Google rolls out ‘Scheduled Actions' on Gemini: 4 everyday tasks you can now automate
Here's a look at how exactly Scheduled Actions works and in what ways you can use the feature.
The scheduling feature mostly works well, but sometimes Gemini can get confused and skip doing a future task. A simple follow-up message usually fixes the issue.
Here are some limitations to accessing Scheduled Actions:
–Subscription needed: This feature is only for paid users. You need a Google AI Pro or Google AI Ultra subscription if you want to access Scheduled Actions. These subscription packages are only available in the US currently.
–Only 10 actions allowed: You can only schedule up to 10 tasks at a time, including one-time and repeating actions.
–Location can't be updated: You can set actions based on your location, like 'Find a coffee shop near me,' but it will always use the location from where you first created the task. It won't change if you move to a new location.
After scheduling an action, you can view it by tapping your profile in the Gemini app, going to Settings, and clicking 'Scheduled Actions'. You can only pause or delete tasks from there, but you can cancel them if needed.
At first, the idea of asking AI to summarise emails might seem unnecessary. But if you only ask once, it saves time. For example, you can tell Gemini, 'Give me a summary of my unread emails every morning', and it will send you daily updates. You can also further customise it by asking Gemini to highlight emails from your boss or skip spam emails and newsletters.
It is important to note that Gemini can make mistakes like any other AI tool. But using Scheduled Actions in this way can make for a quick look at your emails, resulting in time saved.
With Workspace connected, you can ask Gemini to list all your calendar events for the week. Since it can also use Google Maps, you can ask questions like how far your doctor's appointment is from home. You can also ask for specific details or formats. For example, if you have two appointments in different areas, Gemini can add up the travel time and give you the total driving time.
Sometimes you want information that isn't available yet. For example, if you want to know who won at the Oscars, you can ask Gemini now and schedule it to give you the answer once the event is done. This is even more useful for complex searches. You can also ask Gemini for specific things, like what reviewers think about the gameplay or plot of a video game.
There are some cool ways to use this feature, but it is not here yet. In one demo, Gemini was asked to find new apartments each week and send a summary to the user.
That kind of task needs more independence than Gemini can handle right now, but it shows how useful scheduled actions could be in the future. For now, Gemini can do simple web searches, check your emails and calendar, and help with some detailed planning.
(This article has been curated by Disha Gupta, who is an intern with The Indian Express)
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