Google’s Pixel telephones are virtually overflowing with helpful stuff. And a number of the finest choices of all are stuff you’ve most likely by no means even observed.That’s true for the Pixel’s core Android software program in addition to its Google-made apps — every thing from the wonderful calling-related options within the Pixel Phone app to the expanded array of superior choices in Google Assistant on Pixels.It’s even true in apps that appear so primary and utilitarian, you’d by no means assume they’d something attention-grabbing lurking of their dusty digital corners.Today, it is time to discover one such app — the seemingly mundane Pixel Clock app that got here preinstalled in your cellphone. The Clock app could look like a easy spot for setting an alarm or timer, however do not let your self be fooled: Beneath its second-ticking floor, that unassuming a part of your Pixel has some highly effective choices that’ll make your life an entire lot simpler.Oh, and if you do not have a Pixel, don’t fret: While the Clock app is the default time-keeping instrument on Google’s self-made telephones, you may truly obtain it on any Android system and get the very same expertise even exterior of the Pixel universe.All proper — able to see all of the cool stuff your cellphone’s Clock app can do? [Psst: You can give yourself all sorts of advanced Pixel intelligence with my free Pixel Academy e-course. Seven full days of experience-enhancing knowledge!]Google Pixel Clock trick No. 1: Custom recurring alarmsIf you are something like me, you most likely end up getting up at totally different occasions for various functions — y’know, the usual workday time, the weekend or vacation time, and perhaps even the pretending-to-be-a-platypus wacky Wednesday time (or no matter it’s you do to have fun the center of the week). Well, cease futzing round with adjusting your alarms every time your wakey-wakey wants fluctuate and begin profiting from your Pixel Clock’s customized recurring alarm options:
First and foremost, on the primary Alarm tab inside the Clock app, faucet the round plus button on the backside of the display screen so as to add further alarms into your record.
Tap the “Add label” possibility inside every card to provide it a reputation that’ll let you recognize what it’s at a look (even when your eyes are bleary and your mind is 94% offline).
Remember, too, that you would be able to maintain any alarms you create off and obtainable just for guide activation if you want ’em — or you may flip the toggle inside their playing cards into the on place and choose sure days of the week to have ’em robotically activate on a daily weekly schedule.
JR And all of that is simply the beginning.Google Pixel Clock trick No. 2: Custom wake musicIn addition to your Pixel’s built-in alarm sounds, you may join your Clock app to a handful of various music companies and get up to the likes of System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine, or no matter soothing morning music you like.All you’ve got gotta do is get that connection arrange as soon as:
Tap the sound configuration line inside any of the alarms in your Pixel Clock app’s Alarm tab. It’ll be immediately beneath the day selector when the cardboard is expanded, and it will have a bell icon possible adopted by the phrase “Default.”
Now, here is the hidden half: After you’ve got opened these alarm sound settings, faucet the three-dot menu icon within the upper-right nook of the display screen.
That’ll reveal choices to put in and join appropriate sound companies.
JR Pick no matter service you like, and you will then see a tab for that service inside the identical “Alarm sound” display screen. From there, it is merely a matter of shopping via your obtainable choices inside the service’s library — or tapping the search icon within the lower-right nook of the display screen to seek out one thing particular — and choosing the track or playlist probably to bother the dwelling daylights out of anybody else sleeping in your neighborhood. JR Ahh — nothing like a delicate begin to the day.Google Pixel Clock trick No. 3: Specialized soundsIf the customized music is not cuttin’ it for ya, take notice: Your Pixel Clock app additionally permits you to choose another commonplace sound file to make use of as your alarm audio.Just obtain no matter file you need onto your system (or switch it over from a pc), then:
Tap any particular person alarm inside the Clock app’s Alarm tab.
Tap the road with the present alarm sound — like “Default (Fresh Start)” — subsequent to the little bell icon.
Look for the “Add new” possibility.
Smash your favourite phalange down on that possibility, and you will then be capable to choose any appropriate sound file out of your native cellphone storage or from any linked cloud companies.Google Pixel Clock trick No. 4: Vocal varietyOne extra doubtlessly alarming alarm choice to chew over is the Pixel Clock’s amusing potential to allow you to report your individual self-made sound for an extra-special (and/or terrifying) wake-up expertise.Just observe the identical steps we simply went over — solely this time, search for the “Record new” possibility inside a person alarm’s sound settings. JRBonus factors in case you handle to work a convincing Al Pacino impression into your recording.Google Pixel Clock trick No. 5: Automated automationAn particularly cool trick in Google’s Pixel Clock arsenal is the app’s potential to connect with Google Assistant and set off all types of automated actions as a part of any alarm you set.Back within the app’s Alarm tab, broaden an alarm’s card and search for the “Google Assistant Routine” possibility. Tap that son of a dingus, and you will be taken to a display screen the place you may configure all types of additional actions to accompany your waking. JR The choices are just about countless: Anything Assistant can do in your Pixel may be added into the combo — issues like studying out data about your day, adjusting varied cellphone settings, turning on or off any method of linked system, and even interacting with third-party apps in all manners of attention-grabbing methods.Hey Google: Any likelihood you may whip up some freshly made biscuits whilst you’re at it?Google Pixel Clock methods No. 6, 7, and 8: Custom alarm behaviorsOn a extra foundational degree, your pleasant neighborhood Pixel Clock app can allow you to take complete management of how your alarms act and the way you work together with them.Tap that three-dot menu icon within the upper-right nook of the Clock app’s most important display screen and choose “Settings” from the record that comes up. Then pay cautious consideration to a trio of necessary but simply ignored choices:
Within the “Alarms” part, “Silence after” will allow you to customise precisely how lengthy your alarm will harass you earlier than giving up and shutting its digital yap.
In that very same space of the display screen, “Snooze length” permits you to shorten or prolong the variety of minutes your Pixel Clock will allow you to relaxation earlier than making an attempt to buzz you away from bed once more.
And additionally in that part, “Volume buttons” will empower you to reprogram your Pixel’s bodily quantity keys in order that they both snooze an lively alarm or cease it fully as an alternative of merely adjusting its quantity — a superb set of selections for anybody who finds fumbling with the display screen very first thing within the morning as irksome as I do.
Oh, and yet one more factor price noting on this entrance…Google Pixel Clock trick No. 9: The mild quantity phaserHearing any sound at full blast is an unlucky approach to welcome your self again to the land of the dwelling. Your Pixel cellphone has a extra nice possibility, although — in case you discover it and take the time to show it on.In that very same Clock app settings space we had been simply exploring, you will see traces labeled “Gradually increase volume” beneath each “Alarms” and “Timers.” Tap both or each of these traces, and hey — wouldya look that? JR Play round with the choices, see what works finest for you, and revel in a barely much less jarring begin to your subsequent busy work/platypus day.Google Pixel Clock trick No. 10: The timer time-saverHere’s a neat one I did not truly discover myself till years into my private Pixel journey: In your Pixel Clock’s Timer tab, you may create a number of persistent timers after which maintain ’em available for simple ongoing use.That manner, when you have particular forms of timers you employ time and time once more, you may pull ’em up rapidly and get ’em going — with out losing any time.To get began, search for the round plus icon towards the underside of the Timer tab after you’ve got tapped in some period of time and began a timer going. Once you’ve got created some particular timers and set ’em up the way in which you need, make sure you faucet the title above every one to customise it and provides it a pleasant identify for simple at-a-glance figuring out.You’ll then have on-demand entry to all these totally different timers anytime you want ’em sooner or later. JRNot unhealthy, proper?!Google Pixel Clock trick No. 11: Timed sleep soundsSpeaking of timers, your Pixel Clock companion has a tucked-away possibility which may simply allow you to perform a bit higher in your busy workdays by getting a great evening’s sleep.Tap the tantalizing Bedtime tab on the app’s backside edge and search for the part known as “Sleep sounds.” (You may need to first faucet a “Get started” possibility and do some preliminary setup, in case you’ve by no means earlier than accessed that space.)Tap the “Choose another sound” button on the display screen that comes up subsequent, and you may choose from a small handful of stress-free noises — waves, deep house, dial-up modem screech, and so forth.Then, if you hit the play button again on the Bedtime tab, your sound of selection will begin taking part in — and you may inform the app precisely how lengthy you need it to proceed earlier than shutting off and sending you away right into a deep, stress-free slumber. JR (Just kidding concerning the dial-up modem screech, by the way in which — although in case you actually wish to add that into the lineup, you may obtain it from this Wikipedia web page after which use the specialised sounds possibility we went over a minute in the past to make it obtainable. You’re welcome — and, concurrently, apologies.)Google Pixel Clock trick No. 12: A customized bedtime scheduleAlso as regards to bedtime, make sure you flick thru the “Schedule” part of the Pixel Clock app’s Bedtime tab whilst you’re there. That space will allow you to set a easy schedule to have your cellphone robotically enter Do Not Disturb mode and optionally even regulate its display screen right into a much less distracting black-and-white grayscale setting throughout your sleepy-time hours. JRYou can both create a strictly time-driven schedule or test an choice to have your bedtime mode activate solely when your Pixel is actively being charged throughout sure hours — a welcome little bit of contextual intelligence to accompany these of us with irregular sleep patterns.Google Pixel Clock trick No. 13: The a number of time zone trackerI do not learn about you, however I’m an absolute nit relating to preserving observe of a number of time zones. For no matter cause, a minimum of one out of each 5 occasions, I find yourself mixing up essentially the most primary time zone conversions and complicated my mushy ol’ man-noggin about when, precisely, some method of occasion is going on.Your Pixel Clock app has a useful approach to make managing a number of time zones simpler: In the Clock tab, faucet the round plus icon and seek for any metropolis you consider in the course of the day. You can add as many cities in as you need, and you will then be capable to see ’em all on the identical display screen — with a transparent indication of the present time in every space and its precise distinction out of your location. JR If you actually wish to go all out, you can too slap the Clock app’s useful world time widget onto your property display screen for an much more accessible at-a-glance view of the identical data. Long-press anyplace on your property display screen and search for the widget-adding command to seek out it.Google Pixel Clock trick No. 14: Time journeyNow, grasp on: Don’t get too excited. This is not precise time journey within the DeLorean, Doc Brown, “Great Scott!” sense. But it is a supremely helpful Pixel Clock possibility that’ll allow you to higher maintain observe of the time everytime you’re touring (whether or not by way of DeLorean or a extra standard transportation technique).The function will robotically add an additional clock into your Clock app’s Clock tab — that very same record we expanded a second in the past — so you may all the time see the present time in your house metropolis anytime you are some other place, with none further thought or effort.You can affirm the function is lively and able to roll in your cellphone by heading into the Clock app’s settings (by way of the three-dot menu icon in its upper-right nook) and on the lookout for the “Automatic home clock” toggle.Google Pixel Clock trick No. 15: Clock motion shortcutsLast however not least, one ultimate Pixel Clock chance to ponder: You’d by no means understand it, however hiding inside the common Clock icon in your app drawer is a collection of spectacular shortcuts for performing sure actions in a single swift step.It’s a part of Android’s oft-forgotten App Shortcuts system, and it might prevent some severe time — in case you keep in mind to make use of it.Luckily, it could not be a lot simpler to make use of: Just press and maintain your finger onto the Clock app’s icon in your app drawer or on your property display screen for a few seconds. And hey, how ’bout them apples? JR There, proper in entrance of your suspiciously steamy nostrils, are one-tap choices for creating a brand new alarm, firing up a brand new timer, and beginning a stopwatch — in addition to for launching the Clock app’s time-focused screensaver, in case that urge ever strikes. Any of these instructions will launch the related motion within the blink of a watch, with none spelunkin’ round inside the app’s menus.And here is yet one more bonus trick: If you end up utilizing any of these choices frequently, you may make it even simpler to entry by urgent and holding your finger onto it after which dragging it immediately onto your property display screen. See? JR Now it’s going to be identical to another shortcut on your property display screen and by no means greater than a single faucet away.Saving time in an app that is all about seconds — it simply does not get significantly better than that.Don’t let your self miss an oz of Pixel magic. Sign up for my free Pixel Academy e-course and uncover tons of hidden options and time-saving methods to your favourite Pixel cellphone.
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