8 Google Actions to Use While You're Stuck at Home

Shelf with a tv, plants, and a google home device.


After our post on the top 6 Alexa skills to keep you sane and productive at home, it's only right we do one for all the Googlers out there, too.

If you have a voice device with Google Assistant, here are a few useful actions you can enable to make your days at home feel a little less like house arrest.

Good Morning Routine

As the days begin to blend together, Google's Good Morning Routine is a great way to start each day on the right track. This one is native to your Google Home but it's worth mentioning if you don't already use it. 

You can say, "Hey Google, Good morning," or "Hey Google, tell me about my day" to get briefed on what's on your calendar, the weather, important things on your to-do list, and anything else you think you need to know before breakfast.

Tasty

Being home all day can dampen your motivation in the kitchen. Sometimes lunch is a sandwich, others it's a block of cheese and a fistful of cereal. We're all going to be inside for a while, so it's important to make sure we're eating healthy meals on the regular to keep ourselves up and running.

To help, try Buzzfeed's Tasty. This popular Google action has over 2,000 recipes that you can browse by ingredients, dietary needs, cuisine, and much more. Once you pick an easy recipe, Google Assistant will guide you every step of the way until you have a full meal ready to go. 

Which Workout

Working from home can really do a number on your fitness. You float from your desk to the fridge and keep telling yourself that you'll do some squats tomorrow. If the motivation to workout does hit, it's hard to know where to even begin!

Which Workout cuts the excuses by giving you a tailored workout that fits the time you have for it and the areas you want to focus on. It'll then guide you through each step so you can spike your energy levels and feel less like a house potato.

If you're a yoga buff, try Yoga Workout for a 4-minute yoga session. Whatever form of exercise you choose, it's essential to get at least a few minutes in a day to keep your health and well-being in check.

Pick Me Up

Reading bad news all day can really chip away at your outlook on life. When Twitter and the news have you feeling down, enable the Pick Me Up Google action for a much-needed shot of positivity. (It's a good idea to use this in the morning to start your day on the right note.)

You can also ask Google Assistant directly to pull some good news from the internet. Even in the current doom and gloom, there are little pockets of happiness going on in the world that can brighten up your mood.

Today in History

It's always good to have something massaging new information into your brain. Today in History is a quiz-based Google action that does what you'd expect: tells you what happened today in a bygone era.

If you're a history buff or just feel your neurons going stale, this Google action will teach you something different and interesting every single day. Plus, it's gives pretty good conversation-starting material to enlighten the other bored souls in your household.

Strangest Day Ever

Have kids to keep entertained? Bored to tears yourself? Strangest Day Ever is an interactive storytelling game that takes you through bizarre scenarios and introduces you to even weirder characters. You call the shots, and Google delivers the...strange.

It's a popular action among kids and adults alike, and sounds like it would be an interesting distraction from the daily routine. Plus, it helps to have a storytelling action on your device to distract the little ones so you can finally get work done.

WikiHow

Yes, that site that comes up whenever you ask Google an incredibly basic question that you're too embarrassed to ask in real life. Well, they have a Google action now.

WikiHow is the go-to Google action when you're in need of guidance or simply looking to procrastinate "productively" between work tasks. They have step-by-step guides on every imaginable topic—from how to poach an egg to how to perform CPR on a dog. It's definitely a handy action to have on your device.

Only One

Staying inside all day doesn't necessarily mean putting your dating life on hold—at least that's what this Google action says. 

Only One focuses on sparking intimate conversations to bring people together without the distraction of bad profile photos. All you have to do is sign up, answer a few questions about yourself, and a virtual matchmaker will pair you up with someone you can chat the night away with.

If you don't hit it off, you can always ask your matchmaker to find you someone new. It's worth a shot if you have nothing else to do at home.

Keep in touch with Voice

If you're in the Voice community and miss humans already, join us at VOICE Global! It's a 24hr livestreamed event with live chatrooms and virtual viewing parties all dedicated to Voice. From building and monetizing Voice applications to marketing your voice-first agency, you can join from any timezone and catch practical content along with virtual goodie bags and even live entertainment.

There'll be something for everyone—and it's completely free to join. Click the button below to let us know you're interested and we'll send you the schedule and updates.
  Join VOICE Global