Automation advice usually arrives as a diagram with eleven steps. The useful version is smaller and lives on the phone.
Five that pay back immediately
- Auto-connect to known Wi-Fi and disable mobile data, so nothing leaks between networks.
- A focus mode that silences everything except two contacts during deep work.
- Scheduled Do Not Disturb that starts before you would set it yourself.
- A shortcut that starts a timer and a playlist with one tap.
- Automatic photo backup only on Wi-Fi and charging.
The rule for adding more
Automate a task only after you have done it manually three times. Automating a process you do not understand produces confident nonsense.
Where automation fails
Anything involving judgement, and anything that must work when a service is down. Keep a manual path for both.
Bottom line: the best automations are invisible and boring. If it needs a dashboard, it is a hobby.
