Tasker is a multifunctional application for programming Android devices. SwiP - a free alternative to Tasker for Android Tasker profile examples

It is not going to lose ground in the Google Play store, despite the fact that the program is considered the most complex among its kind, is not a game and is not free.

What are the reasons for such demand for the service? It allows you to automate the Android system and adapt it as much as possible to the user's needs. With its help, you can configure the device so that it performs the necessary actions on its own - turn on wireless communication or silent mode. And there are countless similar functions in it.

Tasker is a very convenient program for creating tasks for your device

Therefore, if you want the most, let's get acquainted with what Tasker is, how to use this utility and how it can be useful for you.

Through this utility, you program the actions of your tablet or smartphone into separate chains, connecting them to each other and creating tasks. To create them in the application, you can use any system processes on Android, sensor data, in general, everything related to the gadget.

Thus, any change in the state of the device, for example, shaking it, can become a signal to action and start processes. Let's say, using an orientation sensor, you can program your smartphone so that when you shake it from left to right, it will receive a call or .

Next, using location data, you can configure a change in operating mode - for example, if you are away from home, turn off Wi-Fi or turn up the volume, increase the screen brightness. How is this possible? Using GPS information or alternative methods.

Another example is that you can make your gadget automatically lower the screen brightness and turn off wireless networks for a specified time.

All this is possible because Android is open to interaction with applications and can synchronize system data for the benefit of the user.

After such a brief description, we can conclude that Tasker is an application that will allow you to program your tablet or smartphone without any special knowledge on the part of the user. All that is required is to understand the interface and work with the program, and we will explain how to do this further.

Installing and using the Tasker application

You can download Tasker, as already mentioned, through, installing it will take a little time. Yes, the application is paid, but given its capabilities, it becomes clear that it is completely worth the investment.

After you have installed the utility on Android, we suggest that you launch it immediately to start exploring the functions. Click on “Create a new profile”. In the settings you can immediately remove the Beginner checkbox. You will see the main Tasker menu, where there are four sections - profiles, tasks, scenes and variables. In the “Profile” you select the context for performing actions - time or certain operating conditions of the device. In “Tasks” you create the chains of actions that will be performed in this context. With the help of the third section - “Scenes”, almost full-fledged applications are created, which is already a higher level of use of the service.

Each menu has its own set of functions, the number of which is impressive, and it is better to consider them using specific examples.

Let's start with the simplest thing - for example, you want Android to switch to other operating conditions at night.

We do the following:

• Click on the plus sign at the bottom of the screen in the “Profiles” menu.
• In the window that appears, select “Time”.
• Specify a time frame - for example, from midnight to five in the morning.
• To create a new profile, click on the application icon at the top.
• Next, you will see a line with a profile, after which the service will offer to create a task - that is, indicate what needs to be done at this time. Click on the “New task” button.
• Give an arbitrary name for the task - let it be “Night time”.
• The utility will prompt you to click “+” to add actions.
• You will see an extensive list of possible operations - there are really a lot of them.
• Which actions should be used for night time? You can, for example, use the “Screen” menu.
• Select "Display Brightness" and reduce the setting to 10-15% - you don't need more at night.
• Let’s add one more action - select “Network” from the list, then “Turn off Wi-Fi”, because it is not needed when you are sleeping.

You've created two tasks, and when you go to the Tasks menu, you'll see a general line called "Night Time." If you click on it, a list of created actions will open in front of you. Now go to the first menu, where you will see a profile that works from midnight to five in the morning, with the “Night Time” task running at this time.

What happened in the end? Now, at this time, your gadget will automatically reduce the screen brightness and turn off the Internet - this way you will significantly save battery consumption. Please note that you can add several more tasks to this profile at your discretion.

So, using this simple example, we looked at how Android system processes are programmed in an application. As you can see, this is not so difficult, and all the difficulties are more related to the fact that users are overwhelmed by the number of functions in Tasker.

Let's look at the most popular profiles that will be useful on Android and learn how to create them.

Useful features of the application

If you want to save even more battery at night and don’t want to wake up from phone calls, you can set up Tasker automatically in this way:

• Click on the "+" icon in profiles and select the "Time" context.
• Specify the required hours of the day when the mode will operate.
• Select a task - in the list you need to click the “Plugin” button, then Secure Settings, Root Action and Airplane Mode.

One of the most popular options for using the application is to make the player automatically turn on when a headset is connected to the system. This is done like this:

• Select creating a new profile, the context is no longer “Time”, but “State”.
• Next, you should select “Hardware” and “Headphones connected.”
• Let's move on to creating a task - select "Application", "Run..." and point to the required player.

That's all! By the way, when viewing the “Profiles” section, you have a slider that allows you to activate or disable this or that entry. If you don't need certain profiles temporarily, you don't have to delete them - just turn them off until you need them again.

By specifying the time on Tasker, you can also customize the screen - set conditions so that it works at different brightness depending on the night or day. Or, for example, you can always set a situation in which the gadget will go into silent mode when you are at work or school by defining a time frame.

But it happens that you urgently need to turn off the sound on your tablet or smartphone, and you need to do this extremely quickly. In this case, you can create a profile like this:

• Specify the context as "Status".
• Next, click on the “Sensor” and “Orientation” options.
• In the window, select “Position” and in the list, select a simple action that will put Android into silent mode - for example, “Left side” or “Vertical up”.

Subsequently, when the selected movement is performed, the device recognizes it as a signal to change the sound settings. Much easier than doing it manually every time, right?

More advanced application settings

Once you've mastered creating the above profiles, you can move on to multi-level tasks in Tasker. We suggest making Android operating modes change depending on where you are.

Consider the following conditions - while studying you need a Wi-Fi connection, silent mode, no need for a GPS sensor. At home, you don't need GPS, but you do need an internet connection, maximum ringer volume, and medium screen backlight. And on the street you need GPS, high ring volume, maximum backlight level and message notifications.

How can a gadget determine where you are? You can do this via GPS, but the battery drains so quickly. It’s better to start from connecting to Wi-Fi.

Thus, the study profile will look like this:

• Select the status context, then “Network” and “Connected to a network”, specify the name of the access point in the school.
• Create an “Audio” task, select “Silent mode” or vibration - whichever is more convenient.
• Add “Plugin”, after “Secure Settings”, “Systems+Actions”, after “GPS” and turn off this module.

The following conditions apply at home:

• Status context, again “Network” and further, but indicate the name of your home Wi-Fi.
• Tasks that are performed under this condition:
• “Audio”, after “Ring volume” - set the maximum volume.
• “Screen”, then “Display brightness”, where you can reduce the indicators to a comfortable level and to save battery.
• Disable GPS in the same way as in the previous profile.

And the last thing is the settings for the street, which we set like this:

• The status looks like this: “Network”, “Connected to a Wi-Fi network”, but select “If not”.
• Create the same tasks for volume and screen, but in the latter case set the maximum brightness.

Additional features

You can also create widgets and separate applications in Tasker, and you can expand the functionality using plugins. There are plugins for voice control or remote device control, all of them are available on the Internet, and they are inexpensive. With their help, you will further improve your Android tablet or smartphone.

Note that plugins are added to both contexts and tasks - it all depends on what kind of chain of actions you want to create.

As you can see, the capabilities of the application are simply stunning, and it’s not for nothing that Tasker is called the best service for automation. Yes, at first you need to understand the program interface, but the time spent will fully pay off when you customize the device to suit your purposes. Therefore, Tasker Android is definitely worth installing and will significantly expand your knowledge about the system and your gadget.

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“Is there something like Tasker in iOS?” - this question often nullifies any debate about mobile operating systems. Neither iOS nor Windows Mobile has a tool that even remotely resembles this application. For many advanced users, Tasker has long become a must-have tool, capable of replacing dozens of paid applications. Entire websites and forums are dedicated to it, but in our magazine we wrote about Tasker only once.

What is Tasker? This is a smartphone automation tool that allows you to program the device’s reaction to one or another systemic or not-so-systemic event. Tasker, for example, can respond to turning a smartphone face down and mute the sound in response. It can work when the battery level drops to 30% and switch the smartphone to 2G mode. With Tasker, you can program GPS to turn on when you launch the Google Maps app or turn on airplane mode at night.

Almost any system event related to sensors or device state can be used by Tasker to launch an action, application, display information, or generate dialog boxes with various controls. In terms of capabilities, Tasker has already become a full-fledged visual programming environment, which can be expanded with numerous plugins available in the market.

Want to create your own voice commands? No problem, the market has the AutoVoice plugin. Do you need the ability to automatically remotely control another device or PC? There is AutoRemote for this. What about access to low-level Android settings? Secure Settings is at your service.

How does Tasker work?

As I said earlier, the principle of Tasker is based on reacting to certain events and changes in the state of the smartphone. In Tasker terminology, these are called contexts. You can attach a particular task to a context, which consists of one or more actions. An action can be anything from launching an application to changing certain settings. In the event that we are talking about a long-term context (from nine in the morning to five in the evening, location, etc.), and not a single event (launching an application, for example), there may also be an “exit task” that will work after the completion of the context.

Together, the combination of context, task and sequence of actions is called a profile. Immediately after launching, Tasker will offer to create the first profile - click the “plus” at the bottom of the screen and select the desired event or context (for example, time). Next, he will offer to attach a task to it, give it a name and define the necessary actions. Once the actions are defined, the profile will become active. At any time, you can export your profile and post it online so that others can use it.

In addition to profiles, contexts and tasks, Tasker has the concept of “scene”. These are a kind of scripted dialog boxes with buttons, sliders and other Android interface elements. A scene can be created using the visual editor located on the third tab of the main Tasker screen, and then associated with contexts and tasks, thus creating an almost complete application. Using Tasker App Factory, it can be packaged into an APK package and posted on Google Play.

The set of actions built into Tasker can be significantly expanded with the help of third-party plugins, which are available in large quantities on Google Play. I have already mentioned some of them above, others we will consider later. Tasker plugins are included with many well-known applications, so you can automate them too. In particular, Tasker is capable of managing applications such as Screen Filter, Rsync Backup, Folder Sync, DashClock.

How does Tasker work?

Tasker takes advantage of two key features of Android: messaging and the open nature of the OS. Unlike many other operating systems, Android's components are largely unrelated to each other and rely on a messaging system to communicate. Messages can either be intended for a specific application/class or have a broadcast nature (broadcastIntent), which allows them to be received by any installed application.

Broadcast messages are used in Android for tasks such as notifying applications about system events: low battery level, turning GPS on/off, receiving SMS, and so on. Initially, all this was invented to make the system and third-party applications work more harmoniously, but Tasker uses such messages to implement the idea of ​​​​"context".

In addition, Android is quite open to third-party applications, allowing them, among other things, to control the brightness of the display, enable certain settings, launch applications independently, and much more. This OS feature allows Tasker to implement the idea of ​​"tasks" and "actions", and together with the concept of "contexts" they form "profiles", that is, sets of actions that are performed in response to a system event.

In iOS and Windows Phone, an analogue of Tasker cannot exist due to the low awareness of applications about system events and serious restrictions on managing the system from third-party applications.

Must have profiles

Let's start with the simplest, but often vital profiles. You can create them in a few seconds, and there will be a lot of benefits. Here are the ones that I have used at different times in one way or another.

— In terms of capabilities, Tasker has already turned into a full-fledged visual programming environment

• Using Tasker App Factory, profiles can be packaged into an APK package and posted on Google Play
• There are dozens of variables that allow you to get a variety of information, ranging from Bluetooth status to the current processor frequency

Swing control

Some proprietary firmware already has a wave control function, which allows you to switch songs or answer a call by shaking your smartphone. Of course, similar functionality can be replicated using Tasker. Here is the setup algorithm:

Context: Event -> Sensor -> Shake -> Axis: Left-Right Task: Screen -> Block

This is a description of a profile that will turn off the screen after shaking the smartphone in your hand left-right (Axis: Left-Right). You can also attach any other actions available in Tasker as a task. For example, “Audio -> Speakerphone” or “Phone -> Start conversation”. You can also configure the application to launch using “Application -> Launch Application”.

Turning on airplane mode at night

There is no point in keeping your smartphone on at night. On the other hand, you can’t set it to turn on automatically in the morning either (this feature is only available in Chinese smartphones), but you can set it to airplane mode at night. To do this using Tasker, you will have to install the Secure Settigs plugin (starting with Android 4.2, Google has blocked the ability to control airplane mode for third-party applications), and then configure the profile this way:

Context: Time -> from 1:00 to 7:00 Task: Plugin -> Secure Settings -> Root Actions -> Airplane Mode

To select an action in the plugin itself, click on the pencil icon next to “Configuration”. Instead of airplane mode, you can use "Audio -> Silent Mode" to enable silent mode.

Launching the player when headphones are connected

One of the most popular profiles. Configuration:

Context: Status -> Equipment -> Headphones connected Task: Application -> Launch the application -> Select the desired player

You can also add an additional action to the task that regulates the volume (Audio -> Playback Volume).

Brightness control

On certain devices that you don’t often take outside (for example, tablets), it’s more convenient to adjust the brightness manually. And it’s even more convenient using Tasker. On my tablet, for example, there are two profiles:

Context: Time -> from 9:00 to 20:00 Task: Screen -> Display brightness -> 100 Context: Time -> from 20:01 to 8:59 Task: Screen -> Display brightness -> 0

During the daytime, the brightness is set to a third of the maximum (maximum is 255), the rest of the time - to minimum. Naturally, automatic brightness control should be disabled.

Start USB teasing when connected to a PC

An ideal option for those who often spend time outside the home with a laptop over their shoulder. Very simple and useful profile:

Context: Status -> Connected via USB Task: Network -> Internet via USB

Saves energy when battery reaches 30 percent charge level

To be honest, I am not a fan of such energy saving methods, but many people, as they say, like it. The idea is to force the smartphone to automatically turn off 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi and set the display brightness to minimum when a critical charge level is reached.

Context: Status -> Charge level -> from 0 to 30 Task: Screen -> Display brightness -> 0 Network -> Mobile. data -> Only 2G Network -> Wi-Fi status -> Turn off Plugin -> Secure Settings -> System+ Actions -> GPS -> Off

Automation based on location

Obviously, depending on your location, your smartphone should act differently. For example, when outside the home, the lock screen pin and GPS must be turned on, while Wi-Fi can be turned off. At home, you don’t need a locking pin, but you do need Wi-Fi and a high ringer volume (so you can hear the smartphone connected to the charger while in the kitchen). At work/school, it is better to turn on the vibration mode, and in some cases, set up an automatic response to SMS.

Tasker has several location detection methods at its disposal. This is information from GPS satellites, information from cell towers, the fact of connecting to a Wi-Fi network with a certain name, or even being near such a Wi-Fi network. The most economical and universal of them is information from towers, however, if the network coverage is not too dense, they can provide inaccurate information with a spread of several kilometers. In this case, it is better to use orientation via Wi-Fi networks. Even when always on, Wi-Fi is much more economical than a GPS module, which will not be able to sleep if Tasker constantly tugs on it.

Context: state -> network -> connected to a Wi-Fi network -> network name Task: Audio -> Ring volume -> 7 Network -> Auto-sync -> Turn off Plugin -> Secure Settings -> System+ Actions -> GPS -> Off Plugin -> Secure Settings -> Root Actions -> Wireless ADB -> On Plugin -> Secure Settings -> Dev Admin Actions -> Password/Pin -> Disabled

What this profile does: sets the maximum ringer volume, disables auto-sync (why get email notifications at home?), disables GPS, enables ADB over Wi-Fi (to control your smartphone from a PC) and disables the PIN code. The following profile is for the street:

Context: state -> network -> connected to a Wi-Fi network -> “if not” Task: Audio -> Ring volume -> 4 Network -> Auto-sync -> Enable Plugin -> Secure Settings -> System+ Actions -> GPS -> On Plugin -> Secure Settings -> Root Actions -> Wireless ADB -> Off Plugin -> Secure Settings -> Dev Admin Actions -> Password/Pin -> Enabled

The profile sets the opposite settings to the “Home” profile. Latest profile “At work/school”:

Context: Status -> Network -> Connected to a Wi-Fi network -> Network name Task: Audio -> Silent mode -> Vibration Network -> Auto-sync -> Enable Plugin -> Secure Settings -> System+ Actions -> GPS -> Off

Here vibration is turned on instead of a call, synchronization remains on, GPS is turned off. In some of these profiles (especially the last one), it will be more convenient to use cell tower orientation. To do this, just replace the context with “Place”. A map will open and you can select the exact location and context trigger radius. It is better to turn off the GPS button at the bottom.

Homemade anti-theft

The market has a lot of different applications to protect against smartphone theft. In no case will I insist on removing them and replacing them with Tasker, but will simply show you how to repeat the same functionality with the ability to precisely tailor it to your own needs. This is very easy to do. Here's a simple profile.

Context: Phone -> Text received. message -> Type: SMS, Sender: “+7...”, Content: “locate” Task: Plugin -> Secure Settings -> System+ Actions -> GPS -> On Task -> Wait -> 30 seconds Miscellaneous -> Get coordinates -> Source: any Phone -> Send SMS -> Number: “+7...”, Message: “Date: %DATE %TIME. Battery: %BATT. Location: %LOC"

When receiving an SMS from the number +7... with the message “locate”, the smartphone will turn on GPS, fall asleep for 30 seconds (so that the smartphone can find satellites), receive coordinates and send them to the specified number in the following format: “Date: date time. Battery: charge percentage. Location: coordinates." To get the exact location on the map, you just need to enter the coordinates into Google Maps.

Please note that we used variables to generate SMS. They are installed and updated by Tasker itself, so the variables can be used in any text field within the application. In addition to those listed here, there are dozens of other variables that allow you to get a variety of information, ranging from Bluetooth status to the current processor frequency (their descriptions can be found).

The profile can be expanded and modified to send SMS every five minutes (for this you can use the “task -> for” action, which implements a loop), enable smartphone blocking using a pin, as shown in the previous example, force the smartphone to call the desired number (Phone - > Call), take a photo (Media -> Photo) and send it via MMS (Phone -> Create SMS). If you want, you can create a web application and communicate with it using HTTP POST and GET (Network -> HTTP Post)!

Voice control

Google has an excellent voice analyzer that, by default, only works in conjunction with Google Now. But we can also use it to create profiles for Tasker, giving us the ability to launch the actions we need using our voice. To do this, you will need the AutoVoice plugin, which costs one dollar, and just a little bit of ingenuity. The simplest example of a profile using AutoVoice would be like this:

Context: State -> Plugin -> AutoVoice Recognized -> Event Behaviour: On, Command Filter: “Answer to the main question of life” Task: Signal -> Emergency message -> Text: “42”

This profile will work when AutoVoice recognizes the phrase “The answer to life’s biggest question.” To launch the recognition mechanism itself, you can use the AutoVoice widget, which displays the standard “Speak...” dialog and, based on the recognition results, launches the desired profile. Another way: create a new profile that will work, for example, when the screen is unlocked and launch the action “Plugin -> AutoVoice Recognize”. In this case, the dialog will be displayed automatically.

An even more interesting way to use AutoVoice is its "always-on recognition" mechanism, which works as long as the smartphone screen is on. In this case, commands can be spoken at any time, and if AutoVoice recognizes them, the desired profile will automatically work. To enable “continuous recognition”, you need to enable external application access in Tasker settings (Settings -> Miscellaneous -> Allow external access), and then enable the “Continous -> Toggle Listener” setting in AutoVoice. Disadvantage of the method: constant exchange of data with Google (or the need to switch to an offline speech recognition engine).

INFO

• AutoVoice depends on the Google Search application and refuses to work without it.
• AutoVoice can integrate with Google Now. To get it to do this, you need to install the Xposed framework and download the Google Now API through the AutoVoice settings.
• Tasker can be linked to a Minimalistic Text widget to display your own information.

Remote control

AutoRemote is another interesting plugin from the author of AutoVoice. It allows you to control your smartphone remotely in many different ways, such as a web interface, a browser plugin, a Windows/Linux app, or using another Android or iOS smartphone. Using AutoRemote, you can create profiles that will be triggered when a signal is received from the outside or generate such a signal as a result of some system event. Two copies of AutoRemote installed on different devices will allow them to exchange information automatically, including the ability to forward notifications, messages and activate certain functions on one smartphone in response to an event on the other.

Let me warn you right away that the cost of the plugin is four dollars, but there is also a free version in the market, the only limitation of which is the length of commands up to two characters. In most cases, this will be quite enough to issue commands such as “Disconnect smartphone” or “Get coordinates” (one character is enough for this), but if the possibility of sending notifications, receiving information from a smartphone and organizing something like a chat is implemented you'll have to fork out the cash.

Like the plugin from the previous section, AutoRemote is also a full-fledged application. After launching it, a link and QR code will appear on the screen. The link can be opened in a browser to gain access to the smartphone management web interface, and the QR code can be scanned with another smartphone with AutoRemote installed and the two gadgets connected to the network. Next, you can start using AutoRemote in your profiles.

For example, let's connect a tablet (name in AutoRemote: tablet) and a phone (name: phone) using AutoRemote and create a set of profiles with which the smartphone will notify the tablet that it has received an SMS. On a smartphone we create the following profile:

Context: Event -> Phone -> Text message received Task: Plugin -> AutoRemote Message -> Device: "tablet", Message: "ss"

On tablet:

Context: State -> Plugin -> AutoRemote -> Event Behaviour: On, Message Filter: "ss" Task: Signal -> Notification -> Title: "SMS", Text: "Received SMS"

Now, when an SMS arrives on your smartphone, a notification will appear on your tablet. With the full version of AutoRemote, profiles can be expanded to include sender information and message text (%SMSRF and %SMSRB variables) in the sent message.

conclusions

Tasker makes your smartphone a truly smart device. Using it and many plugins, you can program almost any aspect of the device's operation. The examples shown in the article are only a small part of the iceberg that is hidden behind a simple and pleasant user interface.

Introduction

Frankly, thinking about which side to approach this review took almost more time than actually writing it. I don’t know whether to believe or not people who call Tasker the most complex Android application, but the fact remains that the manual for the application, which I downloaded from the Internet, is about 200 pages in PDF format. Entire websites and forums are dedicated to individual profiles and tasks of Tasker, users make videos about the procedure for working with it, post ready-made scripts - and with all this, it can hardly be said that the application has been studied inside and out. And since I'm in Tasker" Since I am a complete beginner and layman, I decided this: let this text become a kind of introduction, and in the future I will share my experience as I master it. I can't promise it will be regular or frequent, but I'll try.

What is Tasker and what is it for? This is an application designed to automate various types of actions that your smartphone performs on a regular basis. In other words, Tasker will save you from the need to perform routine manipulations, say, turn on Wi-Fi in a certain place, launch the necessary applications at a specified time or when connecting the appropriate accessories, and the like. Yes, these are the simplest functions that many devices are already trained on. But Tasker's capabilities are much, much wider - right up to creating with its help some semblance of your own applications, if you believe the reviews.

Preliminary conclusion

Tasker is a serious automation application that will not only significantly expand the capabilities of your device and make it more functional and technologically advanced, but will also allow you to experiment and show a certain amount of imagination. A real find for lovers of extraordinary software solutions.

First acquaintance and interface

I would like to start right away with the fly in the ointment, otherwise it will be unclear why some aspects are the way they are. So:

1. Tasker has been translated into Russian, but not completely. And what is translated is not correct everywhere. I was tempted to screen only the English-language interface, but respect for readers who do not speak foreign languages ​​won out.

2. Tasker is completely unintuitive. Having launched the application, you will have to delve into it for a long time and tediously before you can formulate an elementary algorithm of work in your head. Therefore, it is necessary to be patient and thoughtful.

So let's get started:

You have downloaded and installed Tasker. The application will immediately prompt you to create a new profile,

but instead we will first switch from "Beginner" mode to normal mode. To do this, call up the settings and uncheck the box. After this, the start screen will look like this:

To activate or turn off an application, you need to hold the Tasker icon in the upper right corner. When the application is active, the icon is colored.

We see four tabs: “Profiles”, “Tasks”, “Scenes” and “Variables”. I don’t know, maybe in other versions of the application everything is in Russian. I couldn't find any updates.

So far all tabs are empty. Let's start with "Profiles". The house in the lower right corner brings up a menu that allows you to manage existing profiles. We don't have them yet.

The plus sign in the lower left corner creates a new profile. I suggest you immediately look at a specific example of how this works:

This list contains context options that will automatically trigger certain actions. Let's choose, say, "Time":

That is, you need to specify the time interval within which the actions will be performed. Let's take night time as an example:

To confirm the creation of a profile, you need to click the Tasker button in the upper left corner.

The profile has been created, now you need to fill it with content in the form of tasks. The offer to do this pops up automatically. Click the plus sign.

Let’s call the task “Silent Night” and click on the checkbox. Now you need to select the actions that will be performed as part of the “Silent Night” task.

As you can see, there are many options, but not everyone needs them - moreover, not all of them are practical within the framework of the scenario we need. Let's say we don't want to jump at night from an unexpectedly loud call from our beloved boss. Select "Ring volume" and set the level we need. But the customization options don’t end there. Two intertwined arrows at the top right allow you to set the desired level in percentage - for those who like precision. The plus sign opposite “If” allows you to set additional conditions associated with correlations “and”, “or”, etc. We won’t delve into these jungles just yet, but, as you can see, the possibilities are more than wide.

So, the volume level is set. We need to add a couple more tasks. Let's say, let the brightness of the screen be minimal so that it doesn't hurt our eyes if we get it into our head while we're asleep to look at what time it is. Or respond to an unexpected SMS from a friend/friend. Select "Screen", then "Display Brightness". We set it to 10%, add a checkbox for “Immediate effect” and generally choose any options to your taste.

Now we already have two tasks. Let's come up with a third one, for luck.

For example, for those who have Wi-Fi constantly turned on at home, you can provide it for automatic deactivation at a specified time. Select "Network", then "WiFi Status". Turn it off.

We created three tasks. It looks like this on the "Tasks" tab:

By clicking on the name of a task, you can change the actions included in it or add new ones.

And the “Profile” tab now looks like this:

As you can see, the profile can be disabled. And with an activated profile, it turns out that every day from 00:00 to 06:00:
1. The ringer volume will be minimal.
2. Screen brightness will be 10%.
3. Wi-Fi will not work.

You can also activate the energy saving program, for example. And this will be done automatically, i.e. without any input from us.

Let's practice and create another profile. Let's make sure that when you turn on the mobile Internet, a list of the most relevant applications appears on the display. Go to the "Profiles" tab again and create a new profile. This time the context will be "Status" => "Network" => "Cellular". We put the necessary checkboxes.

Create a task called "InetApps". Adding actions. "Signal" => "Menu". Layout (location) is set to Icon Grid Menu (i.e., application icons without their names). Scroll down and under the word Item click the plus sign, then “Action”. Select an application, say Gmail. We repeat the same for each application that we want to see in our list. I also chose VKontakte and Socialife.

This is what the final profile looks like:

We exit and turn on data transfer. Voila: a window with three applications popped up on top of the home screen. Their list can be expanded; if we don’t need any of them at the moment, just press the return button. I haven't yet figured out how to get the window back after I've finished working with one of the applications. But everything is ahead.

Well, shall we practice some more? Now let's try to create a link to some application or service. Yes, Tasker allows this too, and you don’t even need to create a profile. Instead, we immediately create a new “Downloads” task. Then "Application" => "Launch application". By activating the “Everything” function at the bottom, we get access not only to regular applications, but also to various services and program files. Find "Downloads". There is a new task.

We exit Tasker, but do not turn it off. Add the Task Shortcut widget to the home screen. A dialog box appears with a list of tasks and a proposal to create a new one. Select the existing “Downloads” task. Now you need to select an icon. The list opens if you click on the square in the lower right corner. For a change, select a different image - “Built-in icon”. Find a suitable one, say, a downward arrow. All that remains is to confirm. The icon appears on the home screen, and it will instantly take us to the list of downloaded files.

So, we have one more main tab left - “Scenes”. In short, this is a tool for creating your own interface elements: buttons, sliders, dialog boxes, etc. One has already appeared - this is the same list of applications that pops up when we turn on data transfer. But in fact, this section deserves a separate full review, its capabilities are so great, including creating your own applications. Which can then be converted into an apk file and posted on the Play Market. At least that's what they say on forums and websites. In any case, I won’t analyze the Scenes in detail now, but I’d rather write a separate review later.

And there are still Variables left. They allow you to set additional conditions for profiles and tasks, from simple circumstances of place and time to the level of humidity or magnetic field power (if your device can measure it). You can also create your own variables. This is also a subject for further study and review.

Well... that's it. I hope this introductory excursion did not seem too chaotic or superficial to you. I would appreciate fair criticism. In the future, I am going to dwell in more detail on the features of this interesting application in all respects. Personally, it’s already clear to me: Tasker is a real find for an inquisitive mind.

Thank you for attention!

P.S. Oh yes, I forgot to say that Tasker is a paid application. But I think the developers deserve every penny.

Advanced scheduler. Allows you to perform actions/lists of actions based on different events. Similar to Locale, only much more powerful. It is possible to create widgets with a custom list of actions.

Main list of events:

• Tracking application service activity
• Starting and shutting down an application
• Launch the selected application activity (long tap on the application in the selection list)
• User requesting help in an application or system
• The arrival of a specific time and/or date, as well as a day, week, month, day of the month or week, day of the month or week, last day of the month
• The beginning and end of a certain period of time
• The onset and end of an event in a calendar, alarm clock
• Entering and leaving a geographic area (determined by GPS or cell towers and WIFI hotspots)
• Connecting the device to a specific cell tower (from a specified list of towers)
• Establishing and disconnecting a connection in a specific mobile data mode: 2G, 3G, 4G and others
• Reaching and losing a certain level of cellular network signal reception
• Detect a specific (or any) WIFI access point, connect to it, and disconnect from it
• Turn airplane mode on or off
• Turning Bluetooth, NFC and WIFI adapters on and off
• Hardware keyboard events (open-pull out/closed-pull back)
• Pressing certain hardware keys, including those located on headphones (wired or wireless)
• Clicking on soft buttons and some other elements of the user interface of Android and third-party programs
• Incoming or outgoing call, answering incoming, ending a call
• Receiving SMS (MMS)
• Successful sending of SMS (MMS) and an error when sending it
• Missed call, SMS (MMS)
• Events from various built-in sensors (light, proximity to an object, orientation, movement, magnetic field, pressure, temperature, humidity, pedometer)
• Connecting and disconnecting a charger (wired, wireless, USB bus powered)
• Reaching a certain battery level, discharging the battery below a certain level, changing battery level
• Turn the screen saver on or off (Android Daydream)
• Connecting to and disconnecting from a computer via USB
• Connecting and disconnecting USB devices to the machine
• Connecting and disconnecting an SD card
• The end of Android loading and the beginning of shutting down the device
• Turning the screen on and off, unlocking the screen
• Start and end of a user session
• Create, change and delete a file on the SD card
• Connecting and disconnecting wired or wireless headphones, Bluetooth, and USB devices
• Connect to and disconnect from a car or desktop dock, TV, or watch
• Spatial movement of the device in a given specific way - gesture
• Shaking the device
• The occurrence of a certain system event in Android - receiving an intent
• Changing the system date, time, time zone
• Add, update, or delete an application
• Appearance of a specific or any window (regular, pop-up, dialog)
• Appearance of an application notification in the system notification bar and user selection of such notification

Basic list of actions:

• In-car mode control
• Airplane mode control, incl. selective shutdown of radio modules
• Volume adjustment, incl. separate streams: call, tone dialing signal (DTMF), telephone conversation, incl. via bluetooth headset, alarm clock, ringtones, notifications
• Controlling ringtone playback and vibration for incoming calls
• Answer an incoming call ("pick up")
• Silent Mode Control
• Manage screen settings: brightness, incl. automatic brightness mode, orientation, duration of the period of inactivity before blocking, incl. when charging
• Obtaining information about screen characteristics: screen dimensions, screen resolution, current automatic orientation setting
• Setting wallpaper on your home screen
• Screen lock management: turn the lock on and off, incl. forced locking
• Auto-sync mode control
• Controlling the sound mode for pressing hardware and software buttons, the tactile navigation mode (haptic feedback)
• LED control, incl. LED backlight mode when displaying notifications from Android and third-party applications
• Night mode control
• Turning on and off Bluetooth, NFC, WIFI, WiMax, GPS, mobile network adapters, including managing data transfer modes in the mobile network
• Obtaining information about the network connection (connection type, availability of access to mobile data), WIFI network parameters (MAC address of the adapter, signal level, access point name), Bluetooth, Ethernet
• Setting the device name on the bluetooth network
• Turn on and off various data transfer modes via NFC, incl. Android Beam and NFC Payment
• emulation of button presses, incl. and non-existent ones on the device, for example, joystick emulation - a “universal sledgehammer” with which almost everything is done
• text input emulation
• Capture exclusive use of some hardware buttons
• Closing system dialogs
• Inserting an event into a calendar
• Getting information about calendar entries
• Call to a specific number
• Manage outgoing calls to specific numbers: call blocking and call forwarding
• Creating letters, SMS and MMS
• Sending SMS
• Getting information about contacts in your phone book
• Launching applications, incl. call log, contacts (with selection of specific contacts), maps (with selection of a specific location), input language selection dialog, applications that provide separation of Internet traffic via USB and WIFI (tether)
• Obtaining information about installed applications and application components (activities, services, receivers)
• Managing the notification panel: showing it and minimizing it
• Interrupt Mode Control
• Adding a new alarm
• Starting the system stopwatch
• Selecting the default SMS application
• Force termination of applications
• Music player control, incl. built-in, incl. creating a playlist
• Playing audio files, built-in ringtones, etc. with selectable audio stream
• Getting information about audio files: title, artist, playback time
• Vibration activation, incl. according to a given template
• Control of the built-in microphone, incl. recording sound from it
• Operations with directories and files: creating, copying, moving, reading (getting a list of files in the case of directories), checking file existence, reading file attributes: size, access rights, modification time, writing, deleting, archiving in a zip archive, extracting from zip archive, encryption and decryption)
• Working with images: resizing, cropping, rotating, applying a filter
• Set default ringtones for calls, alarms, notifications
• Determining your current location (via GPS or cell towers and WIFI access points)
• Connecting to and disconnecting from an Ethernet network
• Displaying messages, regular and pop-up dialogs, menus, lists (in fact, it is possible to build arbitrary graphical user interfaces using scenes
• Displaying notifications in the notification panel, incl. accompanied by LED lighting or sound notifications, vibration
• Canceling your own notifications
• Speech recognition and synthesis
• Go to the home screen, incl. with a specific number
• Getting the current user ID
• Working with web servers: receiving and sending content, not necessarily in html format, running shell scripts, javascript, SL4A
• Using Java language constructs and calling Java and Android language functions (via the Java reflection mechanism)
• remounting partitions on an internal or external memory card
• Starting a forced system scan of the SD card
• Sending an arbitrary system event - intent
• Adding content to the clipboard
• Photography
• Flash control
• Operators for organizing control in programs: creating and changing variables, arrays, if-else statement, loops, calling subroutines (in fact, even coroutines), mathematical functions, search and replace by pattern, incl. using regular expressions

Both of these lists are far from complete. Firstly, the set of Tasker events and actions can be expanded by connecting third-party plugins, thousands of them. Secondly, using emulation of hardware and software keys or running scripts on the shell and SL4A, you can perform almost any action. And besides, there is also the reception and sending of intentions.

Scenes

Scenes allow you to add a graphical user interface to tasks. That is, if you dreamed of orange buttons on a crimson background, Tasker scenes are exactly what you need to make your dream come true.
In reality, of course, no one uses a crimson background. Almost. But, for example, make the window background transparent, place the window on top of the status bar, and display text with the battery charge in the window itself. Tempting? Still would.

List of interface elements

• button- button
• checkbox– checkbox (by ticking the same element in the item, we change one or another parameter).
• Doodle– a field where we can draw an element on the screen
• Image- picture
• map– GPS map
• Menu- a menu with a scrollable list of all the items we have added
• Number Picker- number selection (as for example in the settings given in Android. Spinning drum)
• oval- oval graphic element.
• Restangle– graphic figure
• slider- the so-called slider (changing the volume in the settings, for example, is done in the form of a slider)
• spiner- drop-down menu
• text– display text
• textEdit– input field, text editing
• toggle– on/off button (such as turning on wi-fi in settings
• webview– viewing web pages (standard Android tools)

We take the interface elements listed above, combine them in different ways, set the width, height, colors so that it is not boring. This set is called a scene.

1. We start by determining the size of the scene (tab Scenes), click (+) enter the name of our scene, then in the visual scene editor we increase/decrease the scene area to the size we need
2. Now we can fill the created scene with our elements

In the screenshot above, the image of the radio (all these buttons, wheels, orange screen in the center) is set as background for our scene. Interface elements with a transparent background have been added to the scene (the dotted lines in the picture are the borders of the elements). To create a more realistic interface (draw a pressed key, for example), you will have to draw (steal) a picture for each graphic element (in several versions, a pressed and not pressed button). And set these pictures as the background for each element separately, then the scene background can be filled with one color.
4. Label the buttons (Text). The screenshot below shows the Tasker dialog for editing the LIGHT button (it is in the center of the row of buttons located immediately below the orange screen). We assign actions to the buttons according to taste: pressing (Tap), long pressing (Long Tap)

Tasker Android

"Contexts" define the situation in which a certain action is performed. This could be the time of day, location, phone condition (for example, charging).

“Tasks” is a list of actions for a specific situation. This includes everything from turning system settings on/off to sending messages.

If your phone's charge drops to 20 percent ("context"), Wi-Fi turns off ("task").

There are an infinite number of combinations of situations and actions, both simple and complex, it's all up to you. Android forums are full of examples of interesting applications Tasker, but if you're new to this, you'll need some basic guidance first.

When you run Tasker, you will be taken to the Profiles tab. this is where the combinations you created (contexts + tasks) are listed. At the bottom of the screen is a big plus - a button that you will use when creating a new profile. The best way to become familiar with the application is to create several of these profiles.

1. Turn on the music application when connecting headphones

In this situation, every time you connect headphones, the music application menu will appear.

Click on the plus to create a new profile. Name it, for example, “Music” and click the checkmark. From the context menu, select State > Hardware > Headset Plugged. Then - a green tick. Next, the task selection menu will appear. Select a new task (New Task), name it “start music”. Click on the blue plus. Basically, it's everything your phone can do. Select Alert > Menu. In the "items" section, click the gray "Action" button. Then App > Load app and one of the music apps you want to load. To add another application, click on the green plus, the "Action" button and repeat the above steps. When finished, click the green checkmark.

2. Disabling certain processes when the battery level is low

This task will turn off power-hungry processes when the battery level is low. Click on the plus to create a new profile. Name it "Battery" and click the checkmark. From the context menu, select State > Power > Battery Level. Set the minimum level slider to zero, the maximum slider to twenty. Click the check mark. In the task selection menu, click "New Task" and name it "Low Battery". In the next window, click on the blue plus. Here you can select settings that will turn off at a given charge level. To turn off auto-sync, do the following: Net > Auto-Sync and click on the checkbox. To add another task, click on the blue plus. To turn off Wi-Fi - Net > Wi-Fi > check mark.

Repeat this procedure for any other processes you want to disable. For example, you can do this for Bluetooth (Net menu section) or display brightness (Display menu section).

3. Starting a task from the application icon on the homescreen

Tasks are usually associated with contexts such as location, time, and state. However, you can associate a task with an icon on the homescreen, it will only be executed when you click the latter. To create a widget, long-press on the homescreen, then tap "Add to Home Screen". Then click on "apps" and go to the widgets tab. This process may vary depending on the version of your Android and OEM. Find a widget Tasker and add it to your homescreen. The job selection menu appears. Here you can select what you need. Click "New Task", give it a name, then click on the blue plus to add your first task. The choice of tasks is very large (from composing a message, to turning off Wi-Fi and opening the settings menu). You can add any number of tasks to the widget - just click on the blue plus.