We often use AI as a passive response puppet. You ask a question, you get an answer. But what if the AI has already done the work for you, even before you ask for it?
Meet Scheduled Actions in Gemini. This feature transforms Gemini from a reactive chatbot into a proactive personal assistant working for you in the background.
What are Scheduled Actions?
You can schedule a prompt to run automatically at a set time (daily, weekly, or monthly). Because Gemini integrates seamlessly with your Google Workspace (Gmail, Calendar, Keep, etc.), it retrieves live information and presents the result via a notification on your phone or as an unread chat in the web app.
Please note: You can have a maximum of 10 active actions running simultaneously. Otherwise, the AI gets too tired.
How to set it up?
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Open Gemini.
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Type your prompt and simply add the timing. For example: “Repeat this action every Thursday at 12:00 PM.”
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Gemini displays a summary of your action and adds it to your schedule.
You can manage, pause, or adjust all your active actions via the menu Settings > Scheduled Actions.
Inspiration?
Of course, you can ask Gemini to summarize your emails every morning. Useful, but a bit boring.
1. "Meta-news"
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When: Every last Sunday of the month at 4:00 PM.
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The Prompt: "What's new in Gemini again, and how can I further automate and optimize my Google Workspace?! Explain it to me in plain language."
2. "Fridge Hacker"
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When: Every Friday afternoon at 4:00 PM.
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The Prompt: "Look at my calendar for the weekend. If I have a busy schedule, come up with 2 quick, healthy recipes under 20 minutes. If I have a relaxed weekend, give me a challenging 'slow cooking' recipe. Match this with the current weather (comfort food for rain, barbecue-proof for sun) and put the ingredients directly into a handy list for my favorite supermarket."
3. "Culture Scout"
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When: Every Thursday at 12:00 PM.
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The Prompt: "Search for new releases on my streaming services within my favorite genres. Filter out the generic top-10 lists and give me 2 hidden gems that score highly with critics, including a short summary of why this suits my taste."
