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Tasker finally on the Market, automate nearly anything easily!

It's hard to describe what Tasker can do, as there's not much it can't do. I try to describe it like a high-level interface to the Android API. You can adjust hoards of Android settings programmatically based on Events (application, time, date, location, event, gesture).
Personally, I do some of the following:
Passively upload my GPS location to my website every 10m
Have the phone get fairly loud when I'm a home
Quiet when I'm at work
Nearly Muted when I'm in a meeting (matches a Calendar event)
Muted with Autosyncing disabled at Night while I sleep
Disable Rotation on my etext reader to work around a bug in the ereader which loses my position in my book when it rotates!
Make the screen brightness and sounds high when I'm running Waze (gps program) on AC power (plugged into car charger)
... more little things!
All of this is done using an easy to use GUI to build matching contexts and a task to execute when matched. There are lots of samples to start with on the website, and very easy to write your own. Basically it's a graphical programming language that anyone could use.
It's on the market as of today, and the website is here: http://tasker.dinglisch.net/
I have zero connection to the author besides an extremely happy user, decided I would post this here because he's exited beta testing and on the market now.
Here's even a few more examples of things that can be done, pasted from the website.. Still only the tip of the iceberg on things it can do:
passcode-lock sensitive applications (e.g. for child safety)
change phone settings by
application: long screen timeout in a book reader
time: screen brightness lower in the evening
location: ringer volume high at the office, turn off ke yguard at home
wake up with a random song from your music collection
Text-to-speech; read out loud: incoming SMS/ phone number, WiFi/Bluetooth status, when it's time for an appointment, when the battery is low etc etc (Android OS 1.6+ only)
launch a music application when your music SD card is inserted, otherwise a file browser
start the day with a particular application showing
change all your home icons and wallpaper every day, or in particular locations
turn the phone upside down to return to the home screen, tilt 90 degrees to the left and back to toggle speakerphone during a call
create a Home widget to
toggle bluetooth/wifi on/off
launch wireless settings dialog
show a menu of tasks to choose
send an emergency SMS with your GPS location
remap camera etc buttons to other applications, or show a menu of applications and/or actions
decrypt/encrypt and/or zip/unzip application data on the fly when an application is launched/exits
pause music playback while in a particular application, restart on exit
change the Home icon for any application
take a time-lapse photo series (possibly 'secretly')
make a regular backup of a file on the SD card
track your phone location via SMS in case of theft
extend the use of the media button on your headset: take a picture from a distance or go to the previous media track with a long press
record call times and destinations to the SD card
show a popup when an SMS arrives from a particular phone number
setup a birthday SMS to be sent months before it happens so you don't forget
record battery levels over time to a file on SD card
make automatic recordings of what you say during phone calls to SD card
during the night, turn on airplane mode to conserve battery/reduce radiation, but turn it off every 15 minutes to check for SMS/voicemail.
setup a vacation SMS message, with different messages for different callers
launch a music application when headphones are connected

Hrmmm, there's not much reviews for the app. I'm interested in trying out but I wish there was a trial or something.

Vulpix said:
Hrmmm, there's not much reviews for the app. I'm interested in trying out but I wish there was a trial or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hadn't looked at his market version yet, but it shouldn't need validation for 14 days..
He sells it on the market and off of the market. If nothing else you could install it from his website. I'll ask on his forum, it shouldn't require purchasing to use immediately.

Everytime I try it I get a FC when setting up my profiles, and I lose all my changes. Gets annoying fast. I uninstalled and did refund.

Knether said:
Everytime I try it I get a FC when setting up my profiles, and I lose all my changes. Gets annoying fast. I uninstalled and did refund.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Weird, I've seen that like once when I first tried it.. You might want to get on his forums and see what he can do to help fix it, as if you're interested I don't think there's anything else out there that does anywhere close to what Tasker does.
Come to think of it, yes, I did see that maybe 2-3 times, especially when first messing around, but I haven't seen it in weeks, even though I've set up multiple profiles since then. Interesting. You could always set up some stuff, Apply, re-enter the app. At that point it's saved. If it crashes, you won't lose anything. However it'd be good to get logs from alogcat or such to figure out the crash problem.

Awesome.. tasker is too good and much better than locale and setting profiles (though UI could get a bit better)... I've been waiting for it to arrive on the market..

I guess I'm the only person who has troubles with the app.. ::sigh:: I want to love it..

I've actually been using the app for a little over two weeks, and I've found it to be indispensable! GPS drains my battery too fast, so I love coordinating tasks with calendar events in conjunction with network-based location. Not to mention auto starting GPS for specific apps and then shutting GPS back off when I exit said app. There are simply SO many uses for tasker, and its compatible with locale plug-ins.
Btw. Try using Foxy Ring's ambient noise feature to auto adjust ringer volume. It works great when constantly moving from quiet study areas into a loud common room.

Does anyone know how I can set up Tasker to switch to 2G at midnight and then back to 3G/H at 8am?
I have looked throught the options and I can see the settings for 2G, but when I add Time as the 1st context I then can't find anything relating to 2G for the next context.
I understand it's probably just me being thick but if any one could help it would be much appreciated!
Loving this app otherwise, well worth the small fee.
Thanks.

CitizenLee said:
Does anyone know how I can set up Tasker to switch to 2G at midnight and then back to 3G/H at 8am?
I have looked throught the options and I can see the settings for 2G, but when I add Time as the 1st context I then can't find anything relating to 2G for the next context.
I understand it's probably just me being thick but if any one could help it would be much appreciated!
Loving this app otherwise, well worth the small fee.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, Tasker doesn't have a "Default" profile, when a profile ends it returns what settings it changed back to what they previously were.. So if it's H going into your night profile, switch off 3G, then when the profile is over it'll return to H. The big difference here is that most likely you're going to have to run an external program, maybe APNDroid or something, to toggle 2G/3G, as apparently it's not in the API directly and Tasker can't do it. So you have an entry task and an exit task.
Yep, I just looked for apps that can do this, they all launch the option in the menus, can't do it directly... So doing this doesn't seem (directly) possible, but maybe there is something out there.. I just glanced. http://www.cyrket.com/search?q=3g&market=android
Profile
Context: Time 00:00 to 08:00
Enter Task
Run Program APNDroid (?)
Exit Task
Run Program APNDroid (?) (to toggle it back on, since it's not a setting here)

Found a nice review and guide for tasker here:
http://lifehacker.com/5599116/how-to-turn-your-android-phone-into-a-fully+automated-superphone
Looks powerful, and superior to locale.

psych2l said:
Found a nice review and guide for tasker here:
http://lifehacker.com/5599116/how-to-turn-your-android-phone-into-a-fully+automated-superphone
Looks powerful, and superior to locale.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I kind feel sorry for Locale Tasker has it 100x over, plus it can use Locale plugins.

I haven't done much digging, but... maybe someone could help me with this one:
I have the Samsung vibrant which does not have a hardware camera button. Would there be a way to use this app to remap the power button when in the camera.app to use it as the shutter button?
Thank you

Anyone else having force closes when trying to set backgrounds for app menus? Don't dig the bland menu background that comes stock in the app.

Great app except the fact it is using 1/4th of my battery for two profiles.

UrbanMuppet said:
Great app except the fact it is using 1/4th of my battery for two profiles.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have something misconfigured or you have insanely good battery usage then. I have Tasker using the GPS every 10 minutes, uploading that GPS data to my website. It reminds me every 2 minutes of missed email, phone calls, sms... It goes speakerphone if I flip it on a call. It changes profiles for home, work, work meeting, running GPS in the car... I think I have a profile to wash the dishes too, but I'm waiting on an enhancement from Pent to make that one function.
Seriously, post on his forum with the exact context and task, I bet something is done wrong.

Man I still have difficulty trying to make Tasker do simple things because I'm not really savvy with such stuff...

I have been trying to get Tasker to automagically switch keyboards based on orientation for like a few days now, no luck. I want to have Swype when in portrait mode, and then a custom HiRes keyboard in landscape...
can anyone help with this or if someone has done it already, please lend some advice...
Also, maybe this thread can become the official Tasker profile thread, if not, maybe a sticky with user created profiles?

ImSoHungry said:
Also, maybe this thread can become the official Tasker profile thread, if not, maybe a sticky with user created profiles?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Been trying to a place where people dump their profile examples for the inept people who can't work out half the settings, like myself

Tasker works perfectly on my phone: HTC Desire, stock ROM, official Android 2.2 update
My profiles:
Profile: Running Navigation
Context: Application: Load app Sygic
Tasks:
- Misc: GPS ON
- Audio: Set Media Volume to max
- Display: Set Brightness to 200
- Set Speakerphone to ON
Profile: Silencing Hidden Caller-ID
Context: State: Incoming Call
Tasks:
- Audio: Set Ringer Volume to 0 - if %CNUM ~ 0
- Audio: Set Vibrate to OFF - if %CNUM ~0
Note: for the second profile, you need to use at least 1.0.6 beta 5 (%CNUM bug fixed).

[APP] Tasker

I use Tasker for automating a lot of redundant tasks on my phone. I figured I would post a couple I'm using with hope that others will share with me some stuff they use it for.
action: Docked.
Tasks done when docked: Bluetooth on, wifi off, gps on, auto brightness set off [if time < 1800, Display Brightness set to 255 if time < 1800, pandora set on.
exit tasks: Bluetooth off, auto brightness on if TIME < 1800, pandora set off, gps off.
Action open Application Maps/Nav or any gps app.
Tasks done: GPS on
exit tasks done: GPS off.
action: phone face down
Tasks done: airplane mode on if time < 2200, all sounds off except for alarm
exit tasks: airplane mode off, all sounds revert to previous settings.
these 3 i use, if you have any others let me know. If you need help with the program let me know too.
here is where you can grab tasker.
http://tasker.dinglisch.net/

Sounds something that I would definitly use. I beleive its a paid app, but still worth it. I'll look into it. Does it have settings for wifi e.g.- 1 touch WIFI on, because i'm using the stock wifi on/of toggle but I then have to go into wifi settings and actually see my phone connecting to my network in order for i to work and turn on.... ??????

Yeah there are settings for connecting to wifi. Mine does it automatically when I get home based on the gps. Works most of the time, had to turn it on manually a couple times because the gps wasn't on.

generic.imitation said:
Action open Application Maps/Nav or any gps app.
Tasks done: GPS on
exit tasks done: GPS off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you set up an OR for the app launch context? I'm trying to get it to turn on GPS when I open Maps, Foursquare, Yelp, or Places, but it doesn't let me multi-select apps and if I add a context, Application isn't there.

Make it separate tasks.
make 1 for each app.
Foursquare - turn on gps. Turn off gps when exit.
Ect.
also, I guess there is a wiki with a bunch of samples I guess. I'm out at a remote beach on northern oahu right now, but if someone doesn't post it before me I'll post the link when I get home.

generic.imitation said:
Make it separate tasks.
make 1 for each app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that's what I've been doing. It'd just be nice if you could have conditionals in the context. IF Yelp OR Foursquare OR Maps OR Places then ...

Post over there and make a feature request, they should put that in I agree .

Just bought Tasker and so far I like it. Can't seem to figure out how to do the following task though.
I need to set to static IP when on a certain wifi connection. I already have the IP set and the only thing that will need to be done is to toggle the static IP checkbox in the advanced setting of wifi. I know how to specify the wifi network but how can I make it toggle that checkbox/setting?
Thanks for any info.

i made a simple widget to toggle the screen brightness to two preset brightens for inside and direct sunlight.
i could not find an app that let me choose the brightness, they either made it full dark/bright.
i can't work out however to toggle a different widget icon to indicate on/off...
i've tried set icon but with no luck
its not really needed but would be good to have/know for future apps
also, can anyone explain how the HTTP (get info from net) works?
i want to try a few things but not really sure how it works

This app is the best app on the market... hands down. #Win

generic.imitation said:
Yeah there are settings for connecting to wifi. Mine does it automatically when I get home based on the gps. Works most of the time, had to turn it on manually a couple times because the gps wasn't on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should use "wifi near" as a condition instead of "gps". That way it just toggles you wifi on and off periodically and if it is near... it will connect.
Gps is so demanding on the battery... and not always accurate... as you see

I set mine up so whenever I plug in my headphones my music app opens
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

ichigopow said:
I set mine up so whenever I plug in my headphones my music app opens
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I set my heaphones the same.. but at the same time, it cuts my media volume up (in case it was down) and when I unplug them... it returns my media volume back to it's previous value

MrDanger said:
I set my heaphones the same.. but at the same time, it cuts my media volume up (in case it was down) and when I unplug them... it returns my media volume back to it's previous value
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do the same except my volume goes down when I plug them in so I don't have music blaring in my ears.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

I also have a profile that texts my gf a random message at a random time that is between 7:30 am and 7:40 am (so she don't think it's automated lol) every morning. I got that idea from LexusBrian
Again.. great app!

Here was I have got going on with tasker.
Car dock: gps on, bluetooth on, display always on, notification volume off. On exit they all do the opposite.
When home: wifi on. Exit wifi goes off.
At work: phone goes to vibrate for everything.
10pm to 545am: phone goes quiet.
I second it a best app ever. Wifi, gps, and bluetooth are never on when I don't need em. Come on you can't beat that. What a battery saver.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

Tasker is an incredibly handy utility.
Here's the profiles I use:
GPSonForLocationApps - I think this one has already been covered by this thread.
WifiOnAtHome - I use the wifi near option... although I think it's causing issues with my 3G signal... it will occasionally turn on wifi to check if I'm at home which seems to turn off 3G. Still playing with this one.
LowVolumeDuringWorkHours - sets various volumes appropriately so I can still hear stuff but doesn't annoy folks working near by. I turn this on/off based on day of week and time of day. Upon exiting this profile it returns my volumes back to normal.
NoficationsOffAtNight - I turn off notifications at night and if my phone is plugged into AC.
SilentForMeetings - if I have a calendar entry where I'm marked as busy it turns my phone to silent mode.

Openwatch?
Hello
I am new to Tasker, and I'm starting to understand exactly how much you can do. Uses open watch a lot and have done a lot of settings to make my clock better. But I wonder if I can get messages from one app to my watch. The app is an ice hockey results service. And each time it becomes a goal, I get it as income message in the status bar. But can I get the message in the clock at the same time? Right now I just get a message in the watch which I've written, but would like it says in the status bar so you do not I pick up the phone to look at the result. Is there perhaps a few codes to enter, instead of my message is? Hope you understand me?

I have mine set to enable WiFi when I connect to a certain cell tower. Keeps the drain on my batter to nothing more than it was already at, and GPS is only enabled for about 5 minutes to and from the house. I'm sure the drain for that combined 10 minutes is much less than periodically checking the GPS or if a network is near.

I am turning off gps when I get to my home cell tower and turning on my wifi at the same time.
For my multimedia apps like pandora, I have my screen stay on when plugged to a power source.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[GUIDE] Tasker

Tasker is a very powerful program for Android devices that lets users have complete control over the automation of their phones.
I have seen a lot of fragmented threads about different profiles and requests for help. So I have decided to make a thread to collect profiles and advice for people from different devices to use (hopefully in an easy to understand English!). Also, I'm not a huge Tasker wiz! I just hope that everyone can contribute in one place for everyone at xda. So please send me/the contributor a PM if you see a post that is wrong.
Contents:
Post #2 - Links to submitted guides/profiles
Post #3 - Basics of Tasker
*Disclaimer*
I do not have ownership (whole or part thereof) of the Tasker Android Application. This guide is for educational purposes only. I, or any contributor to the guide, is not responsible for any faults (software or hardware) resulting from following the instructions set out in this guide.
Tasker is available from the Android Market or in trial form from the website
Admins: If this thread is unnecessary please delete and let me know, thanks.
Submission of Profiles:
If you have a profile that you would like to share, please put it into this standard form so that people can more easily understand what to do:
##(example 1)##
Profile: "Wifi at home"
Context:
Variable "HOME" [matches] "1"
Wifi-near [(SSID of home/work/school wireless network)]
Activity:
Wifi [ON]
Mobile Data [OFF]
Mobile APN Enabled [OFF]
Exit Activity (if any):
Wifi [TOGGLE]
Mobile Data [ON]
Mobile APN Enabled [ON]
##(end example 1)##
OR if you want to submit a walk-through as well:
##(example 2)##
Tap Context
Add
Application
Google Maps
...etc
##(end example 2)##
Absolute Beginners:
If you are completely new to Tasker, you need to check out the Tasker website and wiki.
The program may seem unwieldy and complicated at first for those who do not have programming experience - I certainly found it a little intimidating at first - but once you play around with it, it helps a lot. The guides on the wiki and on the website are a little confusing, so hopefully this thread will help decode some of the settings/profiles into plain English.
The wiki is worth checking out for the walkthroughs and downloadable profiles - so take your time to check it out!
duckredbeard has also pointed out that there is a google group for Tasker which is supported by the developer himself. So if you need some trouble shooting, check that out too.

Turning GPS on only for GPS apps and then turning them off again
Automagically switching wifi on and off
...slowly building more. post to contribute!

Here are some basics that every beginner needs to know (or if you just need reminding).
Profile:
Not much explanation needed. A profile contains all the required settings for a particular purpose - it is usually recommended that you give your profile a name that makes sense (e.g.: "Wifi at home" for turning on/off your wifi when you are near your house). A profile has:
Contexts
Tasks
Exit Tasks (not always)
Contexts:
A Context is basically an on/off switch for your Tasker profile - something that tells Tasker that a certain thing has happened/is happening and so Tasker should do something about it. When you tap "new" in Tasker and have given your profile a name, you will be given some choices for your Context. A Context can be:
Application (profile is activated by the opening of an app)
Time (this can be through a time interval or a set time frame)
Day (profile activation based on which day/month you are on)
Location
State (of your phone)
Event (something that has happened to the phone)
Tasks:
Once your profile has been triggered by your Context, you want it to do something - this can be switching on Wifi, or locking your phone, or turning on the GPS, launch an application, etc. You have amazing control over what your phone does! You will need to explore the different options in order to understand the kind of control you have.
Exit Tasks:
An exit task tells Tasker what to do once your Context is no longer true (e.g.: you are no longer near your wifi network). You can tell Tasker to switch things back on that you might have turned off (or vice versa). You do not need to have an exit task, but sometimes it is useful. You CANNOT have an Exit Task if your Context is an Event.
Monitoring your context:
Some contexts (like "Location") require Tasker to recognise when it is in a certain area or not - this is how Tasker does it.
To find a wifi network using the "Wifi-Near" context, Tasker switches on your wifi briefly (specified in "Menu -> Preferences -> Monitor -> Wifi Timeout Seconds") and scans the wifi networks available. After the specified amount of seconds has passed, Tasker will then switch off the Wifi scanning. Tasker begins scanning for wifi networks again after another time interval (specified in "Menu -> Preferences -> Monitor -> Wifi Scan Seconds"). Obviously the more you scan the more battery you use, but also the more responsive Tasker will be. And obviously the shorter amount of time you spend scanning for networks, the more battery you save, but you also have a lower chance of connecting to a network. Tasker can only do this wifi-scanning if you have set your Wifi to [TOGGLE] or [ON] - it will not do it if you have set your Wifi to [OFF].
GPS is a much more accurate way to find your location, but obviously much more battery intensive. Settings are much the same as the Wifi ones and are found in "Menu -> Preferences -> Monitor". Tasker can only update your GPS location if you have set your GPS to [TOGGLE] or [ON] - it will not do it if you have set your GPS to [OFF].
Network Location is the least battery intensive, but also the least accurate. Tasker checks your network location according to the time specified in "Menu -> Preferences -> Monitor -> Network Location Check Seconds".
...more to come.

--just in case--

Using GPS only when needed:
In normal use, apps like Weather, Places, Latitude, etc, only need to know which suburb/cell tower you are using. If you have your GPS switched on, then it becomes a huge waste of battery. Here is how to set it so that your GPS switches on when you use a GPS app, and then to switch it off again when you exit that app.
Profile: "GPS on"
Context:
Application
Google Maps
Locations
Navigation
...etc
Tasks:
GPS [ON]
Exit Tasks:
GPS [OFF]

Automagically switching wifi on and off
The Easy Way:
Profile: "Wifi at home"
Context:
- Wifi-Near [(Set as your work/home/school/etc SSID and MAC address - do this by long-pressing on the dialog box for Tasker to scan for you)]
Tasks:
- Wifi [ON]
Exit Tasks:
- Wifi [OFF]
This method has Tasker checking for your wifi network according to the settings you placed in:
"(Tasker Home Screen) Menu -> Preferences -> Monitor"
However, this theoretically leads to more battery usage because Tasker is always checking for your wifi network even when you are nowhere near your wifi network. You could always have it check your location using your GPS, but this is even worse for your battery. A way to reduce this battery drain is to lower your "Wifi/GPS Timeout" setting and increase your "Wifi/GPS Scan" setting. This will cause Tasker to check for wifi networks/GPS location for a smaller duration and less frequently - the downside is that Tasker will be less responsive when you enter into your wifi network (eg: if you set Tasker to check once every 10 minutes, then you might have to wait 10 minutes before Tasker kicks this profile into gear)
Slightly more complicated way:
This requires 2 profiles.
Profile 1: "Home"
Contexts:
- Cell Near [(press 'scan' to let Tasker find out what cell towers are near you)]
Tasks:
- Set variable "%HOME" = [1] (this is a variable i defined myself)
- Wifi [TOGGLE]
Exit Tasks:
- Set variable "&HOME" = [0]
- Wifi [OFF]
Profile 2: "Wifi at home"
Contexts:
- Variable "%HOME" matches [1]
- Wifi-Near [(SSID of home/work/school/etc)]
Tasks:
- Wifi [ON]
- Mobile Data [OFF]
- Mobile APN Enabled [OFF]
Exit Tasks:
- Wifi [TOGGLE]
- Mobile Data [ON]
- Mobile APN Enabled [ON]
(you can also enable Auto-Sync if you wish)
Explanation:
This method can theoretically save battery and increase the responsiveness of Tasker. It does it by only enabling the Wifi-scanning when you are within a certain cell-tower(s) area. Since checking for your location via the mobile network does not require much battery (and also since your phone is automatically doing it for your weather app anyway), you can set your Network Scan time to something quite low (I have it at 15 seconds). Once you are in the general area, then Tasker begins to look for your wifi network. Because you are not always searching for the wifi network, you can increase the frequency of the searches and also increase the duration of the search.
This does require a bit of testing - I find that it works quite well, but that could just be my area. Have a go and see what you find.

dont mean to cut down your efforts here, but: http://tasker.wikidot.com/

It will be nice to use this thread as a helpful discussion area on programming tasker as their does not to be such a place on the tasker wiki site.
Maybe you can help to achieve this state.
Is it possible to have several IF variables?
Ie.
Between hours 21:00 - :06:30 Reduce phone ringer to 2
If Location (network operator) = Home
and Power is connected
and phone has been idle for 30mins.
I have been playing with Tasker but having no programing experience it is difficult for my brain to wrap around how I would achieve this.
any hints?

TopShelf10 said:
dont mean to cut down your efforts here, but: http://tasker.wikidot.com/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, I'm aware of the wiki - but the wiki doesn't answer all the questions and I feel it isn't organised very well (not that this would be organised any better). Plus, a forum opens things up to discussion and sharing, which I'm sure a lot of people will appreciate. feel free to contribute!

Daft Templar said:
It will be nice to use this thread as a helpful discussion area on programming tasker as their does not to be such a place on the tasker wiki site.
Maybe you can help to achieve this state.
Is it possible to have several IF variables?
Ie.
Between hours 21:00 - :06:30 Reduce phone ringer to 2
If Location (network operator) = Home
and Power is connected
and phone has been idle for 30mins.
I have been playing with Tasker but having no programing experience it is difficult for my brain to wrap around how I would achieve this.
any hints?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe that if you put all of those 'variables' into one profile and make them all contexts, then you would be able to do that. But don't forget to set your task priorities properly!
Have you tried:
Code:
Profile: (profile name)
Contexts:
- Time [21:00-06:30]
- Wifi-Near [(your home SSID)] (also see my post about how to reduce wifi-searching to increase battery life)
- Power [Any/AC/USB]
Tasks:
- Ringer Volume [Level 2, (Sound, Display if you want as well - good for debug)]
Exit Tasks:
- Ringer Volume [(whatever you like your volume level to be at)]
I am not sure how to do your "Phone Idle" condition as I have never had to use it before - I suppose that you could always set another 2 profiles:
1 to countdown to 30 minutes which then sets a variable (say, "Timer") equal to 1 and has a context that tells it to run the profile every time "Timer" = 0; the other profile would have set "Timer" = 0 every time the Display turned on. You could then add a "Timer [matches 1]" context to your original profile, and that should work.
This seems like a rather roundabout way to do it, but that's what I can think of at this time. Let me know if you would like me to post up the instructions to do that though.
If anyone else has a better idea, let me know!

I think when using tasker (particularly with lots of profiles) It is important to keep things as simple and clean as possible. Otherwise if certain tasks start becoming too dependant on other tasks it will either reduce your ability to program new tasks or Things will start going pear shaped.
For Example. If I were to program the phone with Wifi-Near to Enter silent mode It will affect any other Tasks I have going with the Wifi, Either it being Turn wifi Off Or stop searching or Even If My network goes down. I think (if possible) it would be better to use a different more non varried method of location if you know what I mean. I think it would go for any other tasks you would want to program as well. Keep things simple and very direct, It will also help you too trace back and find problems if needed later down the track as well.

Daft Templar said:
I think when using tasker (particularly with lots of profiles) It is important to keep things as simple and clean as possible. Otherwise if certain tasks start becoming too dependant on other tasks it will either reduce your ability to program new tasks or Things will start going pear shaped.
For Example. If I were to program the phone with Wifi-Near to Enter silent mode It will affect any other Tasks I have going with the Wifi, Either it being Turn wifi Off Or stop searching or Even If My network goes down. I think (if possible) it would be better to use a different more non varried method of location if you know what I mean. I think it would go for any other tasks you would want to program as well. Keep things simple and very direct, It will also help you too trace back and find problems if needed later down the track as well.
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Click to collapse
whilst it is good to try and keep things simple, sometimes more complex profiles lead to more efficient use of battery. Or sometimes a simple task may need certain exceptions so that it fits around our lives. Remember that Tasker should be making our phones do what we want, how we want it - we want to try and avoid the "i'll get used to it" line as much as possible.
When using complex profiles (or even profiles that may end up conflicting each other), the use of priorities for your task is very important. For example - when my "wifi at home" profile gets switched off, it turns my wifi onto [TOGGLE]. BUT if I leave the cell-tower area near my house at the same time, it tells it to turn wifi onto [OFF]. Since these are conflicting tasks, I have given my wifi [OFF] a higher priority than [TOGGLE], and so Tasker does what I want. As with any programming, sometimes convolution is unavoiable - in those instances make sure that you keep your line of logic clear (some people like to use flowcharts for programming, but i think that's a bit excessive for Tasker - each to their own though!)

is there a way to tell when music is playing?
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

I want to use Tasker to switch off data/wifi when the screen is switched off, then switch data/wifi back on again when the screen is on, but only if they were previously on. Is this possible?

skulk3r said:
Tasks:
GPS [ON]
Exit Tasks:
GPS [OFF]
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Click to collapse
The Exit Task is unneeded. For all On/Off toggles, Tasker returns them to their original state on exit automatically.

Michealtbh said:
I want to use Tasker to switch off data/wifi when the screen is switched off, then switch data/wifi back on again when the screen is on, but only if they were previously on. Is this possible?
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Click to collapse
As far as I know, your phone will automatically switch off your wifi when you have your screen off (unless you installed a mod/app that forces it to stay open). I believe that Tasker (by default) will switch it off unless you have put wifi to [TOGGLE]. However, if you wanted to be completely sure, you can always use variables.
ie: you can make a profile that sets a variable (say, "WifiON") to 1. and then when you make a "screen on" event profile, make it Wifi [ON] IF WifiON [matches 1].
Izkata said:
The Exit Task is unneeded. For all On/Off toggles, Tasker returns them to their original state on exit automatically.
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Click to collapse
Oh wow, I must have completely missed that! Thanks for the help =] Feel free to continue to share/post guides.
sundar2012 said:
is there a way to tell when music is playing?
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
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Click to collapse
I haven't found it on Tasker - but then, I don't really know Tasker as well as some other people here. You could always try to use the launching of the Music app as a context, or use the headphones plugged in event as a context?

If you haven't been to the google group for tasker, you should go NOW. It is moderated by the developer himself. He answers questions every day, including updates on what to expect on the next version. There are dozens of users on that group that can and will help you with the infinite number of things Tasker can do for you.
Head over to http://groups.google.com/group/tasker/topics?gvc=2 and read a few pages. It is likely that your questions have already been answered.

Whenever Ive previously tried Tasker it savages my battery...
All I had it doing was at a certain time turn on mobile data, open rss reader (so it updates) then play a beeping .mp3
Just wanted a flashy alarm clock to get to grips with it. but always see 25% less available battery with it installed than without...

duckredbeard said:
If you haven't been to the google group for tasker, you should go NOW. It is moderated by the developer himself. He answers questions every day, including updates on what to expect on the next version. There are dozens of users on that group that can and will help you with the infinite number of things Tasker can do for you.
Head over to http://groups.google.com/group/tasker/topics?gvc=2 and read a few pages. It is likely that your questions have already been answered.
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Click to collapse
oh wow. thanks for that. I'll chuck it up on the first few posts.
Would still like this to be a share-some-love discussion though!
Coedy said:
Whenever Ive previously tried Tasker it savages my battery...
All I had it doing was at a certain time turn on mobile data, open rss reader (so it updates) then play a beeping .mp3
Just wanted a flashy alarm clock to get to grips with it. but always see 25% less available battery with it installed than without...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what is your device? I have seen improved battery life with my HTC Desire Z - I usually only had about 30-40% battery at the end of the day with light texting, some calls and web surfing. Now i have about 60%! Although that's not completely Tasker - I do have SetCPU to underclock during screen off times.
Did you turn the mobile data back off?

Yep, had it to turn off mobile data and then enable wifi when I close the news app.
(I usually keep wifi on 24-7 if Im at home that day).
I say it took about 25% of my battery because I usually get 36 hours with everything on (except BT) and with tasker going I only got slightly over 24hours... (maybe like 26 or 28?)
Its a HTC Hero btw. Maybe ive just tuned it so that its at its optimum battery for me and my situation? I just think its weird that whenever I use Tasker within the next 2 days the battery has dived down to 20 something hours from around 35+

app to mute notifications between certain hrs?

Sorry if this has already been asked but is there a way to disable or mute notifications between certain times? Or at least email? This way the phone doesnt go off when I am asleep.

I use Sound Manager. Gives you the option to set the volume levels for media, system, notifications, etc and to set schedules for any of these. I use it to set my notification volume down low after 2:00am and to come back up to high volume around 8:00am and so far has worked just fine.

Tasker works great for this
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Tasker probably can do that but its a ready complicated learning curve imo

Tasker rocks..definitely worth it...
I have the same thing..here is how to set it up in Tasker...
From 23:00 Til 07:00
Silent Mode On
That's it...
I also have it setup for an exception that if one of two people call me from work then it overrides and rings...
I have done a ton of stuff with Tasker -- like turning phone to vibrate during meetings, turning on gps automatically when I run certain programs (and then turn it off again when I close them), Play a sound when the plug becomes disconnected while charging, change the screen turnoff time when phone is charging, etc..
If you can't tell I love it.

Another plug for Tasker. It is awesome. The MacGyver part of my signature is brought to you in part by Tasker. And the letter A, for Awesome.
If Tasker seems hard to get into, check out their site for info: http://tasker.dinglisch.net/
A really nice use I have for it is automatically adjusting my screen brightness when plugged/unplugged.

fldude99 said:
Tasker probably can do that but its a ready complicated learning curve imo
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Click to collapse
Tasker does have a bit of a learning curve and if it's just simply turning off notifications, there are probably simpler solutions. But I love Tasker to bits. I have it set so between my usual bedtime hours, the phone goes silent, Screen Filter activates and dims it way down and Orientation turns off so I can lay down and read without it turning into landscape. I seem to always be finding new things to add and tinker.
Also recently added a function where the screen timeout goes away when Maps is activated. Got tired of losing the lock because it takes so darn long to get it back!

I use Volume Toggle - it is free (ad supported) and it has a bunch of different profiles you can customize.
It has a companion program "Volume Timer" (also free) that lets you set days and times for each profile.

I used to use Sound Manager but it decided to stop working, even after re-installing it still decided to quit after using it awhile.
I now use AudioGuru, it works great for scheduling volume settings for anything on your phone (System, Alarm, Ringer, Notifications, etc). Very easy to use and hasn't failed me yet. Recommended.

I use Silent Time Lite. It is free from the App Store and is very simple to use.

Sweet Dreams is available on the market and works great. Easy to use.

Thanks all, Tasker looks like it rocks. I will get it loaded. I like the "if bluetooth connected then read outloud the text messages", this way whenever I am in my car, it will read the tm! thats sweet.

Tasker

Having some issues with tasker on the pixel 3. I had the pixel 1 with android pie and had no issues. I migrated my profile and the tasks work if i play them manually but don't seem to work automatically 99% of the time. They also show green as if they should be active. It seems to have something to do with having the screen off. I have battery optimization turned off for the app and I have messed around with a few other settings. Does anyone know the magic combination to get it working? Or any idea what else may be wrong?
Example screnario...I get into my car, bluetooth connects, i wait and pandora doesnt turn on. I unlock the phone and go into tasker, the profile is green as if it is active but Pandora isn't playing. I then open the task and hit the play button and everything works as it should.
I can live without most of my tasks but I really miss Pandora automatically playing and exiting when connected to my bluetooth.
EDIT: My other tasks are hard to verify they aren't working. It seems that they may be working some/most of the time but Pandora has yet to launch while the screen is off. I have smart lock enabled so the phone should unlock when connected to my bluetooth.

huviduc said:
Having some issues with tasker on the pixel 3. I had the pixel 1 with android pie and had no issues. I migrated my profile and the tasks work if i play them manually but don't seem to work automatically 99% of the time. They also show green as if they should be active. It seems to have something to do with having the screen off. I have battery optimization turned off for the app and I have messed around with a few other settings. Does anyone know the magic combination to get it working? Or any idea what else may be wrong?
Example screnario...I get into my car, bluetooth connects, i wait and pandora doesnt turn on. I unlock the phone and go into tasker, the profile is green as if it is active but Pandora isn't playing. I then open the task and hit the play button and everything works as it should.
I can live without most of my tasks but I really miss Pandora automatically playing and exiting when connected to my bluetooth.
EDIT: My other tasks are hard to verify they aren't working. It seems that they may be working some/most of the time but Pandora has yet to launch while the screen is off. I have smart lock enabled so the phone should unlock when connected to my bluetooth.
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Click to collapse
Check to see if accessibility is enabled for Tasker. If memory serves me correctly it needs to be enabled in order to launch an app. I might be wrong about that but it can't hurt to try it. Android settings>accessibility

robocuff said:
Check to see if accessibility is enabled for Tasker. If memory serves me correctly it needs to be enabled in order to launch an app. I might be wrong about that but it can't hurt to try it. Android settings>accessibility
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Click to collapse
I checked and it wasn't enabled. Enabled it but unfortunately the same issue happens. If i have the screen on everything works perfectly fine, screen off nothing happens. I am using always on display if that matters, its the only difference from my pixel 1 setup but I don't see why it would matter.
I also tried clearing all app data, uninstalling, reinstalling and setting up the pandora profile from scratch. Its such a simple task, I don't see why it isn't working. Profile below, selected options in parenthesis.
BT Connected (bluetooth device name) -> Pandora (Launch App Pandora)

Did you select the BT device from the list by tapping the magnifying glass? I have found that if I pair a device the name is the same but the profile won't work until I remove and add it again. Also, some have different modes. For example, my Bose BT headphones pair as "Bose SoundSport" initially, but then connect as "LE Bose SoundSport" after that, so profile trigger has both listed.
Another test I would do is to change the task actions to see if it's actually triggering the profile or if it's an issue with the task. I usually just do Alert > Flash and watch the screen when the profile should be triggering. If the flash works, something isn't working with the launch app action.
Hope this helps.
Edit: I guess I didn't clarify, the task I have with my Bose headphones launches Spotify and starts music (media control > next). It also sets the media volume to a comfortable level. The criteria for this profile is a variable (based on calendar to see if I'm at work or not) and BT connection.
I forgot it was there, but I use Secure Settings to wake the CPU when the task triggers. Not sure if this is still needed or not. I think it was needed at one point to launch with the screen off or something, but I haven't really changed this task for a few years other than updating the BT device name as described above.

fury683 said:
Did you select the BT device from the list by tapping the magnifying glass? I have found that if I pair a device the name is the same but the profile won't work until I remove and add it again. Also, some have different modes. For example, my Bose BT headphones pair as "Bose SoundSport" initially, but then connect as "LE Bose SoundSport" after that, so profile trigger has both listed.
Another test I would do is to change the task actions to see if it's actually triggering the profile or if it's an issue with the task. I usually just do Alert > Flash and watch the screen when the profile should be triggering. If the flash works, something isn't working with the launch app action.
Hope this helps.
Edit: I guess I didn't clarify, the task I have with my Bose headphones launches Spotify and starts music (media control > next). It also sets the media volume to a comfortable level. The criteria for this profile is a variable (based on calendar to see if I'm at work or not) and BT connection.
I forgot it was there, but I use Secure Settings to wake the CPU when the task triggers. Not sure if this is still needed or not. I think it was needed at one point to launch with the screen off or something, but I haven't really changed this task for a few years other than updating the BT device name as described above.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the input! I am heading out of town for a few days but I'll look into your suggestions when i return ( i wont have my car with me so i cant do any testing). I do think the profile works because it shows as green when i turn my screen on and open tasker. It also works perfectly fine if i have my screen on then start my car.
I think it may be working now (successfully tested one time) but I will need to use a bit more to be sure. The only thing I noticed is when reinstalling, i was prompted to allow the application to run in the background and chose yes. When the app was transferred from my old phone and I imported the backup, i dont recall ever getting this prompt. Not sure where this setting is found other than at the prompt. I will report back once i am home and can test some more.

okay so it doesn't appear to be working still. The task works fine when played manually, the profile runs the task successfully when the screen is on/off/locked. It does NOT work after phone has been idle for a while. I have battery optimization off for Tasker and when I check battery usage, I can see that tasker runs all day long. I have another task to dismiss email notifications at work and it works fine when the phone is idle.
Starting to test it with different actions like turning on the screen but I'm running out of ideas. Only other thought it Adaptive Battery....not very familiar with it.

huviduc said:
okay so it doesn't appear to be working still. The task works fine when played manually, the profile runs the task successfully when the screen is on/off/locked. It does NOT work after phone has been idle for a while. I have battery optimization off for Tasker and when I check battery usage, I can see that tasker runs all day long. I have another task to dismiss email notifications at work and it works fine when the phone is idle.
Starting to test it with different actions like turning on the screen but I'm running out of ideas. Only other thought it Adaptive Battery....not very familiar with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you verify if the task runs at all? In other words, does Tasker successfully see the BT connection and activate the profile and the only thing that fails is Pandora playing?
If the profile actually kicks in, then it sounds like the phone needs to 'wake up' more before the Pandora action works.
I have a morning profile (runs based on time of day) that I had to add a wake screen step to to have all the actions work (I don't actually remember which action wasn't working -- it may have been that it didn't seen to run at all). I currently use the old Secure Settings plugin to do the screen wake because when I tried which auto- app has a screen wake action it didn't work.

piccit said:
Can you verify if the task runs at all? In other words, does Tasker successfully see the BT connection and activate the profile and the only thing that fails is Pandora playing?
If the profile actually kicks in, then it sounds like the phone needs to 'wake up' more before the Pandora action works.
I have a morning profile (runs based on time of day) that I had to add a wake screen step to to have all the actions work (I don't actually remember which action wasn't working -- it may have been that it didn't seen to run at all). I currently use the old Secure Settings plugin to do the screen wake because when I tried which auto- app has a screen wake action it didn't work.
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Click to collapse
This leads me to believe the bit I added for Secure Settings to wake CPU is what makes it work any time? The profile I have is very similar; %ATWORK = TRUE && BT connected to Bose SoundSport. Secure Settings wakes CPU only 20 seconds, launches Spotify, waits 5 seconds, simulates media control "next" then sets the volume to 10.
Can't hurt to try..

i added a task to vibrate the phone after trying to launch pandora. The phone seems to vibrate every time but pandora will only start if the screen is on. Thought it may be lock screen related so i totally disabled it, same results. Ill mess around with the secure settings tip above, the fact that it vibrates every time makes me think its something else though. Attached some logs below. Each set contains all logs from profile active to profile inactive.
EDIT --> work around found. Removing log in case there are any personal details

DELETED

DELETED

Comparing the logs in notepad++, they seem to be almost identical (with the exceptions of some of the timing of logs, had to move them around to match them up). The only difference I can see is the following lines and what appears to be Pandora starting up and exiting when it works ( events surrounded by #NLI: tickerText. The first line says True when screen is on and the second line is missing when pandora failed to load.
31-10-2018 M: 11.17.12#M: user present: false
31-10-2018 M: 11.17.12#M: startUAAA: need alarm: false

oddly enough... installing Secure Settings and using it to launch the same Pandora activity seems to work (so far)