Create shortcuts and automate certain tasks on your Android smartphone using Google’s new accessibility app.
Google has just released Action Blocks, a new application, which allows you to create shortcuts and automate some simple tasks. Intended to simplify the use of Android, the application is aimed at all users, and will allow people with disabilities, or elderly people uncomfortable with technology, to take advantage of advanced functions of their Android smartphone, without having to perform several actions manually.
Action Blocks thus makes it possible to generate widgets, represented by tiles which, once pinned to the home screen of the device, allow a tap, launch a call with a defined contact, play a list of specific reading in the multimedia player or even write an SMS to a specific contact. And to achieve this, the application relies on Google Assistant which is actually responsible for executing the commands entered in each action block. To benefit from it, it will therefore be essential to activate and configure Google Assistant on your smartphone if it has not already been done.
Here’s everything you need to know to master Google’s Accessibility and Task Automation app.
1. Download the app
If you haven’t already, download the app on your smartphone. Offered for free on the Play Store, its handling is simple despite an interface for the time being entirely in English.
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Download Action Blocks for Android (Free)
2. Create an “Action Block”
To create your first action block, that is, your first shortcut or automation widget, open the app and tap Create Action Block.
The application natively offers several suggestions for possible actions with, for the most common, making a call, starting a video conversation, sending a message, playing a video or music, or even configuring an alarm.
For our example, we will choose to create an action block allowing you to launch a phone call with a contact saved in the address book.
From the list of actions, choose Make Phone Call. By default, Action Blocks displays a sample command (Call mom, literally Call Mom) that Google Assistant can handle. Delete the command, and replace it with a command in French, “Call” followed by the name of your contact.
Then press Next. A pop-up inviting you to test your action is displayed. Then press Test. Google Assistant should then launch briefly while saying the command you specified. If this is recognized by the assistant, the call should start.
If the command was successful, press Yes in the pop-up displaying Did this action do what you expected? (Did this action do what you expected?).
If not, press No, edit action, and modify the command so that it is recognized by Google Assistant.
3. Add the shortcut to the home screen
In the following window, Action Blocks offers you to customize the interface of the widget you are about to create. You can personalize the image by choosing from the icons offered by the application, or directly select a photo in your filmstrip, useful for example in the heading of a widget to call a contact.
Once you have made your changes, save your action block by pressing Save Action Block. In the pop-up that appears, tap Next, and then tap Add automatically.
The shortcut widget should automatically be pinned to your smartphone’s home screen. The size of each tile generated by Action Blocks can be adjusted as desired.
You will be able to remove the widget from the Home screen as you usually do for other widgets and applications displayed on your device.
4. Manage your blocks
All created action blocks are grouped together on the main page of the application, even when they are not displayed on the home screen.
Tap on one of them to edit it, delete it, add it to the home screen or test it with Google Assistant.
Besides the predefined tasks suggested in the app, Action Blocks is able to do much more, since all commands recognized by Google Assistant can be turned into automation shortcuts on your home screen.