The XDA piece last week that called Samsung’s Modes and Routines “the automation hub Google Home wishes it could be” was not exaggerating. The Galaxy exclusive quietly does more than most third-party automation apps, and does it with the phone’s own sensors and system-level hooks that Google Play Services will not expose to anyone else.
If you are on a Galaxy, Modes and Routines is your default. If you are not, or you want automations that reach past the Samsung ecosystem, we tested six other Android apps that deliver the same “phone triggers, whole-home actions” loop.
What to look for in a routine app
- Trigger surface. Time, location, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, motion, activity, notification content, app foreground, calendar events. More trigger types means less awkward chaining.
- Action surface. Beyond system toggles, look for HTTP webhooks and MQTT publish so the app can talk to a smart hub.
- How it survives OEM battery limits. Xiaomi, OnePlus, Realme, and Honor all throttle background work. Ask if the app runs a persistent foreground service.
- Whether it needs a cloud login. Modes and Routines runs fully on-device with a Samsung account. Not every alternative does.
- UX curve. Some apps ship visual flows for beginners. Others expect scripting.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modes and Routines | Samsung Galaxy owners | Free | System-level triggers no third party has |
| SmartThings | Whole-home routines | Free | Also acts as the Modes and Routines back end |
| Google Home | Cross-brand devices | Free | Household sharing and voice actions |
| Tasker | Any-condition scripting | Paid $3.49 | Deepest trigger and action set |
| Automate | Visual flowchart automation | Free with limits | Beginner-friendly node graph |
| MacroDroid | Recipe-first automation | Free with limits | Ready-made template library |
| Home Assistant | Local-first smart home | Free, open-source | Works without any vendor cloud |
The seven apps
1. Modes and Routines, best if you own a Galaxy
Samsung’s own Modes and Routines is the reason this article exists. Modes are contexts (Sleep, Work, Driving) that flip the phone into a set of states. Routines are trigger-based automations layered on top. Because it is a system app, it can toggle DND profiles, change lock-screen wallpapers, kill background apps, and switch active SIMs in a way no third-party automation tool can.
Where it falls short: only ships on Samsung Galaxy. Cannot drive non-Samsung smart devices without going through SmartThings first. Some flows require a signed-in Samsung account.
Pricing: Free. Bundled with One UI.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: If your phone is a Galaxy, start here before installing anything else.
2. SmartThings, best for whole-home follow-through
SmartThings is Samsung’s smart-home platform and the natural back end for Modes and Routines. Where Modes and Routines handles the phone, SmartThings handles the room: turn on the ceiling light, unlock the door, set the thermostat. On non-Samsung phones, SmartThings runs as a full standalone routine engine with cross-brand device support.
Where it falls short: some routines require devices to be on the SmartThings cloud, which introduces latency. Local execution is limited to Matter-certified devices. The app has been redesigned so many times that older tutorials are misleading.
Pricing: Free.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: Pair with Modes and Routines on Galaxy phones. Use standalone on other Android phones for the same effect.
3. Google Home, best for shared households
Google Home is the cross-brand smart-home app for households. Routines here can be triggered by voice, time, sunrise, or arriving home, and they run across every Matter or Works with Google device on the network. Household sharing means every family member can trigger the same routines from their own phone.
Where it falls short: routines are shallower than Samsung’s or Tasker’s. Complex conditions require branching that Google Home does not really support. Voice remains the most reliable trigger.
Pricing: Free.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The pick when everyone in the house should be able to trigger the same routines from any device.
4. Tasker, best for anything else
Tasker has been the Android power-user staple for over a decade. Its trigger set covers everything from calendar events to per-app notification contents to specific NFC tags. Actions include running shell commands on rooted devices, sending MQTT messages, and posting to any HTTP endpoint. If a routine is possible on Android, Tasker can build it.
Where it falls short: the learning curve is real. Even people who love it agree the UI needs a rethink. Battery cost of complex profiles adds up.
Pricing: One-time purchase around $3.49.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The right pick when Modes and Routines does not go far enough and every trigger matters.
5. Automate, best visual flowchart alternative
LlamaLab’s Automate replaces Tasker’s forms with a flow graph. Presence, notifications, and time triggers all become nodes that feed into HTTP requests, notifications, or smart-hub actions. The visual layout makes complex automation easier to reason about than Tasker’s nested profiles.
Where it falls short: flows over 30 blocks require a paid unlock. Some Tasker plugins do not have Automate equivalents.
Pricing: Free with limits. Premium around $6 in-app.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The pick for people who think in diagrams and want a lighter learning curve than Tasker.
6. MacroDroid, best for beginners
MacroDroid is the friendliest of the automation apps. The template library ships ready-made recipes for common routines (“charging above 90%: stop charging”, “arriving home: turn on Hue lights”). New users can build a first useful routine in about five minutes.
Where it falls short: the free tier caps you at five macros. Deep triggers like Bluetooth advertisement scanning are not as rich as Tasker’s.
Pricing: Free with limits. Pro one-time around $6.99.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The right entry point for people who bounced off Tasker.
7. Home Assistant, best local-first cross-brand routine engine
The Home Assistant Companion app pairs with the open-source hub of the same name to run routines that touch every device on your network, without a vendor cloud in the loop. Automations trigger on presence, sensor readings, or phone state, and act on lights, thermostats, locks, and speakers regardless of brand.
Where it falls short: you need to run the server. Onboarding is longer than a self-contained mobile app. Some vendor-specific features require community integrations.
Pricing: Free and open-source. Optional Nabu Casa cloud subscription $6.50 per month for remote access.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The pick when you want cross-brand routines without depending on any vendor cloud.
How to pick the right one
- Own a Galaxy: Modes and Routines first, then SmartThings for whole-home actions.
- Mixed household on Android and iOS: Google Home for shared routines.
- Power user who wants any trigger: Tasker, or Automate if you prefer a graph.
- Total beginner: MacroDroid.
- Local-first smart home: Home Assistant.
FAQ
Is Modes and Routines available on non-Samsung phones? No. It is a Galaxy-only system app. The closest cross-brand equivalents are Tasker and Home Assistant paired with SmartThings or Google Home for device actions.
Does Google Home replace Modes and Routines? For house-level device actions, yes. For phone-level actions like changing DND profiles or switching SIM cards, no.
Can Tasker run the same routines as Modes and Routines? Tasker can match or exceed most Modes and Routines triggers. It cannot reach some Samsung-only system settings.
Which automation app has the lowest battery cost? Modes and Routines has an edge because it hooks into the OS. Among third-party apps, Automate and MacroDroid are typically lighter than Tasker.
Do any of these work offline? Modes and Routines, Tasker, Automate, and MacroDroid all execute local rules without internet. Google Home and SmartThings need connectivity for most cloud-backed device actions.
