In our daily lives, we often engage in repetitive phone actions without a second thought. Whether it’s turning off Wi-Fi when we leave home, silencing notifications before bedtime, or consistently opening the same apps at specific times, these small habits accumulate and shape our routines.
While Android devices come equipped with basic automation features, such as scheduling Do Not Disturb for nighttime or utilizing adaptive brightness, these functionalities merely skim the surface of what true automation can achieve. The real potential lies in applications that allow users to craft personalized routines tailored to their unique phone usage. Below, we explore six automation apps for Android that are either entirely free or offer a complimentary version.
Samsung Modes and Routines
For Samsung Galaxy users, powerful automation is readily available, integrated directly into their devices. Known as Modes and Routines—formerly Bixby Routines—this feature is included in One UI 5.1 and is compatible with most Galaxy devices from the S23 series onward, as well as select A series models.
Accessible through the settings menu, this tool is divided into two distinct sections. The Modes feature allows users to create preset profiles such as Sleep, Work, or Exercise, which bundle various settings together. In contrast, Routines enable users to construct custom automations from scratch, utilizing triggers such as time, location, app launches, charging status, or Wi-Fi connections, followed by a series of actions like adjusting volume, toggling settings, opening apps, or controlling smart home devices.
Action Blocks
In a delightful twist, Google’s Action Blocks emerged as an accessibility tool designed for users with cognitive or motor disabilities, yet its simplicity makes it beneficial for everyone. This app allows users to create customizable shortcuts on their home screens, executing complex tasks with a single tap.
Instead of navigating through multiple menus, users can simply press one button to trigger a series of actions. Leveraging Google Assistant, any command recognized by the Assistant can be transformed into an action block. Users can create blocks for calling specific contacts, navigating to frequently visited locations, playing favorite playlists, sending preset texts, or managing smart home devices. Each block is visually distinct, featuring a custom image for easy identification.
Automate by LlamaLab
While many automation apps mask their complexity behind straightforward menus, Automate embraces a more transparent approach, presenting users with a visual flowchart interface that demystifies routine creation. Users can drag and drop blocks, connecting them to visualize their automation logic clearly.
This flowchart style may seem daunting initially, but it simplifies the understanding and troubleshooting of complex routines. Each block represents a trigger, action, or condition, allowing users to design their automation flows intuitively. For example, to auto-respond to texts while driving, one could incorporate a block that detects a car’s Bluetooth connection, link it to a messaging block, and complete the setup effortlessly.
With over 320 building blocks available, Automate covers a wide range of functionalities, from battery management and app interactions to location tracking and system settings. The free version supports up to 30 blocks per flow, accommodating most common automations, while a premium plan unlocks unlimited blocks for more intricate setups.
aProfiles
Not every automation app needs to boast an extensive feature set to be effective, and aProfiles exemplifies this principle. This app focuses on profile-based automation, adjusting phone settings automatically based on time, location, or connected Wi-Fi/Bluetooth devices.
Users begin by creating profiles for specific scenarios—such as a work profile that activates silent mode, enables Wi-Fi, and disables Bluetooth. Following profile creation, users can establish rules to activate or deactivate these profiles. The free version allows for three rules and includes ads, which is sufficient for basic setups. aProfiles supports a variety of actions, including volume adjustments, connectivity toggles, brightness changes, and app launches, providing ample customization options.
However, it’s important to note that aProfiles tracks location in the background to enable features like location-based triggers and nearby Wi-Fi detection, which may raise privacy concerns for some users.
IFTTT (If This Then That)
IFTTT is often credited with pioneering the straightforward automation formula that many apps now emulate. Its name encapsulates the entire concept: if a specific event occurs, then a corresponding action follows. IFTTT truly excels with its extensive ecosystem of connected services.
With hundreds of integrations spanning social media platforms, smart home devices, productivity tools, and cloud storage, the app operates through applets—pre-made or custom automations that users can activate with a tap. The free tier grants unlimited access to the community library, where users can explore applets created by others. However, those wishing to build their own applet from scratch are limited to just two custom applets as free users.
MacroDroid
Striking a balance between powerful functionality and user-friendliness is a challenge for automation apps, yet MacroDroid achieves this equilibrium, earning a loyal user base. The app refers to its automations as “macros,” which follow a straightforward three-part structure: triggers, actions, and constraints.
Triggers initiate the automation (e.g., headphones connected, battery below 20%, specific time), while actions define the subsequent steps (e.g., launching a music app, enabling battery saver, adjusting volume). Constraints add conditions that must be met for the macro to execute (e.g., only on weekdays, only at home).
MacroDroid offers over 100 triggers, actions, and constraints for users to mix and match. Additionally, a template library filled with pre-made macros allows users to import and modify existing macros, similar to IFTTT. The free version limits users to five macros, which, while seemingly restrictive, effectively covers essential automations for most individuals. For those seeking unlimited macros, a premium plan is available.
