Buzz
Waking up to the sound of an alarm, even if it’s just your phone, now seems like a relic. If you’ve embraced the smart speaker revolution—whether it’s a Google or Amazon device, or Apple’s beautifully crafted HomePod—you have far more options to help you start your day than just the jarring braaap-braaaap-braaaaap of an alarm.
I’m a fan of a detailed morning routine, especially a digital one, since I’m often too tired or absentminded to tackle my to-do list first thing. Fortunately, Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri are always ready to lend a hand. But each assistant provides a distinct way to streamline your morning. Here’s what I’ve discovered after sharing numerous cups of coffee with all three (in no particular order):
Google Assistant / Home
How to structure morning routines
To access 'Routines' for your Google smart speaker, open the Google Home app on iOS or Android, tap the purple 'Routines' icon, then select 'Manage Routines.' While Google offers several pre-set routines to use, it’s much more fun—and easier—to customize your own.
Triggers you can use
You can activate your routines using a voice command of your choice—anything you like. If you prefer variety (or, like me, tend to forget your trigger phrases), you can also assign multiple words or phrases. Additionally, you can schedule routines for specific times or days and choose which speaker to use, in case you have more than one.
Actions you can launch
One of the coolest features of Google’s routine setup is that you can trigger virtually any action you’d normally ask your speaker (or Google Assistant on your phone). There are countless options—and I bet you, or anyone else, hasn’t memorized all the major ones—but you can also have a little fun with what your Google speaker says to itself.
If you could use a little assistance with ideas, the Home app offers a selection of popular actions to choose from, including basic tasks like switching on and off connected ‘smart’ devices, adjusting the temperature, setting lighting scenes, telling you the time it will take to get to work, reading out upcoming events from your calendar, or letting your speakers know you're heading home (which your roommates will surely appreciate). You can even get your Google speaker to say whatever you like when you trigger a particular routine. For instance, a common phrase in my space is, “Wake up damnit.”
Anything else?
While you have the option to create your own trigger to have your speaker play a podcast or your favorite wake-up tunes, there’s also an “Add media” section within the Home app’s routine-builder that makes it simple to select news sources, audiobooks, or even calming sleep sounds to enjoy. (If you'd like your Google speaker to play your preferred albums, playlists, radio stations, or podcasts, you’ll need to manually type them in.)
Amazon Alexa / Echo
How to plan morning routines
To access ‘Routines’ for your Amazon Echo speaker, open the Alexa app on either iOS or Android. Tap the three-line icon in the top-left corner to reveal the app’s sidebar, and then tap ‘Routines’ to begin setting up your custom commands.
Triggers you can use
Much like Google, the Amazon Alexa app lets you activate routines with any word or phrase of your choice—or at a specific time on the day or days that you choose. You can also link connected devices to trigger routines. (Unfortunately, my digital door lock isn’t functional, but I can set a routine to activate when my Echo Plus detects that the temperature in its room has exceeded a certain level.) Additionally, you can use geofencing to trigger routines when you arrive at or depart from a specific location.
Actions you can launch
Unlike Google, Alexa doesn’t allow for extensive customization of routines—you won’t be able to input specific commands you’d like your smart speaker to execute if you have a creative idea or quirky response in mind. Instead, you'll choose from pre-set options on Alexa's menu: Alexa can recite standard or custom phrases, provide calendar updates, adjust volume, play music, read the news, and control your connected smart home devices, among other tasks.
One feature I really appreciate is the 'Wait' action, tucked away at the bottom of the Alexa app’s routine options. While it may seem like a simple command—just say 'wait' to Alexa—it’s surprisingly practical for adding time delays to your tasks. For instance, you can turn on your smart lights in the morning, then give yourself a moment before your Alexa speaker starts bombarding you with your daily agenda. Or, if you're creating a custom 'Nap' routine, you could set a delay and then have your favorite song play after a set time. The 'Wait' feature is perfect for routines like these.
Anything else?
For more adventurous users, integrating Alexa with platforms like IFTTT or Stringify can really unlock new possibilities, especially for controlling devices that Alexa doesn’t natively support. For example, I’ve found it extremely helpful to ask my Echo to send my network-attached storage (NAS) to sleep mode, instead of having to manually adjust the settings within its companion app. Both IFTTT and Stringify also work with Google Assistant, so you can use Google’s speakers to trigger these custom actions as well.
Apple’s Siri / Home
How to plan morning routines
You have two choices for automation. Either use Apple's Home app to set things up, or opt for Siri Shortcuts (available on iOS 12 or newer) to trigger a variety of actions. If you don't have many HomeKit-compatible devices or a HomePod, Apple TV, or iPad as a HomeKit hub, you'll likely want to go with the shortcut method. Plus, Shortcuts offer a wider range of possibilities compared to basic automations.
Available Triggers
When using automation, you can trigger HomeKit devices based on specific conditions, like flipping a switch on a HomeKit light, or by time or location. For Shortcuts, you can launch them from a widget, through the share sheet, or directly from your Home screen. Additionally, you can link them to Siri and activate them using a specific command.
Actions You Can Perform
Focusing on Siri Shortcuts here, since it's clear what can be done with HomeKit devices—turning lights on or off, switching scenes, adjusting thermostat temperatures, activating smart switches, and more. If you want to combine these device actions with data-driven tasks, such as having your HomePod read the news or hearing Siri update you on your schedule, the Shortcuts option is your best bet.
As we've explored before, Siri Shortcuts allow you to accomplish a wide variety of tasks across your devices. Your limitations are mostly tied to your creativity and your ability to think through the problem. While you might not be writing any code, you will need to put in some effort to figure out how to achieve your desired result.
In simpler terms, setting up a daily routine can be a hassle. The example of a Siri Shortcuts morning routine is quite an extreme one, and while I admire its thoroughness, you'll want to download and install it on your iPhone to see just how much planning and logic goes into a detailed morning schedule. Even if you only want a shortcut that does part of what this routine offers, like a standard morning briefing, you’ll need to dedicate time to customize it (or adjust shortcuts you find online).
That’s the beauty and the challenge of Siri Shortcuts: almost anything is possible, but you’ll have to invest a lot more effort and puzzle-solving than you would with a more traditional “assistant” or “smart speaker” application.
Anything else?
I don’t own a HomePod, so I can’t confirm this firsthand, but it seems that it’s currently impossible to stream music to an AirPlay device using a Siri Shortcut. In other words, you'll be limited to having a relaxing song play through your iPhone or iPad as part of your morning routine shortcut, which feels a bit unnecessary.
