We all live wildly different lives. But managing our lives on Android usually boils down to the usual suspects. Google Calendar for scheduling important dates; Google Keep for jotting and sharing notes; Google Tasks for, well, tasks.

Google's Clock app also deserves to be on that list. It's a productivity juggernaut, just waiting for you to discover its true potential. Here's how the Clock app can make your day-to-day life easier to manage.

1. Use Google Assistant to Create Alarms With Custom Actions

Google Assistant's greatest asset is its flexibility. And as big a fan I am of using Google Assistant with wireless headphones, integrating Google Assistant into my daily alarms via Google's Clock app is where the tech shines the brightest for me.

To see what I mean, open the Clock app and create an alarm (or select an existing one). Now tap the Plus (+) sign next to Google Assistant Routine.

Notice how Google Assistant can:

  • Tell you what's in today's calendar
  • Show you your reminders
  • Tell you the weather
  • Play the news

That's nice and all. But what if we want to, say, heat up our home when our alarm goes off every morning? I did exactly that by creating a Google Assistant Routine that instructs my Matter-compatible Vivint Smart Home Thermostat to warm up my home after I dismiss my morning alarm. Here's how I did that:

  1. Tap + Add Action and select Adjust Home Devices.
  2. Choose Thermostat under the THERMOSTATS heading.
  3. Set the thermostat to the mode and temperature you prefer.
  4. Tap Add action.
  5. Select Save followed by Allow.

Be sure to dismiss the alarm instead of ignoring it. Ignoring the alarm will send it to sleep, causing the action not to activate.

Your process will look different depending on the Google Assistant/Matter-supported device you can create a routine for, but similar in principle.

2. Set Labels on Alarms to Act as Reminders Throughout the Day

It's easy to use Google Calendar to organize things like your class schedule and upcoming live events. But if you're like me, you mainly use these apps to plan ahead for the day, week, or even months ahead.

What about those moments when you need to plan ahead for the next few hours?

Once again, the Alarms section of the Clock app comes to the rescue. You can set presumably hundreds of alarms (not that you'd need that many), each with its own custom sound and vibration (or lack thereof).

But it's the ability to label your alarms that transforms them into a glorified task manager. Label an alarm, and you will see the name of that alarm when it activates. It's an ideal solution when you need to remind yourself to remember to do the little things in your day-to-day, like walk the dog or drink enough water.

lablel alarms to make google clock a reminders app

3. Track the Local Time of Your International Clients From One Screen

If you work with international clientele, or just have family and friends living abroad, it's easy to forget the time zone differences. Here's how to keep track of it all via the Clock section in the Clock app:

  1. In the Clock app, open the Clock tab.
  2. Select the Plus (+) sign.
  3. Type the name of the city or region you want to add.
  4. Tap the place name from the list of results.

Notice how each location shows the number of hours ahead or behind you are to that region. Handy!

Swipe away the locations to remove them when you no longer need them.

4. Juggle Multiple, Labeled Countdown Timers While Cooking

At the risk of sounding conceited, nothing makes my mouth water quite like my own pulled pork sandwiches. Cooking pork shoulder low and slow on a pellet grill while cooking side dishes really has me juggling multiple cooking timers at the same time, though. I used to use several dollar store egg timers—until the Timer section of the Clock app replaced every one of them.

Tap Timer in the app to see why. Then:

  1. Type in the amount of time you want your timer to last.
  2. Press the Play button to begin the countdown.
  3. Tap the time at the top to label your new timer.
  4. Now tap the Plus (+) button to create another new timer.
  5. Hit Play to start that, and name it if you want to.
  6. Repeat the process to add as many timers as you need.

Tap anywhere on a timer to edit it, or select the X button to delete it entirely.

You can add one-minute increments by hitting the +1:00 option. Alternatively, reset it by choosing the circled arrow icon. It works so well that I doubt you'll miss your adorably creepy chicken-shaped timer.

5. Ease Into Slumber With Bedtime Mode on Your Android Phone

Finish your day-to-day routine by using the Clock App's Bedtime Mode to remind you to get ready for bed. In the Schedule section:

  1. Tap the time associated with BEDTIME.
  2. Choose the time you want to go to bed along with that time's applicable days.
  3. Select Reminder notification to set a reminder to go to bed if you need to.
  4. Tap WAKE-UP and set a time to create a Wake up alarm.

Go back to the main Bedtime screen. You will find other self-explanatory options you can set up like:

  • See recent bedtime activity
  • Listen to sleep sounds
  • See your upcoming events

The See your upcoming events portion is especially useful. Here, you can spot any appointments or events scheduled the day ahead in the Calendar app. That way, you can adjust your alarm within the app itself and be prepared for what you've got planned for tomorrow.

Google's Clock App Keeps You Productive in the Moment

When you need to plan ahead to be productive this hour, not today or next week, Google's Clock app comes in clutch. It's more useful even than some of the dedicated apps Google has got for these things. Use it to keep you on track hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute, or simply remind you to grab milk on your way home.