Being human means that we’re prone to forgetting. Fortunately, with the help of technology, it’s easy to stay on top of our to-do lists with minimal effort. One of the most convenient ways to remember everything on your list of chores is to set location-based reminders. Need to be reminded to call your great aunt on her birthday? You can instruct your phone to send an alert once you’ve made it to your favorite cafe for your lunch break. Creating location-based reminders like these is simple if you have an Android device, and this article looks at all the options for doing that.
What Are Location-Based Reminders
Location-based reminders are alerts that are triggered when you (and your GPS-enabled smartphone) are in a certain location. In some cases it’s also possible to choose whether you want to have the reminder delivered as you leave a certain location.
You’ll need to keep your location services turned on at all times if you want these reminders to work. Unfortunately, this means that your phone’s battery life may be affected, so if you don’t have your charger with you while you’re away for an extended period, the best thing may be to disable the location-based reminders for a while. Nevertheless, these reminders can be incredibly helpful and will save you much time and effort.
Setting a Location-Based Reminder
There are a few ways you can set location-based reminders on your Android device. Since most Androids comes with a bunch of pre-installed Google apps, you can easily take advantage of them to set these reminders. Check out all the options for doing so below.
1. Google Assistant
Google Assistant can help you set a location-based reminder quickly and efficiently. Before you start, however, make sure you’ve given the Assistant permission to use your Android device’s location.
- Wake up your Assistant by saying “Hey Google.” Alternatively, if you have the app installed on your phone, simply open it.
- Ask the Assistant to “Set a reminder.” Speak the words clearly so that the virtual assistant will understand.
- When Google asks you for the reminder, you can either type it or speak it out loud.
- You’ll notice two options underneath the Reminder. Press “Add a place.”
- If you’ve previously set your Home/Work locations in Google Maps, Google will sync that information to the Assistant, and the locations will appear as location options for your reminder.
- Alternatively, you can tap on “Select location.” Search for a particular location using the bar at the top.
- Once you’ve selected your location, it will show up underneath your reminder.
- Press “Save.”
- The Assistant will confirm the location and the reminder.
2. Assign Reminders to Someone in Your Family Group
If you have set up Google Family Library, which lets you share Google Play Purchases with the rest of your family, you can also assign someone in this group a location-based reminder without them having to lift a finger. If you haven’t created a Google Family Library yet, see below.
Set Up Google Family Library
- Open the Google Play Store on your device.
- Press on your profile picture in the upper-right corner of the display.
- Select “Settings.”
- Tap on “Family.”
- Hit “Sign up for Family Library.”
- On the “Introducing Google Play Family Library” page, press the “Sign up” button at the bottom.
- On the next screen, tap “Continue.”
- You’ll need to set up a “Family Payment” method.
- On the “Add stuff to Family Library” screen, press “Continue.”
- Skip the part about eligible purchases by pressing “Continue.”
- Start inviting your family to join the Group by pressing “Continue.”
- Select your family members from your address book and send the invitations. You can add up to five members.
- Your family members should receive an invitation in the form of an email. Once they accept, they will be part of your Family Group.
Set a Reminder for Someone in Your Group
Now that you’ve added your family members to the group, you can easily set a location-based reminder for them using Google Assistant. Note that if they’re using a Google account through work or school, this won’t work.
- Wake up Google Assistant by saying “Hey Google.”
- Ask the virtual assistant to create a reminder for your family member. Say something like “Remind Mira to get apples.”
- The screen where you can enter the details of the reminder will show up.
- Input the reminder’s details and set the location as shown in the previous section.
- Save the reminder, and the Assistant will confirm it will alert your family member when she is at the said location.
With the reminder set, both parties will be able to edit or delete it at any time.
3. Google App
Setting a location-based reminder is also possible through the Google app. Follow the instructions below.
- Open the Google app on your phone.
- Tap on your profile picture in the upper right of the display.
- Select “Reminders” from the list that appears.
- Tap on the blue “Create” button at the bottom.
- Input the title, then tick the “Place” option.
- Unfortunately, you can only choose between your Home or Work locations. (Again, you need to have saved them beforehand in Google Maps for this to work.)
4. Use Google Keep
Another app that can be used to set a location-based reminder is Google Keep. Follow the instructions below to learn how to do it.
- Open the app on your phone.
- Tap on the “+” button in the lower-right corner of the display.
- Add a title to your note and state additional information if you’d like.
- Tap on the bell-shaped icon in the upper-right corner.
- Press “Pick a place.”
- Select “Edit location.”
- Search for your location and select it.
- The location will show up in the reminder/note.
Note that you might be prompted to give permission to the app to access your background info. If you don’t grant permission, the reminder won’t work as intended.
5. Third-Party App
Don’t like using a Google app? They are quite convenient, since most Android phones ship with one or more of these apps preinstalled. But if you want to distance yourself from Google a bit, you can try a third-party app, such as TickTick, to set your location-based reminders. Follow the steps below to instruct the TickTick to remind you of something when you reach a certain location.
- Open the app on your phone.
- Press the “+” button in the lower-right corner.
- Write your reminder and add a time and date if you’d like, then press the arrow in the blue oval.
- Now that you’ve created your reminder, tap on the title to further customize it.
- Tap on the three dots in the upper-right corner.
- Select “Location” from the list of options at the bottom.
- Find your location by using the “Search” bar at the top.
- You can choose to be reminded “When I arrive” or “When I leave.”
Again, you’ll need to grant the app permission to access your location all the time before you can complete the process of setting a location-based reminder.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I ensure Location Services is enabled on my phone?
You need “Location Services” enabled for location-based reminders to work. To make sure that’s the case, go to “Settings -> Location” and toggle on the “Use location” feature. Also note that if “Do Not Disturb” modes are enabled (including Do Not Disturb while driving), these reminders won’t work. On Android, go to “Settings -> Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls -> Do Not Disturb” and toggle off the Do Not Disturb option.
Can I set a location-based reminder with Google Calendar?
No, you can’t set a location-based reminder from Google Calendar. You can, however, set a standard reminder from there. If you do so, Google will notify you in advance by sending a notification on your phone and/or by sending an email.
What are some of the best apps for setting reminders on Android?
If you’re just looking for a standard reminder app, you may be interested in checking out this list of best apps for the job. Some of the mentions on the list can also help you set location-based reminders – but not all.
Image credit: Pexels
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