How to Use Modes and Routines in One UI 5 on a Samsung Phone

How to Use Modes and Routines in One UI 5 on a Samsung Phone

Modes and Routines is a new feature in Samsung's One UI 5 that let you open apps and change settings automatically depending on what you're doing.

The update to One UI 5 for Samsung Galaxy introduced several interesting new features, including Modes and Routines. These are two tools that give you new ways to match your phone settings, style, and layout to the activities in your daily life.

Here's how to set up and make the best use of Modes and Routines on your Samsung Galaxy device.

What Is the Difference Between Modes and Routines?

Modes and Routines are two different ways to achieve basically the same thing. Each tool allows you to quickly adapt how your Samsung device is set up, matching it to your needs at any particular moment.

For example, you could select the Workout Mode before exercising or create a Sleep Routine to launch when ready to hit the hay. Your device settings will instantly switch to suit those situations, perhaps silencing notifications or playing workout music.

The main difference between the two tools is that Modes can be enabled manually or triggered by other actions. Routines are more like IFTTT applets and are activated when set criteria are met. This could be based on location, time, or when an action is performed.

You will need to have One UI 5 or later on your Samsung Galaxy device to access and edit Modes and Routines using the method below. Here are the Samsung devices that will receive the One UI 5 update.

How to Use Preset Modes on a Samsung Galaxy

There are several Modes already created and ready to use when you first access the feature. These include Sleep, Workout, Driving, and Relax. You still need to configure these Modes before you can use them, but they give you a good starting point.

1. To begin configuring Modes, go to Settings > Modes and Routines > Modes.
2. Tap any of the preset Modes and then tap the Start button.
3. Choose when or how the Mode should be activated. If you want to only enable the Mode manually, tap the Skip option.
4. Choose the desired settings on each of the setup screens to configure the Mode to your liking. Some settings will require further selections, such as choosing an app to use.
5. When the Mode is configured, click the Done button to see a summary of the settings you've chosen.
   
   

Enable Recommended Routines

It can sometimes be difficult to know when and where you might need settings to be changed. Instead, you can let your Samsung Galaxy recommend new Routines.

To enable Recommended Routines, you need to enable the Customization Service. You might see a popup on the Routines screen asking if you want to enable it. If not, you can find it by tapping the More button and going to Settings > Customization Service.

If you then regularly make changes to your device at the same time or location, you will eventually receive a notification about creating a Routine to make the changes automatically.

Creating Shortcuts to Modes and Routines

Any Modes or Routines which don't have an automatic trigger, such as a time or location, can be activated from their summary screens.

You can add a shortcut for Modes and Routines to the main apps list on your device. To do this, open Modes and Routines and tap the More button followed by Settings.

Tap the switch to enable Show Modes and Routines on the Apps screen. You can also choose to make active Routines appear on your device's lock screen.