Google Assistant Routines Begin Rolling Out to Everyone

After being announced late last month that they would be coming soon, Google has finally rolled out Routines for Google Assistant.  The six routines allow you to perform certain tasks and get information all with one “Hey, Google” command on your Google Home device or your Android phone.  They are designed to make the experience more personal but also more helpful by not having to give Assistant multiple commands to get information.

In all there are six Routines that rolled out today:

• Good Morning
• Bedtime
• Leaving home
• I’m home
• Commuting to work
• Commuting home

It should be noted that both of the Commuting routines are only for your smartphone and won’t work on your Google Home.

How these work are pretty straightforward.  When you say, “Hey Google, Good Morning”, you are given:

• Take your phone off silent (only when initiated via an Android device).
• Adjust lights, plugs, thermostats, and more
• Tell you about today’s:
  • Weather
  • Commute
  • Calendar
  • Reminders
• Adjust the media volume

From there you can have it play music, a podcast, news or even an audio book.

Here are the details on the other Routines now available:

“Hey Google, Bedtime”

• Put your phone on silent (only when initiated via an Android device).
• Tell you about tomorrow’s:
  • Weather
  • First calendar event
• Set an alarm.
• Adjust lights, plugs, thermostats, and more
• Adjust the media volume

“Hey Google, I’m leaving”

• Adjust lights, plugs, thermostats, and more

“Hey Google, I’m Home”

• Adjust lights, plugs, thermostats, and more
• Broadcast to Google Home’s that are in your home
• Tell youhome (location-based) reminders
• Adjust the media volume

“Hey Google, let’s go to work”

• Tell you about today’s:
  • Commute
  • Weather
  • Calendar
  • Reminders
• Adjust lights, plugs, thermostats, and more
• Adjust the media volume

“Hey Google, let’s go home”

• Tell you about your commute
• Adjust lights, plugs, thermostats, and more
• Send texts
• Read unread texts
• Broadcast to Google Home that you’re on the way home
• Adjust the media volume

In order to setup Routines, you will need to have the cloud-side update added to your account on the latest version of the Google Home app.  Once you have that, you will see the option for Routines in the app’s menu.