Every Android phone should steal this One UI trick

Android skins don’t look radically different from one another, but their functionalities can differ greatly. Some features on a specific skin are better than their equivalents available on other Android phones.

This is how phone makers compete. They try to stand out from their rivals by offering something unique to users that no one else does. Or it could just be the best version of what’s already available.

One UI is no different. Samsung deserves credit for cramming so many unique features into its Android skin that you still won’t find anywhere else.

However, unique doesn’t mean useful. Samsung’s One UI also has features that are good only for boasting and haven’t gained mindshare.

A useful feature is one that makes things easy with minimal effort. When I think about it in respect to One UI, I can’t help but praise how good its automation features are.

In my opinion, other Android phones should copy it as is.

Modes and Routines is the best automation feature on Android

And it’s worth copying

For an Android skin that offers so many customization options and functionalities as One UI, it is difficult to pick just one as the best feature.

The list of top One UI features can vary, depending on who you ask, but in books, Modes and Routines will certainly make it. Regardless of the workflow, it just makes things easier and has something to offer for everyone.

Modes and Routines is available as an app and is part of One UI. At its core, the app is designed to automatically change your phone’s settings, behavior, and even app actions based on the conditions you select.

However, modes and routines aren’t synonymous with each other and have dedicated pages in the app. That’s because their purposes are different.

Modes give you a set of predefined profiles, like Sleep, Theater, Driving, Work, and more, and you can customize them to add what they do when turned on.

You can also select the date and time, and for how long the mode will stay activated. Additionally, when turned on, it can automatically change the appearance of your lock screen, home screen, and even watch face.

However, unlike modes, routines aren’t pre-built and let you create your own logic using a bunch of “If this, then that” rules. Routines give you more granular control than modes.

Instead of manually turning it on or setting up a fixed schedule, you can add triggers that will activate specific features on your phone.

For example, you can set a routine where your phone’s brightness will change automatically to the value you set when your Galaxy handset is connected to your office Wi-Fi.

I use this feature daily for the gym. My Galaxy S21 connects to the gym’s Bluetooth speaker and plays Spotify automatically when I arrive. Smart home is another example where routines can come in handy.

You can also add different modes as triggers to allow it to perform specific tasks. It also lets you start a routine manually by tapping the routine widget.

Overall, Modes and Routines is an indispensable tool for anyone looking to save time and effort.

Non-Galaxy Android phones have automation, too

But not as comprehensive as Samsung’s

You can enjoy automation features on any Android phone if you install the Tasker app. But it’s a third-party app and will set you back $3.99. Another caveat is that it isn’t as polished as Modes and Routines.

However, you may not need the Tasker app for every non-Galaxy phone. For example, the Google Pixel UI has Modes.

Modes help you with low-level automation work like silencing notifications and pausing selected apps.

It isn’t as tightly integrated into the OS as Samsung’s Modes and Routines, so it isn’t good at making system-level changes.

The situation isn’t any better on other non-Galaxy Android phones. Automation is either totally absent or is limited.

You can use Google Assistant’s Routines if your Android phone doesn’t have automation capability. However, since it requires your voice as a trigger, it isn’t truly automatic.

Samsung is the only brand that has taken automation seriously and shown how to get it right. For every other Android phone, the smartest move is to copy what Samsung has done with Modes and Routines.

One UI offers its rivals plenty to learn from

Android isn’t perfect, and neither is it the One UI. However, Samsung is making it better with every feature update.

For other brands, they don’t need to monitor Samsung’s every future move with One UI closely. The South Korean tech giant has already included an impressive set of unique capabilities with One UI over the years.

It isn’t the right call to copy everything unique to One UI, because that would harm the reputation of the brand.

Instead, competitors should look at those as a source of inspiration and make a better version of their One UI counterpart.

Consumers will be the real winners here, because Samsung won’t sit quietly when another company beats it to its own idea. This healthy competition will keep the Android experience evolving more rapidly.