Google's Pixel phones are practically overflowing with useful stuff. And some of the best options of all are things you've probably never even noticed.
That's true for the Pixel's core Android software as well as its Google-made apps — everything from the excellent calling-related features in the Pixel Phone app to the expanded array of advanced options in Google Assistant on Pixels.
It's even true in apps that seem so basic and utilitarian, you'd never think they had anything interesting lurking in their dusty virtual corners.
Today, it's time to explore one such app — the seemingly mundane Pixel Clock app that came preinstalled on your phone. The Clock app may appear to be a simple spot for setting an alarm or timer, but don't let yourself be fooled: Beneath its second-ticking surface, that unassuming part of your Pixel has some powerful options that'll make your life a whole lot easier.
Oh, and if you don't have a Pixel, don't worry: While the Clock app is the default time-keeping tool on Google's self-made phones, you can actually download it on any Android device and get the exact same experience even outside of the Pixel universe.
All right — ready to see all the cool stuff your phone's Clock app can do?
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Google Pixel Clock trick No. 1: Custom recurring alarms
If you're anything like me, you probably find yourself getting up at different times for different purposes — y'know, the standard workday time, the weekend or holiday time, and maybe even the pretending-to-be-a-platypus wacky Wednesday time (or whatever it is you do to celebrate the middle of the week).
Well, stop futzing around with adjusting your alarms each time your wakey-wakey needs vary and start taking advantage of your Pixel Clock's custom recurring alarm features:
- First and foremost, on the main Alarm tab within the Clock app, tap the circular plus button at the bottom of the screen to add extra alarms into your list.
- Tap the "Add label" option within each card to give it a name that'll let you know what it is at a glance (even when your eyes are bleary and your brain is 94% offline).
- Remember, too, that you can keep any alarms you create off and available only for manual activation when you need 'em — or you can flip the toggle within their cards into the on position and select certain days of the week to have 'em automatically activate on a regular weekly schedule.
JR And all of that's just the start.
Google Pixel Clock trick No. 2: Custom wake music
In addition to your Pixel's built-in alarm sounds, you can connect your Clock app to a handful of different music services and wake up to the likes of System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine, or whatever soothing morning music you prefer.
All you've gotta do is get that connection set up once:
- Tap the sound configuration line within any of the alarms in your Pixel Clock app's Alarm tab. It'll be directly beneath the day selector when the card is expanded, and it'll have a bell icon likely followed by the word "Default."
- Now, here's the hidden part: After you've opened those alarm sound settings, tap the three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.
- That'll reveal options to install and connect compatible sound services.
JR Pick whatever service you prefer, and you'll then see a tab for that service within the same "Alarm sound" screen. From there, it's simply a matter of browsing through your available options within the service's library — or tapping the search icon in the lower-right corner of the screen to find something specific — and picking the song or playlist most likely to annoy the living daylights out of anyone else sleeping in your vicinity.
JR Ahh — nothing like a gentle start to the day.
Google Pixel Clock trick No. 3: Specialized sounds
If the custom music isn't cuttin' it for ya, take note: Your Pixel Clock app also allows you to select any other standard sound file to use as your alarm audio.
Just download whatever file you want onto your device (or transfer it over from a computer), then:
- Tap any individual alarm within the Clock app's Alarm tab.
- Tap the line with the current alarm sound — like "Default (Fresh Start)" — next to the little bell icon.
- Look for the "Add new" option.
Smash your favorite phalange down on that option, and you'll then be able to select any compatible sound file from your local phone storage or from any connected cloud services.
Google Pixel Clock trick No. 4: Vocal variety
One more potentially alarming alarm option to chew over is the Pixel Clock's amusing ability to let you record your own self-made sound for an extra-special (and/or terrifying) wake-up experience.
Just follow the same steps we just went over — only this time, look for the "Record new" option within an individual alarm's sound settings.
JRBonus points if you manage to work a convincing Al Pacino impression into your recording.
Google Pixel Clock trick No. 5: Automated automation
An especially cool trick in Google's Pixel Clock arsenal is the app's ability to connect to Google Assistant and trigger all sorts of automated actions as part of any alarm you set.
Back in the app's Alarm tab, expand an alarm's card and look for the "Google Assistant Routine" option. Tap that son of a dingus, and you'll be taken to a screen where you can configure all sorts of extra actions to accompany your waking.
JR The options are virtually endless: Anything Assistant can do on your Pixel can be added into the mix — things like reading out info about your day, adjusting various phone settings, turning on or off any manner of connected device, and even interacting with third-party apps in all manners of interesting ways.
Hey Google: Any chance you can whip up some freshly made biscuits while you're at it?
Google Pixel Clock tricks No. 6, 7, and 8: Custom alarm behaviors
On a more foundational level, your friendly neighborhood Pixel Clock app can let you take total control of how your alarms act and how you interact with them.
Tap that three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner of the Clock app's main screen and select "Settings" from the list that comes up. Then pay careful attention to a trio of important yet easily overlooked options:
- Within the "Alarms" section, "Silence after" will let you customize exactly how long your alarm will harass you before giving up and shutting its virtual yap.
- In that same area of the screen, "Snooze length" allows you to shorten or extend the number of minutes your Pixel Clock will let you rest before attempting to buzz you out of bed again.
- And also in that section, "Volume buttons" will empower you to reprogram your Pixel's physical volume keys so that they either snooze an active alarm or stop it entirely instead of simply adjusting its volume — an excellent set of choices for anyone who finds fumbling with the screen first thing in the morning as irksome as I do.
Oh, and one more thing worth noting on this front...
Google Pixel Clock trick No. 9: The gentle volume phaser
Hearing any sound at full blast is an unfortunate way to welcome yourself back to the land of the living. Your Pixel phone has a more pleasant option, though — if you find it and take the time to turn it on.
In that same Clock app settings area we were just exploring, you'll see lines labeled "Gradually increase volume" under both "Alarms" and "Timers." Tap either or both of those lines, and hey — wouldya look that?
JR Play around with the options, see what works best for you, and enjoy a slightly less jarring start to your next busy work/platypus day.
Google Pixel Clock trick No. 10: The timer time-saver
Here's a neat one I didn't actually notice myself until years into my personal Pixel journey: In your Pixel Clock's Timer tab, you can create multiple persistent timers and then keep 'em readily available for easy ongoing use.
That way, if you have specific types of timers you use time and time again, you can pull 'em up quickly and get 'em going — without wasting any time.
To get started, look for the circular plus icon toward the bottom of the Timer tab after you've tapped in some amount of time and started a timer going. Once you've created some specific timers and set 'em up the way you want, be sure to tap the title above each one to customize it and give it a nice name for easy at-a-glance identifying.
You'll then have on-demand access to all those different timers anytime you need 'em in the future.
JRNot bad, right?!
Google Pixel Clock trick No. 11: Timed sleep sounds
Speaking of timers, your Pixel Clock companion has a tucked-away option that might just help you function a bit better on your busy workdays by getting a good night's sleep.
Tap the tantalizing Bedtime tab at the app's bottom edge and look for the section called "Sleep sounds." (You might have to first tap a "Get started" option and do some initial setup, if you've never before accessed that area.)
Tap the "Choose another sound" button on the screen that comes up next, and you can select from a small handful of relaxing noises — waves, deep space, dial-up modem screech, and so on.
Then, when you hit the play button back on the Bedtime tab, your sound of choice will start playing — and you can tell the app exactly how long you want it to continue before shutting off and sending you away into a deep, relaxing slumber.
JR (Just kidding about the dial-up modem screech, by the way — though if you really want to add that into the lineup, you can download it from this Wikipedia page and then use the specialized sounds option we went over a minute ago to make it available. You're welcome — and, simultaneously, apologies.)
Google Pixel Clock trick No. 12: A custom bedtime schedule
Also on the subject of bedtime, be sure to browse through the "Schedule" section of the Pixel Clock app's Bedtime tab while you're there. That area will let you set a simple schedule to have your phone automatically enter Do Not Disturb mode and optionally even adjust its screen into a less distracting black-and-white grayscale setting during your sleepy-time hours.
JRYou can either create a strictly time-driven schedule or check an option to have your bedtime mode turn on only when your Pixel is actively being charged during certain hours — a welcome bit of contextual intelligence to accompany those of us with irregular sleep patterns.
Google Pixel Clock trick No. 13: The multiple time zone tracker
I don't know about you, but I am an absolute nit when it comes to keeping track of multiple time zones. For whatever reason, at least one out of every five times, I end up mixing up the most basic time zone conversions and confusing my mushy ol' man-noggin about when, exactly, some manner of event is occurring.
Your Pixel Clock app has a helpful way to make managing multiple time zones easier: In the Clock tab, tap the circular plus icon and search for any city you think about during the day. You can add as many cities in as you want, and you'll then be able to see 'em all on the same screen — with a clear indication of the current time in each area and its exact difference from your location.
JR If you really want to go all out, you can also slap the Clock app's handy world time widget onto your home screen for an even more accessible at-a-glance view of the same info. Long-press anywhere on your home screen and look for the widget-adding command to find it.
Google Pixel Clock trick No. 14: Time travel
Now, hang on: Don't get too excited. This isn't actual time travel in the DeLorean, Doc Brown, "Great Scott!" sense. But it is a supremely useful Pixel Clock option that'll help you better keep track of the time whenever you're traveling (whether via DeLorean or a more conventional transportation method).
The feature will automatically add an extra clock into your Clock app's Clock tab — that same list we expanded a second ago — so you can always see the current time in your home city anytime you're somewhere else, without any extra thought or effort.
You can confirm the feature is active and ready to roll on your phone by heading into the Clock app's settings (via the three-dot menu icon in its upper-right corner) and looking for the "Automatic home clock" toggle.
Google Pixel Clock trick No. 15: Clock action shortcuts
Last but not least, one final Pixel Clock possibility to ponder: You'd never know it, but hiding within the regular Clock icon in your app drawer is a series of spectacular shortcuts for performing certain actions in a single swift step.
It's part of Android's oft-forgotten App Shortcuts system, and it can save you some serious time — if you remember to use it.
Luckily, it couldn't be much easier to use: Just press and hold your finger onto the Clock app's icon in your app drawer or on your home screen for a couple of seconds. And hey, how 'bout them apples?
JR There, right in front of your suspiciously steamy nostrils, are one-tap options for creating a new alarm, firing up a new timer, and starting a stopwatch — as well as for launching the Clock app's time-focused screensaver, in case that urge ever strikes. Any of those commands will launch the associated action in the blink of an eye, without any spelunkin' around within the app's menus.
And here's one more bonus trick: If you find yourself using any of those options regularly, you can make it even easier to access by pressing and holding your finger onto it and then dragging it directly onto your home screen. See?
JR Now it'll be just like any other shortcut on your home screen and never more than a single tap away.
Saving time in an app that's all about seconds — it just doesn't get much better than that.
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