These are the 5 Samsung Routines I can’t live without

Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority

Automation has always been a popular idea. Having a device do things for you instead of doing it all yourself appeals to many people, myself included. Samsung phones make automation easy with their Modes app, which can seem daunting at first due to the sheer number of device integrations. But Modes can become an invaluable tool once you get used to it.

I’ve been using Modes since they launched with the Galaxy S10 series as Bixby Routines. In that time, I’ve created several automations that I can’t live without, and these are five of my favorites.

Keep your display bright

Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority

I’m a forgetful chap. A few months ago, I spent a week thinking my Galaxy S24 Ultra was faulty because I could hardly see what was on the screen, even when I maxed out the brightness. It took me longer than I’d care to admit before I realized that I’d left the “extra dim” mode on for an entire week and that it was my memory at fault, not my phone. I often use this extra dim setting when in bed, so I needed to ensure I didn’t leave it on again in the morning. The routine is a simple one. Every day at 9 AM, it runs and turns the extra dim mode off.

Reduce distractions and eye strain when you get a migraine

Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority

I’ve suffered from migraines since I was 14. I don’t get them as often as I used to, but when I do have one, there’s not much I can do to treat it aside from retreating into a dark and quiet room. To ensure my phone provides as little distraction as possible, I have a routine that I can activate with a home screen widget. The routine enables dark mode, eye comfort shield, extra dim mode, do not disturb, and then mutes all sounds.

Depending on the severity of my migraine, I often can’t see clearly during a flare-up, so attempting to adjust everything would be a nightmare. That’s why I rely on the home screen widget as an easy way to change these settings when a migraine hits.

Maximum driving volume

Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority

I get a lot of notifications throughout the day, so I usually keep my phone on silent to avoid constant interruptions. That also applies to my media volume, which I keep muted unless I’m actively listening to something so that a random Instagram reel doesn’t deafen me. While driving, though, my phone sits in a holder on my dashboard and connects to my car via a Bluetooth AUX adapter. In that particular situation, I want to hear my music and my incoming calls, so when my phone connects to that Bluetooth adapter, the routine turns all of the phone’s volumes to 100%.

 Stop hiding my map

Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority

I’ve got another driving-related routine here. When smartphones used to have fingerprint readers on the back, you could swipe up and down on them to summon and dismiss the notification shade. As a big phone lover, I used this often and was sad to see it go when fingerprint scanners moved beneath our displays. Now, we can get that functionality by double-tapping the back of the phone to show our notification shade. Unfortunately, British roads are notorious for the number of potholes and bumps drivers must endure, even on a small journey.

Alright, let’s put two and two together: When my phone sits in my dashboard mount, most bumps make the phone shake in the holder enough to trigger this double-tap gesture, bringing my notification shade down over Google Maps. To combat this, I have a routine that disables the back-tap action whenever Google Maps is on the screen.

Never miss an important call

Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority

I have telephone appointments with various hospital departments at least once every two weeks, usually more often. As mentioned, I like to keep my phone silent, especially when I’m working to avoid distractions. The issue arose where I would forget to turn my ringer back on when I had an upcoming appointment and ran the risk of missing the call. Samsung Routines quickly solves this issue. You can make any of the alarms you create a trigger for the routine. So, I have an alarm called “phone call,” and whenever that alarm rings, it turns my notifications and ringtone volume up to 100%. Provided I manually set this “phone call” alarm for ten minutes before the call, I know I won’t miss it.