up a podcast to start your day. I'd personally recommend The Daily by the New York Times, which has become the informative highlight of my mornings.

All this can be triggered by simply saying "Good Morning", "Tell me about your day", or "I'm up".

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Create a worry-free commute experience

Once you're ready to leave the house, use your Assistant to improve your daily commute.

Using Assistant on your phone, you can use the "Commute to Work" routine to get a briefing of any upcoming events for the day from your Google Calendar, get an up-to-the-minute update about traffic conditions for your commute, and adjust your Nest smart themostat to a lower temperature to cut down on your energy bills.

Finally, you can get Assistant to launch into your favorite playlist or podcasts and more and adjust the volume just the way you like it.

There's also a "Commute to Home" routine which offers a few different features, including sending texts to your significant other letting them know you're on your way home, or even broadcast that you're on your way home to Google Home devices around your house.

As you'd expect, there's a bit of setup required to set up some of these cool features, including which playlists or podcasts you want to listen to, and the cell phone number and message you want to send to your loved one. But once you've got everything configured, all you need to say is "Let's go to work" or "Let's go home" and Google handles all the rest.

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Let your Assistant shut down the house at night

Technology can be a real thorn at nighttime when your body is trying to wind down for the night but you can't rip your eyeballs away from your phone screen. Google Assistant won't fix your bad habits, but it can help you get ready for bed in other ways.

With the "Bedtime Routine", your assistant can put your phone on silent, give you a quick rundown of what's going on tomorrow, and toggle off any smart lights or plugs you have set up in your home. Then you can set your alarm for the following morning and then choose your favorite relaxing music or "Sleep sounds" (think a relaxing babbling brook or white noise) to help you fall asleep peacefully.

Once it's set up simply tell your Assistant "Bedtime" or "Good night" and then tuck yourself in. Sweet dreams!

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What's your favorite Assistant routine to use?

These are our recommendations, but we want to know how you use Google Routines! Let us know in the comments.

Marc Lagace

Marc Lagace was an Apps and Games Editor at Android Central between 2016 and 2020. You can reach out to him on Twitter [@spacelagace.

19 Comments
  • Google Assistant is, and will stay, disabled on my phone.
  • This right here.
  • Google assistant and routine? That would suggest that folk do the same thing every morning of every day? That aint no good for those of us on variable shift paterns. One day its earlies the next lates the next nights and so on. So like others the assistant is turned off. Plus why would I leave the lights on in my house or the heating? Thats what switches and thermostats are for.....arnt they? When I was a kid we had it drummed in to us to turn of unwanted lights etc etc.
  • you came on an article about something you dont use to announce that you dont use it?
  • I would love to use Routines but Google is dragging its arse in releasing Routines to Canada.
    HURRY UP!!! And no....'my day' is NOT a useful alternative.
  • I have the Routines feature on my Pixel 2 XL, but I wonder if it's because I'm either on the Android P beta or that I did pop down to the US last week. Don't have a Google Home to test it on that at the moment though.
  • Still not in the UK 😔😩
  • Yeah, as a W10M user I was expecting more from Google.
  • Good morning and good night work perfectly at home. I've also grown quite fond of Android Auto (oem VW head unit) as well.
  • I've also just started using Android auto on my vw oem unit. Very good even if must be cable connected. I guess charging the phone is needed anyway.
  • Waiting for smart devices to become so common that the price drops so I can equip my home without spending a fortune. In the meantime I can manually turn on off everything
  • I think most people are in line with you in this - I know i am. I already have a Nest thermostat which I can have set to go on right before I get up, and then turn down when I am away. That is nice - and expensive. The rest will wait.
  • You don't have to spend a fortune. Just look for good deals. I was able to get a Google home mini for 29$ and 3 smart plugs for 20$. Pretty convenient to just say hey Google turn my living room lights on\off instead of going to all three lamps to do it manually. I do think the nest thermostat is expensive also. But I did buy three for my house and am liking the results. Definitely made a difference in my electric bill for the better.
  • Unrelated but I like the AC mug in the second picture 😉
  • Google Assistant is very helpful for me and my family for various reasons. I'm still waiting for the option to create custom routines... 👍
  • I have all my routines setup on my Bixby note8 and I love it.
  • SkyNet will become self aware right on schedule. Between Google Duplex and now this, we are doomed. 🤣
  • I hate Google assistant, and never use it. When it was on, before I turned it completely off, it played havoc with my settings when I used either wired or Bluetooth headphones. I wish I could completely rip the code out and never see that stupid "turn assistant on now" prompt that comes up from time to time.
  • These routines would have no effect upon my life whatsoever, so I will not set them up.