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Google’s built-in routines can automate many Pixel and Google Home tasks without a third-party app. For phone-centered routines, start with the Pixel guide in Assistant settings; for personal or shared-home routines, Google’s current setup flow is in the Google Home app. Each routine needs at least one starter and one action, and the options you see depend on your device, account, settings, and connected-home setup.
Which Google routine should you use?
“Pixel routines” are not one single automation feature with one universal setup path. Google documents a Pixel-focused route through Assistant settings, as well as personal and household routines managed in Google Home. Choose based on where the routine should act:
- Phone-centered routine: Use the Pixel guide’s Assistant settings route for routines such as morning, work, workout, or bedtime. Examples include getting calendar or weather information, changing a phone mode, opening an app, or starting audio or a timer. The exact actions available vary. Google’s Pixel routines guide notes that menu labels and paths can differ by Android version.
- Personal routine in Google Home: Use this for a routine tied to your Google account and personal results, such as hearing calendar, weather, or commute information after dismissing an alarm.
- Household routine in Google Home: Use this for shared home devices and household conditions, such as scheduled lights or lights triggered by motion or a doorbell. Household routines are not a way to retrieve each household member’s private calendar events or reminders.
Google’s Pixel guide describes routines as a way to free up time; that is product-guide language, not a published measurement of time saved.
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Set up a Pixel-focused routine
- Open Assistant settings on your Pixel. The route and labels can vary by Android version.
- Scroll to Routines, then select an existing routine or create one.
- Add or edit the starter—the event or command that begins the routine—and the actions you want it to perform.
- Configure the details for each action, then save.
- Test the routine using its activation command or starter. Check that each chosen action is available and works on your device.
Google’s Pixel guide gives examples including morning, work, workout, and bedtime routines. Treat these as ideas rather than a promise that every phone or account offers every action.
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- Unlocked Android phone gives you the flexibility to change carriers and choose your own data plan: Works with Google Fi, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and other major carriers[2]
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Set up a personal or household routine in Google Home
- Open the Google Home app and start creating a routine.
- Add at least one starter, such as a spoken command, a time, or a supported device event.
- Add at least one action, such as an announcement or a supported device control.
- Configure the starter and action details, then save the routine.
- Test it under the conditions you selected and confirm that connected devices respond as intended.
Google’s Assistant Help documents this Google Home flow and examples for both personal and household routines.
What can start a routine—and what can it do?
A starter is the trigger; an action is what happens afterward. Google’s documentation shows several kinds of possible combinations, but they are not guaranteed on every device or in every location.
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- Google Pixel 10a is a durable, everyday phone with more[1]; snap brilliant photography on a simple, powerful camera, get 30+ hours out of a full charge[2], and do more with helpful AI like Gemini[3]
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- Plan, create, and get more done with help from Gemini, your built-in AI assistant[3]; have it screen spam calls while you focus[6]; chat with Gemini to brainstorm your meal plan[7], or bring your ideas to life with Nano Banana[8]
| Routine context | Possible starter | Possible action |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | A spoken phrase, a schedule, or dismissing an alarm | Provide traffic, calendar, weather, or commute information; play audio; or carry out other available phone or Assistant actions |
| Household | A schedule, motion, or a doorbell event, where supported | Control compatible home devices, such as turning lights on or off |
Google Help also describes a household routine that can turn a plug on or off at a specific time. That is an optional connected-home use case, not a requirement for phone-only automation. You need a compatible, connected device for device-control actions; a routine cannot control hardware that is not integrated with your setup.
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- Availability is conditional. The routine type, device, account settings, location, and connected equipment can affect which starters and actions appear. Some starters require a home address or a supported connected device.
- Household routines are shared-home tools. Google says they cannot provide a household member’s personal calendar events or reminders. Use a personal routine for account-specific results.
- Some actions are restricted as starters. Google notes that certain security-sensitive actions cannot be used to trigger a routine.
- Examples are not guarantees. An action shown in Google’s documentation may not be offered for your phone, account, region, or device combination.
For an exact list of available starters and actions, check the routine editor in your own app rather than assuming that a published example will appear unchanged.
How Google routines compare with Samsung Galaxy Modes and Routines
Samsung describes Galaxy Routines as condition-and-action automation: when a selected condition is met, the device runs preset actions. Its Hong Kong support page covers recommended and custom routines and notes that menu paths differ between older Android versions and newer Modes and Routines menus. That supports a high-level comparison, not a feature-by-feature winner.
| Question | Google routines | Samsung Galaxy Modes and Routines |
|---|---|---|
| Where they act | Personal phone tasks and, through Google Home, shared household devices | Samsung describes routines that run actions on a Galaxy device when conditions are met |
| How they start | Documented examples include voice commands, schedules, alarm dismissal, and supported home-device events | Condition-based triggers; exact options depend on the device and software |
| Setup path | Assistant settings for the Pixel-focused guide; Google Home for personal and household routines | Modes and Routines menus vary by Android version |
| Availability caveat | Depends on routine type, device, account settings, location, and connected devices | Samsung’s cited guidance is for Hong Kong products and says models, sequences, and settings may vary by region or purchase location |
Samsung’s support information was updated March 19, 2026, and is explicitly scoped to Hong Kong. It should not be read as a universal statement about every Galaxy model or market. Samsung Hong Kong’s Modes and Routines guide is the relevant reference for that scope.
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- Pixel 10 Pro is built with durable aluminum and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for scratch and drop resistance; the 6.3-inch Super Actua display with 3,300-nit peak brightness is easy on the eyes, even in direct sunlight[3,13,18]
What Gemini’s newer Android task feature means
On February 25, 2026, Google announced an early-preview Gemini multi-step task beta for selected Pixel 10 and Galaxy S26 devices in the United States and Korea. The announcement described support for selected food, grocery, and rideshare apps, and said users could monitor, interrupt, or stop tasks running through a secure virtual window with access to limited apps. Google cautioned that compatibility and availability vary. This announcement does not establish that Gemini replaces routines or that the beta is generally available; rollout details can change. Read Google’s February 25, 2026 announcement for its stated scope.
Quick Recap
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