While Google Pixel smartphones may not always match other Android flagships in terms of raw power or performance, they excel at packing in genuinely useful software features.
Google Pixel smartphones already offer plenty of handy tools like Circle to Search, Now Playing, and Magic Editor. But there’s one underrated feature I had almost forgotten about.
Since setting up my Pixel 10 Pro last month, I rediscovered the feature, and now I cannot believe I did not configure it on my previous Pixel phones.
Here is what the Rules feature on Google Pixel phones does and how you can set it up to automate tasks on your device.
Pixel Rules automate tasks you’d do manually
A feature that quietly makes life easier
iPhones have Shortcuts, Samsung Galaxy phones have Routines, and even Google Pixel phones ship with a similar, though basic, automation feature called Rules.
In simple terms, Rules are If This Then That (IFTT) triggers that detect a change in your Pixel’s behavior and automatically run a task for you based on that change.
For example, if your Pixel connects to a specific Wi-Fi network or detects a location, Rules can trigger a shortcut to enable Do Not Disturb mode, switch to silent mode, and more.
Rules may be simple, but they automate the little things so well that you wonder why every phone doesn’t have them.
Unlike Shortcuts or Routines, Pixel phones only support a small number of Rules that can be triggered automatically. These include toggling Do Not Disturb and switching between silent, vibrate, or ring mode.
Even though the options are more limited compared to competitors, I find them to be enough for my use.
For instance, I set my phone to switch to ring mode when it connects to my home Wi-Fi and to switch to silent mode when I arrive at the office.
With these Rules, I no longer have to manually toggle these settings, which I find somewhat inconvenient on Pixel phones anyway.
That said, I would love for Google to integrate Gemini here so that users could create more complex Rules.
The company already allows users to create complex automations in Google Home using Gemini, and I’d love to see Pixel phones also gain a similar feature.
Sure, for now, the existing ones work just fine for me. But, it would also be great if Pixel users could share longer and more advanced automations with each other, similar to how easily iPhone users share their Shortcuts.
If you want to create more advanced triggers for your Android phone, an app called Tasker on the Google Play Store lets you build more complex Rules than those available on Pixel devices.
While it has a bit of a learning curve, it is extremely powerful.
How to create automated Rules on your Pixel phone easily
Step-by-step guide to building your automations
If you, like me, want to use the basic automations offered by the Rules feature, setting it up on your Pixel is quite simple. The best part is that you can configure them in the Settings app.
Here’s how to get started:
- On your Pixel, open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap System, then select Rules.
- In Rules settings, enable the toggle for Always allow location for rules. Optionally, you can also turn on Automatically suggest rules, which recommends rules based on your usage.
- Tap Add rule.
- Select the trigger. You can choose a Wi-Fi network or a location where the action should take place.
- Choose the action when the trigger condition is met. For example, you can enable Do Not Disturb or set your device to vibrate, ring, or silent.
- When finished, tap Add.
That’s it. The Rule will now automatically run the next time the condition is met.
The best part is that if you own more than one Pixel device, rules sync over the internet to all of them, so you do not have to add them again manually.
If you want to delete a rule, return to the same Settings page and tap the trash icon next to it.
Rules is one of those quietly brilliant Google Pixel features
All things considered, Rules is one of the best Pixel features I have stumbled upon in a long time.
I would love to see Google add more complex automations and triggers to Rules, allowing users to go beyond toggling DND or silent mode and grow it into a full experience similar to iPhone Shortcuts or Samsung Routines.
For now, though, the Rules feature is more than enough for me.
Beyond this, there are plenty of other features your Google Pixel smartphone ships with that you may not have explored. It is worth taking a look at some of the Pixel features you probably are not using enough.
