Set up Family Bell announcements for your speaker, Smart Display, or mobile device

Keep your family's day on track with announcements that ring on your home and mobile devices.

For example, you can add a bell announcement “It’s time for dinner” every weekday at 6 PM from your living room speaker. 

Important: This feature is only available in some languages and countries/regions. You must use a mobile device to set up and manage bell announcements.

What you need

• A speaker, Smart Display, or Android phone
• A mobile device with Google Assistant or the Google Home app
• Device notifications turned on

Turn on device notifications

Important: Your notification settings must be turned on to ring Family Bell on mobile devices.

1. On your Android phone, open Settings .
2. Tap Apps and Notifications Notifications Google Search Box app.
3. Turn on High priority system notifications.

Add a bell announcement

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open Settings .
2. At the top, in the search bar, enter Family Bell.
3. In the results, tap Family Bell.
4. In Family Bell settings, tap Add a bell.
5. Enter your announcement.
6. Select which devices you want the bell to ring on.
   • If you choose “My Android phones,“ any Android phone associated with that Google Account plays the announcement aloud.
7. Tap Create new bell.
   • When a bell is announced, you get a notification on your mobile device.

To create a Family Bell on a Speaker or Smart Display:

1. Say “Hey Google, create a Family Bell.”
2. Follow the conversation with Assistant to provide more details.

For example, try saying, “Hey Google, create a Family Bell called Breakfast at 10 AM on Monday through Friday.”

Tip: When you create a Family Bell, you can customize the announcement with specific information your family appreciates.

• “It’s time for breakfast.”
• “It’s recess. Time to have some fun.”
• “Time for bed. Remember, sleeping is a time machine to breakfast."

Manage guest settings

You can still create bells with voice commands without Face Match or Voice Match set up on your devices.

Bells are saved to the device owner’s account.

If you’re the device owner, you can disable this feature so non-recognized users cannot create bells with voice commands.

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open Settings .
2. At the top, in the search bar, enter Family Bell.
3. In the results, tap Family Bell.
4. In Family Bell settings, on the right side of the banner, tap Settings .
5. Next to "Pause bells during your break" tap Expand .
6. Turn off Guests can create bells.

Learn more about Voice Match and Face Match.

Edit & manage your bell announcements

1. On your Android phone, open Settings .
2. At the top, in the search bar, enter Family Bell.
3. In the results, tap Family Bell.
4. In Family Bell settings, at the bottom right of a bell announcement, tap the Down arrow .
5. Update the details for the bell announcement.

Tip: To open Family Bell settings with your voice, say “Hey Google, open Family Bell settings."

Turn a bell announcement on or off

1. On your Android phone, open Settings .
2. At the top, in the search bar, enter Family Bell.
3. In the results, tap Family Bell.
4. In Family Bell settings, at the top right of a bell announcement, turn it on or off.

Pause bells while you’re away from home

If you and your family are away from home, like on a vacation or break, you can pause announcements for a set time.

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open Settings .
2. At the top, in the search bar, enter Family Bell.
3. In the results, tap Family Bell.
4. In Family Bell settings, on the right side of the banner, tap Settings . 
5. Next to "Pause bells during your break," click Expand .
   • You can only pause bells that are turned on.
6. Tap Save.

Edit or cancel your paused bells

1. On your Android phone, open Settings .
2. At the top, in the search bar, enter Family Bell.
3. In the results, tap Family Bell.
4. In Family Bell settings, next to “Pause bells while you’re on break,” tap Edit.
   • To edit your paused bells: Update the dates and bells you want to pause  Tap Save.
   • To cancel your paused bells: Tap Clear dates Save.

Fix a problem

Fix bell notifications on an Android phone

If you don’t get bell notifications on your mobile device, make sure Assistant notifications are turned on in your device settings.

1. On your Android phone, open the Settings app .
2. Tap Apps & notifications Notifications.
3. Turn on Assistant .

Important: On the locked screen of the Android phone, the Family Bell will ring with animation if you have AGSA app version 12.41 or above. Update your AGSA app if needed.

Related resources

• Get help with your daily routines
• Set & manage alarms
• Set, manage & assign reminders