How to Create an Alexa Routine

Routines Are Alexa’s Most Useful Feature

Most people use Alexa for one thing at a time: “set a timer,” “play music,” “turn off the lights.” Routines let you chain multiple actions together and trigger them with a single phrase, a time of day, or a smart home event. “Good morning” can turn on the lights, read the weather, start the coffee maker, and play the news — all from one command. Here’s how to set them up.

Creating a Routine

  1. Open the Alexa app
  2. Tap More → Routines → + (top right)
  3. Give your routine a name
  4. Tap When this happens to set the trigger
  5. Tap Add action to set what happens
  6. Tap Save

Trigger Types

  • Voice command: You say a specific phrase (“Alexa, good morning”). The most common trigger type.
  • Schedule: At a specific time on specific days. Good for wake-up routines or bedtime automation.
  • Smart home device: When a device triggers — a motion sensor detects movement, a door opens, a button is pressed.
  • Alarm dismiss: When you dismiss an alarm. Perfect for a morning routine that starts when you actually get up.
  • Location: When you arrive at or leave a location. “Leaving home” could turn off lights and lower the thermostat.
  • Echo Button press: If you have a physical Echo Button, pressing it can trigger a routine.

Useful Routines to Set Up First

Morning routine: Triggered by “Alexa, good morning” or alarm dismiss. Actions: turn on lights, read weather, read calendar, play news briefing, start coffee maker (if you have a smart plug).

Leaving home: Triggered by location (leaving home) or voice (“Alexa, I’m leaving”). Actions: turn off all lights, lock doors, arm security system, lower thermostat.

Bedtime: Triggered by “Alexa, goodnight” or schedule (10:30 PM). Actions: turn off lights (except bedroom), lock doors, set thermostat to sleeping temp, enable Do Not Disturb on Echo devices.

Movie time: Triggered by “Alexa, movie time.” Actions: dim living room lights, turn on TV (if Fire TV), set volume, close blinds (if smart blinds).

Chaining and Delays

You can add delays between actions in a routine. Tap Add action → Wait → set the delay. This is useful when actions need time between them — for example, turning on the receiver, waiting 5 seconds for it to warm up, then switching the input. Without the delay, the input switch command might arrive before the receiver is ready.

Sharing Routines

Tap a routine → Share to send a link to someone else. They can import it directly into their Alexa app. Useful if you’ve set up a complex routine and want to share it with a family member.