Ranked #4 of 7 for best phone automation
Samsung Modes and Routines review
Samsung's free automation feature, built into the Settings app of Galaxy phones and tablets12.
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Verdict
7.6/10
Pick Modes and Routines if you own a Samsung Galaxy phone and want free automation for everyday settings: it is already in Settings, with preset modes and recommended routines to start from1.
Best for Samsung Galaxy owners
Skip it if you use an iPhone or an Android phone from another maker: Samsung documents Modes and Routines for Galaxy phones and tablets, and it has no Google Play listing13.
Visit Samsung Modes and Routines (opens the Samsung Modes and Routines website)
| Maker | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.2 |
|---|---|
| Where to find it | Settings > Modes and Routines on Galaxy phones and tablets1 |
| First version | Bixby Routines, introduced with the Galaxy S10 line (Samsung article dated February 22, 2019)4 |
| Modes added | One UI 5, previewed in a Samsung US Newsroom article dated October 13, 20225 |
| Android versions | Settings > Modes and Routines on Android 13 and 14, the newest versions Samsung's UK guide names; the separate Bixby Routines app on Android 11 and 126 |
| Current version | 5.0.01.52, dated March 31, 2026 on the Galaxy Store2 |
| Ways to run a routine | Automatically when its trigger happens, from the app, by Bixby or Google Assistant, from a Home screen widget, or from a Lock screen shortcut while the phone is locked1 |
| Add-on | Routines+ from Good Lock Labs (free, version 1.1.28 of July 30, 2026): adds a Button action condition and Arrow key, Touch macro and Navigation Bar type actions7 |
How Samsung Modes and Routines scores
| Power 25% | 6.5 | Samsung documents an If/Then builder in which each trigger and many actions carry their own options, plus modes that combine Do not disturb, app restrictions, extra actions and wallpapers1. The free Routines+ add-on adds a Button action condition and Touch macro, Arrow key and Navigation Bar type actions7. The Samsung support pages checked for this review give no full list of conditions and actions and do not document variables, and availability varies by device and software version1. Score: If/Then routines over phone settings, with no variables and no published list of conditions and actions, give 6.5. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use 25% | 8.5 | Nothing to install: it sits in Settings1. Preset modes walk you through setup with on-screen instructions, and the Discover screen offers recommended routines in categories such as Useful on the go and Adaptive routines1. A custom routine pairs conditions under If with one or more actions under Then16. Score: an If/Then builder with presets and recommended routines, and nothing to install, gives 8.5. | |
| Reliability 20% | 7.5 | It is built into Settings and updated through the Galaxy Store12, and a routine runs automatically when its conditions are met, with no confirmation tap described6. Samsung's own guide still tells owners to check battery settings so power-saving modes do not restrict routines and modes8. Availability varies by device and software version, and Android 11 and 12 phones use the older Bixby Routines app16. Score: built in and automatic, with Samsung's own battery-settings warning, gives 7.5. | |
| Price 15% | 9.5 | Free and preinstalled on Galaxy phones and tablets, and the Galaxy Store lists it as free2. The optional Routines+ add-on is free too7. The only cost is owning a Samsung Galaxy device1. Score: free and built in gives 9.5. | |
| Privacy 15% | 6.0 | Settings include a Samsung account entry, a Permissions screen and a Privacy Notice for Modes and Routines1. With Customised services turned on, the phone analyses usage patterns and offers conditions such as waking up, sleeping and driving6. The US guide lists a Customization Service option on the same settings screen1, and Samsung's Customization Service U.S. Privacy Notice says that service builds a profile, uses it for personalized ads only with separate consent, and can be turned off while default features keep working9. Samsung's support page points to the privacy notice inside the app; no public copy was found, so what routine data leaves the phone is unknown. Score: an optional usage profile and a privacy notice with no public copy give 6.0. |
Samsung Modes and Routines pricing
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Modes and Routines | Free2 | Preinstalled on Galaxy phones and tablets and updated through the Galaxy Store, which lists it as free. |
| Routines+ add-on | Free7 | Optional add-on from Good Lock Labs that adds conditions and actions to Modes and Routines. Its listing asks for Android 11 and One UI 3.1 or later and names four supported languages: English, Korean, Chinese Simplified and Japanese. |
Strengths and weak spots
Strengths
- Free and already in Settings on Galaxy phones and tablets, so there is nothing to install12.
- Preset modes with guided setup and recommended routines give a starting point you can edit1.
- Routines run from Bixby, Google Assistant, a Home screen widget or a Lock screen shortcut while the phone stays locked1.
- Modes bundle Do not disturb, app restrictions and a wallpaper for the phone, tablet or Galaxy Watch1.
- The free Routines+ add-on adds Touch macro, Arrow key and Navigation Bar type actions and a Button action condition7.
Weak spots
- Tied to Samsung hardware: Samsung documents it for Galaxy phones and tablets, and there is no Google Play listing13.
- Samsung's support pages give no full list of conditions and actions, and availability varies by device and software version1.
- Samsung's own guide tells owners to check that power-saving modes are not restricting routines and modes8.
- Conditions such as waking up, sleeping and driving need Customised services turned on, which has the phone analyse your usage patterns6.
- Galaxy phones on Android 11 and 12 get the older Bixby Routines app instead6.
Alternatives to Samsung Modes and Routines
- MacroDroid Easy Android automation, 8.0/10
- Tasker Maximum Android control, 7.5/10
- Google Pixel Rules Pixel owners silencing by place, 6.9/10
Samsung Modes and Routines: common questions
Is Samsung Modes and Routines free?
Yes. It is built into Galaxy phones and tablets under Settings > Modes and Routines, and the Galaxy Store lists it as free12. The optional Routines+ add-on from Good Lock Labs is also free7.
What happened to Bixby Routines?
Bixby Routines launched with the Galaxy S10 line in 20194. On Android 13 and 14 its features sit under Settings > Modes and Routines, and on Android 11 and 12 they stay in the Bixby Routines app6. One UI 5 added Modes alongside routines5.
Why is my Samsung routine not running?
Samsung's guide gives two checks: update the phone to the latest software version, and check battery settings so power-saving modes do not restrict routines and modes8. Running routines show in the Quick panel and on the Routines tab, and an active mode shows on the Now bar of the lock screen6. Availability also varies by device and software version1.
Sources
- Samsung Electronics America. Use Modes and Routines on your Galaxy phone or tablet. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
- Samsung Galaxy Store. [B OS]Modes and Routines | Galaxy Store (US storefront). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
- Google Play. Google Play listing check for com.samsung.android.app.routines (HTTP 404, Not Found). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
- Samsung Global Newsroom. [In-Depth Look #4] More Powerful, More Personal: Bixby on the Galaxy S10. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
- Samsung US Newsroom. One UI 5 Gets Personal: Bringing You More Ways to Create Your Own Mobile Experiences. Checked 8 Nov 2026.
- Samsung UK. How to use Routines on your Samsung Galaxy device. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
- Samsung Galaxy Store (seller: Good Lock Labs). Routines+ | Galaxy Store. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
- Samsung Gulf. How to Create and Manage Modes and Routines. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
- Samsung Electronics. Customization Service U.S. Privacy Notice. Checked 8 Nov 2026.