Google Assistant’s routines can help you automate your smart home or create a school bell schedule for your kids. But what you, the modern adult working from home? Now Google Assistant has you covered too, with a new routine that schedules your workday.
The new routine is optional and opt-in, you’ll have to go into your Google Assistant settings to turn it on. But once you do, it’ll help you keep track of meetings, fire up Zoom when it’s time, and even remember to take breaks.
It comes with some preset options, though you can customize it to your needs. As Alice Liang, a Product Manager at Google, explains, “every Monday through Friday at 10:00 a.m., you’ll get a message from Google Assistant on your smart speaker or display saying “it’s time to stand up and stretch!” At 2:00 p.m., it might suggest going for a walk, and then to grab a glass of water at 3:00 p.m. Finally, at 4:45 p.m., you’ll be reminded to start wrapping things up. Assistant will also regularly share the time with you throughout the day so that you don’t lose track of upcoming meetings.”
The new routine works on any Google Assistant-powered smart speaker, smart display, or smartphone. You’ll just need to open Google Assistant on iOS or Android and go into its settings to turn on the routine. Google says it’s rolling out the Workday Routine today.