Whether you want Alexa to play your favorite Nickleback song, turn on the lights when you come home or just say hello, routines are a great way to simplify those types of commands. They're easy to set up in the Alexa app and you can assign a trigger (like a voice command or a schedule) and multiple actions. Then, whenever that trigger happens, the routine will begin.
To create a new routine, open the Alexa app and tap More in the bottom-right corner. Then tap Routines and tap the plus sign icon in the top-right corner. Name the routine and choose a trigger, such as When you say something or When this is used. Then select an action, like Smart Home, for example, to turn on the lights or another compatible device. You can even specify the lights or group of lights you want to turn on and their brightness and color.
Another good option for a routine is Location, which lets you trigger the sequence when you get close to your house or other location. So, if you arrive home after dark and don't want to have to say "Alexa, turn on the porch lights," you can simply configure this one for Location. Then, you can add a custom phrase such as "I'm home," and choose an action like Alexa says to greet you with the news from your Flash Briefing and some relaxing music. Once you've configured your routine, tap Save in the top-right corner to enable it and see it in your list of Routines.
