Pixel Rules rule | Google's unsung feature on Pixel devices

If you are a Pixel user, you know that Google has a ton of features available on their Pixel smartphones. Some may say that Google has the smartest smartphone and I definitely fall into that camp. But there is one feature that I rely on and is very useful that does not get much attention and that's Rules. Rules are not the easiest feature to discover but the functionality is worth the search. 

For the uninitiated, Rules is a feature that enables your smartphone to take certain actions automatically when connecting to a specific Wifi network or when you enter into a specific location. Once set up you can turn on DND, set the phone to silent, vibrate, or ring. Very basic but the use case is very handy especially for someone like me that frequently forgets to set my phone to vibrate when I get to work. I've been that guy that phone rings during meetings.

The other cool thing is that Rules removes said Rule you set up when you leave the location or disconnect from the Wifi network. For me, my Pixel switches to vibrate when I arrive to work and when I leave my phone switches right back to ring. Pretty helpful, right? There is also a notification when a Rule is performed however the notification can be turned off after the first first time the Rule is carried out. 

Now that we have the particulars out of the way let's see how we set up a Rule.

First up navigate to Settings and go into System

Select Rules

On the first go-around, you are required to give the feature permission to run in the background

Review the terms and select allow if you so approve

Now to start creating select add Rule

Select Wifi or location. I'll choose location for this demonstration

For the location enter the name of the place or enter the address

You can also set the radius to cover more area if you like

Select the action and then add to finish set up

This is what it looks like when complete

That's it and now you are all set up. Rules is not a groundbreaking feature but it's a feature that works well and is something you can rely on. Its been a part of my routine for some time now and I find it to be invaluable. The one drawback is that Rules has not received much attention from Google and therefore the functionality is mostly unchanged since it was first introduced. I'm hoping for more in the future but we will have to wait and see.