Summary
- Open Settings > System > Rules > Add rule to set up Rules on your Pixel.
- Allow app background access when prompted to let rules run.
- Disable ‘Send notification when rule takes effect’ to stop rule notifications.
Google’s Pixel interface is deceptively simple. On the surface, it obfuscates much of the noise typical of other Android-based software skins, opting instead for a pleasantly streamlined end-user experience. Out of the box, there’s a distinct lack of clutter, service duplication, and gimmickry, though Google has sprinkled in a number of thoughtful utilities throughout the system that do manage to warrant their inclusion.
One such inclusion is a feature called Rules. Found within the Pixel’s Settings application, Rules serves as a very basic If / Then automation utility, allowing you to set parameters for automatically adjusting ringer volume and Do Not Disturb mode based on physical location or Wi-Fi proximity.
For example, I’ve personally set up a rule that will automatically set my Pixel to ring when connected to my home Wi-Fi network. Likewise, I’ve instructed the phone to set itself to vibrate mode whenever I walk through the doors of my workspace.
…Rules serves as a very basic If / Then automation utility, allowing you to set parameters for automatically adjusting ringer volume.
By configuring Rules, I don’t have to manually fumble around with the volume rocker on Pixel, nor do I have to worry about accidentally receiving a phone call during an important work meeting or missing an alert while lounging around at home.
Of course, while the Pixel’s Rules feature has been a game-changer for providing me with peace of mind during the workday, it has plenty of room for improvement. When compared to similar If/ Then tools from Samsung and Apple, for example, Google’s implementation is fairly bare bones. In fact, in the case of the iPhone, there’s an entire subreddit dedicated to sharing ever-more novel rule configurations within the community — a feat simply not possible with the default options provided to us by Google.
If you find the Pixel’s default Rules feature to be limiting, consider checking out the free Tasker app from the Google Play Store. This third-party utility is extremely powerful, though its interface takes some getting used to.
How to set up Rules on a Google Pixel
Rules can be added directly via the Pixel’s Settings app
To get started with the Rules feature on your Pixel phone or tablet, follow these steps:
- Launch the Settings application.
- Navigate to System > Rules > Add rule.
- A ‘Let app always run in background?‘ prompt will appear on-screen; Tap or click on the Allow button.
- Follow the on-screen steps to create a new rule.
Within the Rules creation page, you’ll find an option to have the system send a notification whenever a rule runs. If you’d like to disable these notifications from appearing, simply uncheck the Send notification when rule takes effect toggle.
And there you have it. Within just a couple of minutes, you can permanently wave goodbye to manually adjusting the ringer on your Pixel once and for all. While the Rules feature is relatively limited in scope, it covers the most convenient If / Then use case of them all, and it does so with elegance.
Conveniently, all your Rules will automatically sync across your Pixel devices via your Google Account — no need to re-configure them once they’re initially set up.
Here’s hoping Google builds its Rules function into a full-blown app experience in the near future, to better compete with the likes of Samsung’s Modes and Routines, Apple’s Shortcuts, and other competitors in the mobile space.
