Rulomi and Samsung Modes & Routines, compared
On a Galaxy phone, Modes & Routines is already in Settings, it's free, and it can change things a downloaded app can't. Rulomi is for phones that aren't Samsung, for routines Samsung doesn't offer, and for writing a routine as a sentence instead of picking it from menus.
Weeknight Do Not Disturb, in Rulomi and in Modes & Routines
Every weekday at 10 pm, turn on Do Not Disturb and bring the media volume down to 20%.
Every weekday at 10 pm turn on do not disturb and set media volume to 20%- WHEN
- Monday to Friday at 22:00
- THEN
- Turn on Do Not Disturb, priority interruptions only
- Set the media volume to 20%
That is the review screen. Check it, grant Do Not Disturb access, and turn it on.
An If and two Thens, picked from Samsung's menus
- Open Settings, then Modes and Routines, and the Routines tab.
- Tap + to add a routine.
- Tap under If, choose a time, and pick Monday to Friday.
- Tap under Then and add Do Not Disturb, turned on.
- Add the media volume from the sound settings, and set it to 20%.
- Tap Save and name the routine.
From Samsung's support page. What If and Then offer depends on the phone and its software version.
Where Rulomi is stronger than Modes & Routines
Any Android phone
Rulomi runs on Android 8.0 and later, from any maker, so your routines don't depend on owning a Galaxy.
Write it, don't pick it
Say what you want in a sentence and Rulomi finds the trigger, the conditions and the actions. The review screen shows what it understood before you turn it on.
An optional AI planner
Wording the on-device parser can't place goes to the AI planner when you allow it, which also reads a description written in most languages. Every phone gets five AI plans free.
Works with Tasker and MacroDroid
A Rulomi routine can send an Android intent another automation app acts on, and Tasker or MacroDroid can start a Rulomi routine.
Rulomi and Modes & Routines, feature by feature
| Feature | Rulomi | Modes & Routines |
|---|---|---|
| How you build | Write a sentence, then review the plan | Pick an If and a Then |
| Phones | Any phone on Android 8.0 and later | Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets only |
| Price | Free, with no limit on routines. Optional one-time Rulomi Plus | Free, built in |
| From plain language | The main way in: an on-device parser first, then the optional AI planner | Not documented by Samsung |
| What it can change | What Android lets any app change, with access asked for per routine | Some system settings a downloaded app can't reach |
| Building blocks | 31 triggers, 18 conditions, 23 actions | A set chosen by Samsung, which varies by phone and software version |
| Modes | No | Modes you switch on, with routines alongside |
| Location triggers | Not yet | Yes |
| Works with other apps | Sends intents to Tasker and MacroDroid, and either can start a routine | Not documented by Samsung |
Prices change, so we've left out amounts we couldn't confirm for Modes & Routines. Check its Google Play listing for today's price. The four-way table has Rulomi, Tasker, MacroDroid and Modes & Routines together.
When Modes & Routines is the better pick
You have a Galaxy and simple needs
It's already on the phone and free, so there's nothing to install. Start there.
You want a setting only Samsung can change
As part of the phone, Modes & Routines reaches settings Android keeps from apps you download, Rulomi included.
You want modes
Switching a whole set of settings on and off as a mode is something Samsung does and Rulomi doesn't.
Rulomi or Modes & Routines: common questions
Does Rulomi work on Samsung Galaxy phones?
Yes. Rulomi runs on any phone with Android 8.0 or later, Galaxy phones included. If Samsung's battery manager stops a routine that waits for an event, Settings → Keep Rulomi running in the app shows what to change.
Is Rulomi a Bixby Routines alternative?
Bixby Routines is the earlier name for what Samsung now calls Modes and Routines, so the comparison on this page applies to it too.
Can I use Rulomi and Modes & Routines together?
Yes. Keep Samsung's modes and the routines that need its settings, and write the routines it doesn't offer in Rulomi. Avoid having both change the same setting at the same moment, since the later one wins.
Does Rulomi need root or an accessibility service?
No. Rulomi uses neither. It runs on standard Android APIs and asks for each kind of access only when a routine needs it.
Other comparisons
Write your first routine
Describe what your phone should do in one sentence, check the plan Rulomi shows you, and turn it on. Every routine is free.
Checked in November 2026 against Samsung's Modes and Routines support page, and Rulomi 1.3.0. If something here is out of date, tell us at info@craftedpxl.com and we'll fix it.