Tasker

[Guest Paul]

Welcome to 'Paul's App of the Day', where I pick one of my favourite apps as featured app of the day! Today's app is...

Tasker

What they say

Total Automation, from settings to SMS. ADC2 finalist!

* Triggers: App, Time, Day, Location, Widget, Timer, 50+ Events
* Actions: 160+ builtin, any Locale-compatible setting plugin
* Tasks: loops, variables, conditions

Queries, Problems: http://forum.dinglisch.net

Recent changes:
+ new preference Monitor / Custom Notification with text colour, default none
+ no gaps in status bar with transparent notification
+ several small bug fixes and improvements

Detail: http://tasker.dinglisch.net/changes.html

What we say

I had a tough choice choosing between Tasker and Locale for App of the Day, but in the end i've gone for Tasker with it's better price and more reliable functionality versus Locale's improved UI (Tasker's is, er, challenging...!)

Tasker is a great that allows you to carry out 'actions' based on 'conditions'. I use it to turn off my notifications sounds at night and back on in the morning, pause sound playback when the phone disconnects from my car's bluetooth, enable remote notifier and a few other settings when i'm at home and much much more. It's truly indispensable for me!

If you are already a Tasker user, i'd love to hear how YOU are using it too!

Permissions

ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION / ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION / ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE / ACCESS_WIFI_STATE / ACCESS_WIMAX_STATE / BLUETOOTH / BLUETOOTH_ADMIN / CALL_PHONE / CAMERA / CHANGE_NETWORK_STATE / CHANGE_WIFI_STATE / CHANGE_WIMAX_STATE / DISABLE_KEYGUARD / EXPAND_STATUS_BAR / GET_TASKS / INTERNET / KILL_BACKGROUND_PROCESSES / MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS / MODIFY_PHONE_STATE / PROCESS_OUTGOING_CALLS / READ_CALENDAR / READ_CONTACTS / READ_PHONE_STATE / READ_SMS / READ_SYNC_SETTINGS / RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED / RECEIVE_SMS / RECORD_AUDIO / RESTART_PACKAGES / SEND_SMS / SET_TIME_ZONE / SET_WALLPAPER / VIBRATE / WAKE_LOCK / WRITE_CALENDAR / WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE / WRITE_SETTINGS / WRITE_SMS / com.android.vending.CHECK_LICENSE

Download

View at AppBrain

Direct Market Link (for on device)

View on Android Market

QRcode

To use, install 'Barcode Scanner' from the Android Market.



Price

£3.99

Market star rating at time of writing

4.70 (2886 ratings)

Version at time of writing

1.0.12

Similar / Alternative apps

Also check out Locale, Settings Profiles or EasyProfiles.

Suggested improvements for the next version

Tasker is great but oh boy does the UI need some polish! That would be the key focus point for me for the next major release!

Have your say

Fan of Tasker? Found something better? Just wanna share your experiences? Post below! B)

[Guest anstosa]

I rely on Tasker for a lot of mindless tasks:

-Manage battery usage [dim screen, shorten timeout, turn off features, etc as battery gets lower].

-Silence phone during class and work [finds events automatically in my work and school calendars]

-Night mode [silence phone, dim screen, turn off auto-rotation so I can use while lying down.]

-Persistent Foursquare notification so I remember to check-in places. Reminds me with sound and vibration when I remove phone from car dock.

[Guest mwright]

I have been messing around with this for a couple of days trying to make it turn WiFi on when I am at home.

Every attempt I have made fails! It will turn WiFi on but never turns it off again.

Care to share how you have it et up and which option for location you are using?

Thanks

Mike

[Guest moti_r]

I have been messing around with this for a couple of days trying to make it turn WiFi on when I am at home.

Every attempt I have made fails! It will turn WiFi on but never turns it off again.

Care to share how you have it et up and which option for location you are using?

Thanks

Mike

Mike, for that purpose, I highly recommend Y5 Battery Saver (http://www.androlib.com/android.application.pl-polidea-y5-qmnE.aspx)

It uses the cell network to remember locations where you want WiFi on. That way, you only need to teach it once that you want WiFi at home.

I got 50% more battery since I started using it!

[Guest mwright]

Mike, for that purpose, I highly recommend Y5 Battery Saver (http://www.androlib.com/android.application.pl-polidea-y5-qmnE.aspx)

It uses the cell network to remember locations where you want WiFi on. That way, you only need to teach it once that you want WiFi at home.

I got 50% more battery since I started using it!

Thanks - I will give it a try. Does it turn WiFi off again as well do you know?

Regards

Mike

[Whoops - I didn't read the spec properly!]

Edited November 19, 2010 by mwright

[Guest moti_r]

B)

It does. You just need to train it once per location - and it remembers all the cells around.

[Guest duckredbeard]

Tasker is absolutely the #1 must have app. Here are some things I do with Tasker, or I should say, Tasker does for me:

1. When I pick up my daughter from daycare, Tasker automatically sends my wife a text message to inform her (based on time of day and GPS location).

2. When I get to work, Tasker turns off GPS and Bluetooth (but not if I'm not on the phone).

3. When I get home, Tasker turns on WiFi and sets volume levels to reasonable levels.

4. When I send my phone a text message from an e-mail source with the word "find" anywhere in the body, GPS is enabled and a tracker is launched so I can find my phone using a web browser of any computer.

5. When I use USB power and turn my phone on its left side, Tasker launches a desktop clock (and sets ringer volumes low, because It is next to the TV).

6. When my wife is calling from home or her cell, Tasker sets ringer volume to max so I don't miss her call.

7. If my phone rings while bluetooth is connected, Tasker answers the phone after ringing for 1.5 seconds. (now THAT is hands free!)

8. I have created custom widgets for Bluetooth, WiFi, Sync, GPS, Brightness, Screen Timeout, and 12 other settings using whatever icon I want (48x48 png images are best for my device).

There are literally thousands of things Tasker can do for you. Once you learn the user interface, this app is a breeze. Support is the best I've ever seen for an app. The developer hosts a google group and personally answers every question you could have. Many expert users are there to help also. Don't know how I could ever use an Android device without this app. The iPhone community has NOTHING that compares to the functionality of this app!

[Guest duckredbeard]

I have been messing around with this for a couple of days trying to make it turn WiFi on when I am at home.

Every attempt I have made fails! It will turn WiFi on but never turns it off again.

Care to share how you have it et up and which option for location you are using?

Thanks

Mike

Head over to http://groups.google.com/group/tasker/topics?gvc=2 and post the question there. The developer monitors that group and will answer your question. Other experienced users will also be willing to help.

[Guest 400ixl]

I use Locale rather than Tasker.

Main use is with the bluetooth add-on I set it so that when it is connected to my car stereo and on power it keeps the screen on.

Did use it for wifi switching, but found it a bit unreliable for that so do it manually.

[Guest angamb]

I use Locale rather than Tasker.

Main use is with the bluetooth add-on I set it so that when it is connected to my car stereo and on power it keeps the screen on.

Did use it for wifi switching, but found it a bit unreliable for that so do it manually.

I purchased Tasker a long time back and found it bewildering even for someone advanced in technical skills that I consider myself to be. So how Joe Average figures it out is beyond me. Consequently I don't use it now.

If you want an app that covers the phone, BT or wifi etc switching on and off at certain times (eg overnight) or setting ringtone and volume profiles with the bonus of being easy to use, then PHONEWEAVER is highly recommended. It was my favourite app on Win Mobile and was so pleased it was ported to Android.

[Guest danvy]

Hi,

Here the some of the way I use Tasker :

- When I put my mobile face down, Tasker switch my phone in silence mode

- When I launch location based apps such as Google Maps, CoPilot or Foursquare, Tasker switch the GPS on then switch if off when I quit those apps

- To change my phone profile using home widgets

- Save battery switching off wifi, gps, synchronization, etc. on low battery level

[Guest mwright]

B)

It does. You just need to train it once per location - and it remembers all the cells around.

Ok - there is something wrong here then.

Neither Tasker nor Y5 can apparently turn WiFI off again when I leave the area. Obviously something is keeping WiFi on for some other reason.

Guess this is beyond the scope of this thread so I will move the discussion somewhere else!

Thanks

Mike

[Guest Scottland]

Another Tasker user here, I use it as follows:

Turn the phone to silent/mute media volume for when I'm in work.

Turn wifi on, ringer on when I'm at home.

When Bluetooth is connected to car stereo it ups the media volume to full and puts screen brightness to auto.

Turns GPS on when I open a mapping program (Google Maps, CoPilot etc).

It also has stages of brightness depending on the battery level.

[Guest NZtechfreak]

I've had Tasker nearly two weeks now, brilliant app. I was aware of it before but for whatever reason hadn't got around to trying it, its one of those apps where you really wish you had check it out before!

My Tasker profiles:

In car (charger and headphone jack plugged in) - media volume and display on full, turn on GPS, open Winamp, answer calls from my better half immediately, pause music playback on receiving a text and read the senders contact name and the text body

Alarm - phone off silent, screen to stay awake (needed for later orientation based tasks), gradually fade in the alarm track, flip the phone facedown snoozes the alarm, when it sounds again flipping it back up does the same (rinse, wash, repeat, as neccessary), unplugging the power turns off the alarm and opens NewsRoom (morning paper delivery!). I love this profile to bits (actually three profiles handle all these actions, but it works seamlessly).

On shutdown puts the phone in silent, 5s after restart it puts it back on - this is to stop the startup sound from going off (sadly isn't able to prevent the shutdown sound)

No doubt I will find many more uses for it as I go along! I'm enjoying it immensely, really get to get my geek on with it - almost as fun playing around with it and testing profiles till they work as it is useful! As a neophyte I'm quite proud of my alarm profile B)

[Guest camdenhandbrake]

Ok - there is something wrong here then.

Neither Tasker nor Y5 can apparently turn WiFI off again when I leave the area. Obviously something is keeping WiFi on for some other reason.

Guess this is beyond the scope of this thread so I will move the discussion somewhere else!

Thanks

Mike

I found using Y5 and cell location wasn't accurate enough for me. For instance, there's a pub 5 mins walk from work that has free wi-fi but if I was at work, it would still think I was in range and keep wi-fi on. Tasker can check for actual wi-fi connections. This means more battery use as it will have to turn wi-fi on and off over set periods to check for your known connections but it is more accurate.

[Guest dwattsy21]

use it to start "car home" app when connect to my car bluetooth system. Quality quality app. It really is... super duper

[Guest themorra]

I use mostly to switch to silent mode from 23:00 to 7:00 on my loyal nexus one

[Guest 99 Red Ovoids]

A whole host of things:

• Turning WiFi on only when I'm near an AP I can use
  
• Turning all sound off when one of my diaries say I'm busy
  
• Automatically maximising the ring volume when I'm out of the house
  
• And turning it down at my friend's houses/work
  
• Muting the sound on shutdown and restoring it on startup (to avoid that annoying boot tone)
  
• Turning all the sounds off at night, except if I receive a call/text from certain numbers
  
• Turning off all notification sounds and lights in the car
  
• Changing media and ring/notification volumes when headphones are connected
  
• Turning all sounds off if the phone is face down
  
• Launch a number of applications under certain conditions
  

[Guest ozochain]

I use Tasker's HTTP Post ability for a variety of tasks.

Most recently, to automatically check-in to foursquare.

[Guest Ahri]

I tried Tasker ages ago and hated the UI, Locale was too expensive so I bought Setting Profiles which does everything i need (including lots of the items on the power user lists here) with ease. I'd recommend it to less technical people or to people like me who would prefer it to either be in a proper programming language or to get out of the way (where Setting Profiles does the latter beautifully).

Edited November 21, 2010 by Ahri

[Guest bpivk]

I use tasker for:

- Enabling wifi when I'm home

- Disabling wifi when I leave my house

- Disabling wifi, BT and dim the screen when I have less then 10% battery left

[Guest Paul]

I use Tasker's HTTP Post ability for a variety of tasks.

Most recently, to automatically check-in to foursquare.

Ooh, that's a very cool idea... could you elaborate on how you accomplish this? An 'auto check in when home' would be handy.

P

[Guest womble_sanfran]

I use Tasker a lot as well. If you want to save some money then you can download it from the developers website and pay a smaller fee than you would pay through the market.

- Turn phone screen off when turning phone over

- Wifi on when I go home

- phone on silent at work

- I created a widget on my home screen to turn the screen off

- Start GPS when starting apps that need GPS (ie Google maps)

- Go to silent at night

- pop up a menu of music related apps when I plug on headphones

[Guest andycqos]

I use Tasker a lot as well. If you want to save some money then you can download it from the developers website and pay a smaller fee than you would pay through the market.

- Turn phone screen off when turning phone over

- Wifi on when I go home

- phone on silent at work

- I created a widget on my home screen to turn the screen off

- Start GPS when starting apps that need GPS (ie Google maps)

- Go to silent at night

I do those two as well - although I switch it to airplane mode at night rather than silent. I also use it to switch to silent when I start the Kindle app

- pop up a menu of music related apps when I plug on headphones

I like the sound of that, was it easy to do?

[Guest womble_sanfran]

I do those two as well - although I switch it to airplane mode at night rather than silent. I also use it to switch to silent when I start the Kindle app

I like the sound of that, was it easy to do?

Very easy, I just followed this guide:

http://tasker.wikidot.com/headsetmenulaunch