And Google Assistant routines can make hosting easier. Just set up a series of actions once on your Google Home app, add a voice command, and Google Assistant will carry out the tasks for you anytime.

A routine is a series of actions you want your devices to take automatically, when prompted by a voice command or through the Google Home app. You can speak the command through a Nest speaker or display (Nest Audio, Nest Mini, or Nest Hub Max) or even your phone. The more compatible smart home devices you have connected in the Google Home app – such as the Nest Thermostat, Nest Doorbell, or thousands of others – the more creative you can get with routines. The Google Home app comes preloaded with routines for your home for the morning, your commute, bedtime, and more.

Routines are customisable and are perfect for making entertaining easier or more special. Create your own or borrow from the hosts’ unique routines below. Each one, and any you make, will require setting up these actions through the Google Home app.

Part of the fun of a gathering is the way it makes you feel. Ambience can have something to do with that. Set your lighting so that it’s warm and welcoming, consider a temperature that will make everyone feel comfortable, and turn on music that matches the moment – and do it all with just one voice command.¹

As a former lighting designer, Josh Levin has decorated his home with well-placed light fixtures with adjustable settings. They all use smart bulbs that are connected to his Google Home app.¹ He set up this custom home routine for dinners he hosts:

Say:“Hey Google, set the mood”

And his devices will:

• Dim the fireplace light¹

• Dim the bookcase light¹

• Dim the TV lamps¹

• Dim the bar light¹

• Turn off unnecessary lights¹

• Turn on the music²

Levin suggests that you know your audience – sometimes lighting can be too much or too little depending on your guests and the tone of the gathering. He also suggests understanding how different types of light placement affect ambience. You can also set the routine to include changing the colour of the light – for example, turning it to green for a St. Patrick’s Day gathering.

“I love to have a mixture of lamps and sconces, and overhead if available,” he says. “How light is directed and how shadows are created can make a world of difference.”

Most importantly, he says, make sure the lighting atmosphere matches any music or entertainment to tie everything together.

If your guests find themselves deep in conversation in the living room, but you’d like to invite them to the dinner table, Google can help. Set up this custom routine:

Say: “Hey Google, dinner’s ready” 

And your devices will:

• Dim the lights¹

• Adjust the music

• Announce across Nest speakers and displays that dinner is ready

Or you could borrow this one from a parent who’s set up a routine to remind the family to get to the dinner table:

Say: “Hey Google, dinner time” 

And your devices will:

• Ring a bell on all speakers¹

• Play the parent’s voice saying, “Dinner, dinner, dinner” on repeat²

After dinner, you might want to move to your patio or deck. Take a page from one Nest user’s patio routine:

Say: “Hey Google, start patio”

And your devices will:

• Turn on the outdoor lights¹

• Light the electric outdoor fireplace¹

• Play Spotify on patio speakers²

At the end of your party, set up a routine that takes the cleaning off your hands. Here’s one from Nest Audio owner Jeffrey Fina for when you want to add some background music to your vacuuming.

Fina’s command: “Hey Google, clean the wasteland”

And his devices will:

• Turn on autonomous vacuum¹

• Play the theme song from Fallout 4 (Fina’s favourite video game)²

Fina, who has two kids and cooks a lot at home, appreciates how his routine can save him time and energy after dinner.

“After a long day, it feels amazing just having the house do things at my will,” Fina says.