10 Automations You Can Set Up in 15 Minutes or Less
No experience needed. Each of these 10 automations takes 15 minutes or less and delivers real results.
The best way to get excited about automation is to experience it. These ten automations are quick to set up, require no coding or prior experience, and deliver genuine time savings or quality-of-life improvements.
Pick one, set it up, and see how it feels. We bet you'll come back for a second.
1. Automate Do Not Disturb (3 minutes)
Tool: Apple Shortcuts (iPhone) or Android Settings
What: Automatically enable Do Not Disturb from 10 PM to 7 AM. Calls from favorites still come through.
Why: Better sleep, no late-night notification buzzes, and you don't have to remember to toggle it manually.
How: iPhone: Settings → Focus → Do Not Disturb → Schedule. Android: Settings → Digital Wellbeing → Bedtime mode.
2. Rain Alert for Tomorrow (2 minutes)
Tool: IFTTT (free)
What: Get a phone notification at 7 AM if rain is in tomorrow's forecast.
Why: Never forget an umbrella or leave the car windows down again.
How: IFTTT → Create → If Weather Underground "Tomorrow's forecast calls for rain" → Then send notification.
3. Smart Plug on a Schedule (5 minutes)
Tool: TP-Link Kasa smart plug ($12)
What: Put any "dumb" appliance on a schedule — a lamp, coffee maker, or fan.
Why: Instant smart home experience for $12. The lamp-on-at-sunset automation is a game-changer.
How: Plug in the smart plug → Download the Kasa app → Set a schedule → Done.
4. Save Email Attachments Automatically (10 minutes)
Tool: Zapier (free tier)
What: Automatically save Gmail attachments to a specific Google Drive folder.
Why: Stop manually downloading and organizing attachments. Great for receipts, invoices, or school permission slips.
How: Zapier → Create Zap → Trigger: "New Attachment in Gmail" → Action: "Upload File in Google Drive" → Choose folder.
5. Daily Calendar Digest (10 minutes)
Tool: Zapier (free tier) or Apple Shortcuts
What: Get a text or email every morning at 7 AM listing today's calendar events.
Why: Start every day knowing exactly what's planned without opening your calendar app.
How: Zapier: Schedule trigger at 7 AM → Get Google Calendar events for today → Send via email or SMS.
6. Shared Grocery List (5 minutes)
Tool: Apple Reminders (free) or Todoist (free)
What: A shared grocery list that everyone in the family can add to and check off in real time.
Why: No more texted lists that get lost. Anyone can add items from anywhere, and the person at the store sees them instantly.
How: Apple Reminders: Create a list → Share with family members. Todoist: Create a project → Share via link.
7. Automatic Phone Backup (5 minutes)
Tool: Google Photos or iCloud (free tiers available)
What: Every photo and video you take is automatically backed up to the cloud.
Why: If your phone breaks, gets lost, or runs out of storage, your memories are safe.
How: Google Photos: Open app → Settings → Backup → Turn on. iCloud: Settings → Photos → iCloud Photos → On.
8. Automatic Downloads Cleanup (10 minutes)
Tool: Hazel (Mac, $42) or built-in Windows rules
What: Files in your Downloads folder automatically sort into subfolders by type — PDFs in one, images in another, installers get deleted after a week.
Why: End the chaos of a 500-file Downloads folder. Once set up, it maintains itself.
How: Hazel: Add Downloads folder → Create rules by file extension → Set destinations.
9. Bedtime Routine Shortcut (10 minutes)
Tool: Apple Shortcuts or Alexa Routines
What: One button (or voice command) that: enables Do Not Disturb, sets your alarm, dims the lights, starts a sleep sounds playlist, and turns off the TV.
Why: A consistent wind-down routine improves sleep quality, and automating it means you actually do it every night.
How: Apple Shortcuts: Create shortcut → Add actions in sequence → Add to Home Screen. Alexa: Create a "Goodnight" routine with the same steps.
10. Weekly Email Summary (15 minutes)
Tool: Zapier or Make
What: Every Sunday evening, get an email summarizing the upcoming week's calendar events, to-dos, and any reminders.
Why: Start every week prepared. No more Monday-morning surprises.
How: Zapier: Schedule trigger for Sunday 6 PM → Get upcoming week's events → Format as email → Send to yourself (or the family).
What's Next?
If you enjoyed setting these up, you're ready to dive deeper. Here are some next steps:
- Smart Home guide — Build on those smart plugs with a full smart home setup
- Software Automation guide — Explore more powerful workflow tools
- Productivity guide — Automate your family's daily routines and logistics
- Resources page — Our complete list of recommended tools and devices
Join our newsletter for one new automation idea every Tuesday — each one takes 15 minutes or less.