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📘 Step-by-step 📘 Amazon · Alexa+↗ Alexa+ · Official siteintermediate 🏠 Everyday life

Set Up Different Alexa+ Routines for Weekday and Weekend Mornings

Build two routines — one for Mon–Fri, one for Sat–Sun — so your morning plays the right music on the right day

6 min read·October 19, 2026

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Saturday morning, your Echo starts the weekday news flash — and that's the moment most people realize one routine can't quietly branch into "weekday actions" and "weekend actions" inside itself. The supported way is to build two routines and schedule each on the days you want. This guide walks you through both, from opening the Routines screen to testing each one out loud.

💡 Tip: tap a step’s number when you finish it — a green tick appears and your browser remembers how far you got.

✅ Before you start
  • An Amazon account signed in on at least one Echo device, with the Echo powered on and connected to Wi-Fi.
  • The Alexa app on a phone or tablet (free on iOS and Android), signed in to the same Amazon account as the Echo.
  • Two short, easy-to-say names picked out — one for weekdays, one for weekends.
  • About 15 minutes the first time, closer to 5 minutes once you've done it once.
1
Step 1 of 7

Open the Routines section

In the Alexa app, look at the bottom-right corner of the screen for a tab that looks like three horizontal lines or dots (sometimes labeled More). Tap it, then look for an option that says something like Routines. When you land on the Routines screen, you'll see a list of any routines you've already created, with a button at the top — often a + symbol or a label like Create Routine — to start a new one.

If your version of the app puts Routines somewhere else, try the Settings tab and look for an Automations or Routines subsection — Amazon moves this between updates.

💬 Exampleroutine name — `Weekday Morning`
🔄 If it looks different

If you can't find it there, look in a Settings or Automations area, or use the search bar at the top of the app to type "Routines".

✅ You'll know it worked when

the screen shows a fresh form with fields for a name, a "When this happens" trigger, and an "Add action" button.

Next step ↓
Open the Routines section
2
Step 2 of 7

Name the routine and pick the days it runs

Tap the routine name field and type a short phrase you'll remember saying, like Weekday Morning. Then look for a "When" or "Schedule" section. If you see an option like "At a specific time," tap it and set the time you want — say, 6:30 AM. Then look for a day picker, usually a row of seven checkboxes or buttons labeled Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun. Check Mon through Fri and leave Sat and Sun unchecked. This day picker is the only place Alexa+ stores weekday vs weekend logic — there is no separate per-action day filter.

If the app shows a Voice option instead of typing the trigger phrase, tap the microphone icon and say the phrase out loud; the app will transcribe what it heard so you can confirm the spelling.

💬 Examplename `Weekday Morning`, voice trigger *Alexa, start my weekday morning*, time **6:30 AM**, days **Mon–Fri only**
✅ You'll know it worked when

the routine form shows your time, and the days row has Mon through Fri selected, with Sat and Sun greyed out or unchecked.

Next step ↓
Alexa+6:30 AM
✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different
3
Step 3 of 7

Add the weekday actions

Tap the Add action button. The app shows categories like Music, Smart Home, Calendar, Weather, and News — pick the one you want for each step. Add the things you only want on weekdays: a news flash, traffic for your commute, the office lights turning on, the coffee maker clicking to life. For each action, follow the prompts to pick the device, playlist, or skill from a list — don't type device names by hand if you can avoid it, because the spelling has to match exactly. When you're done adding weekday actions, save the routine, usually with a Save button at the top-right of the screen.

If a particular action asks for its own time or day filter, just leave it at the default — Alexa+ only filters days on the whole routine, not on individual actions inside it.

💬 Exampleactions — **News → Flash Briefing**, **Smart Home → Turn on "Kitchen Lights"**, **Smart Home → Turn on "Coffee Maker" plug**
✅ You'll know it worked when

the routine screen shows your weekday actions in a list, and the days row at the top still confirms Mon–Fri only.

Next step ↓
Alexa+Add action
✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different
4
Step 4 of 7

Test the weekday routine out loud

With the routine saved, stand near your Echo and say the trigger phrase out loud — for example, "Alexa, start my weekday morning." Listen for the news flash, watch for the lights to come on, and listen for the coffee maker's click. If something doesn't fire, the most common cause is the routine being switched off, or the device name in the action not exactly matching the real device name — go back into the routine and check.

Alexa+ doesn't always offer a dedicated in-app "Test routine" button, so speaking the trigger phrase is usually the fastest way to confirm it works. There is also no way to simulate "today is a Saturday" inside the app — the routine only fires when its schedule says so.

💬 Examplesay `Alexa, start my weekday morning` and listen for the news flash within a few seconds.
✅ You'll know it worked when

each weekday action runs in the order you set, and your Echo doesn't complain about a missing device or skill.

Next step ↓
Alexa+Alexa, start myweekday morning
✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different
5
Step 5 of 7

Create a separate weekend routine

Go back to the Routines list (the same screen as Step 1) and tap Create Routine again. Give it a different name — something like Weekend Morning or Saturday Slow Start — so you can tell them apart at a glance. Set the time you want (a later hour is fine if you sleep in on weekends). This time, in the days row, check only Sat and Sun and leave Mon through Fri unchecked.

You can give the weekend routine a totally different voice phrase, or use the same phrase on both routines — Alexa+ just runs whichever routine is scheduled for today, so there's no clash as long as the day pickers don't overlap.

💬 Examplename `Weekend Morning`, time **8:00 AM**, days **Sat–Sun only**
✅ You'll know it worked when

the new routine appears in your list next to the weekday one, and its days row shows only Sat and Sun selected.

Next step ↓
Alexa+Create Routine
✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different
6
Step 6 of 7

Add the weekend-only actions

In the new weekend routine, tap Add action and pick the things you only want on Saturday and Sunday: a sleepy playlist, a slow light fade, no news flash, maybe the coffee maker staying off. Save the routine the same way you did in Step 3. Then double-check that this routine's days row is Sat–Sun only, not every day — otherwise it will also fire on weekdays and fight the other routine for control of your devices.

If both routines happen to share a device (say, the same smart plug), the weekend routine can include its own "off" or "skip" action for that device — Alexa+ will run whichever routine is scheduled for today.

💬 Exampleactions — **Music → Play "Slow Morning" playlist**, **Smart Home → Turn off "Bedroom Lights" fade-out**, **Weather → Read forecast** (skip the news flash entirely)
✅ You'll know it worked when

the weekend routine shows only the steps you want, and a glance at the days row confirms Sat–Sun only — no overlap with the weekday routine.

Next step ↓
Alexa+Add action
✏️ Sketch — your screen may look a little different
7
Step 7 of 7

Save and let the calendar do the work

Both routines are now saved. From here on, Alexa+ runs the weekday one Mon–Fri at your chosen time and the weekend one Sat–Sun at its chosen time — you don't have to do anything. The day-of-week picker is the only "branching" Alexa+ offers for routines; there is no per-action day filter, no "if I'm home, do this; if I'm away, do that" logic in the standard routine builder, and no way to make one routine do different things on different days. Two routines scheduled on different days is the supported path.

If a routine suddenly stops firing one morning, the first things to check are: is the routine still enabled (the toggle on the list screen), is the Echo online, and did the trigger phrase get accidentally edited from another device.

💬 Exampleon Monday morning, expect the weekday routine; on Saturday, expect the weekend one. If the wrong one fires, open that routine and check the days row.
✅ You'll know it worked when

a full week goes by and each morning plays the right music, news, and lights — without you having to remember which day it is.

Save and let the calendar do the work
⚠️ Common mistakes
  • Expecting one routine to branch by day inside itself. Alexa+ applies day-of-week to the whole routine, not to individual actions, so you can't tag a news flash as "Mon–Fri only" inside a routine that also plays weekend music. Fix: build two routines and schedule each on the days you want.
  • Both routines scheduled to fire on the same day. If both have Mon–Fri checked, Alexa+ runs both at 6:30 and the actions fight each other for control of your devices. Fix: in the days row, leave the weekend routine on Sat–Sun only and the weekday one on Mon–Fri only — no overlap, no clash.
  • A device renamed on the Smart Home screen but not in the routine. Alexa+ matches device names exactly, so a renamed plug silently stops working. Fix: open the routine, edit the action, and pick the device from the dropdown list again — don't type it by hand.
🚀 Try it now

Open the Alexa app, find the Routines section, and build just one routine: a name, a single time, and one action — for example, your favorite morning playlist at 7 a.m. every day. Save it, say the trigger phrase out loud, and confirm the music plays. You've now got the smallest working routine — splitting it into weekday and weekend versions is one extra routine away.

🎯 Next guideCreate a Smart-Home Security Alert with Alexa RoutinesLearn how to set up an Amazon Alexa routine that detects when a door opens and sends you an instant voice or push alert, giving you peace of mind.

❓ Quick questions

How long does this take?

About 6 minutes — the guide has 7 steps, and you can tick each one off as you go.

Which tool do I need?

This guide uses Amazon Alexa+ — but the approach works very similarly in other AI assistants.

Do I need to prepare anything?
  • An Amazon account signed in on at least one Echo device, with the Echo powered on and connected to Wi-Fi.
  • The Alexa app on a phone or tablet (free on iOS and Android), signed in to the same Amazon account as the Echo.
  • Two short, easy-to-say names picked out — one for weekdays, one for weekends.
  • About 15 minutes the first time, closer to 5 minutes once you've done it once.
What mistakes should I avoid?
  • Expecting one routine to branch by day inside itself. Alexa+ applies day-of-week to the whole routine, not to individual actions, so you can't tag a news flash as "Mon–Fri only" inside a routine that also plays weekend music. Fix: build two routines and schedule each on the days you want.
  • Both routines scheduled to fire on the same day. If both have Mon–Fri checked, Alexa+ runs both at 6:30 and the actions fight each other for control of your devices. Fix: in the days row, leave the weekend routine on Sat–Sun only and the weekday one on Mon–Fri only — no overlap, no clash.
  • A device renamed on the Smart Home screen but not in the routine. Alexa+ matches device names exactly, so a renamed plug silently stops working. Fix: open the routine, edit the action, and pick the device from the dropdown list again — don't type it by hand.

Keep reading

📘 Set Up an Alexa+ Routine to Automate Your Everyday Tasks Learn how to create a simple Alexa+ Routine that greets you, controls lights and plays music – all with a single voice command. 📘 Build a Custom Morning Briefing with News, Weather, and Calendar in Alexa+ Create one Alexa+ routine that reads your day aloud the moment you say good morning — calendar, weather, and news. 📘 Create a Smart-Home Security Alert with Alexa Routines Learn how to set up an Amazon Alexa routine that detects when a door opens and sends you an instant voice or push alert, giving you peace of mind. 📘 Build a Reusable Alexa+ Morning Routine That Runs the Same Way Every Weekday Save one Alexa+ routine that bundles news, weather, calendar and lights into a single hands-free voice command 📘 Create a multi‑room music playlist with Alexa+ Play the same songs throughout your home with one simple voice command using Alexa+ 📘 Easy Daily News with Alexa's Flash Briefing Learn how to set up your Alexa smart assistant to deliver simple, plain-English news summaries every morning, keeping you informed without the jargon.
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