Android - Tasker

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Discussion

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,287 posts

196 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
I've read through the S3 thread and it says that Tasker is great. I bought it. However, my brain is fried from no sleep for 16 months with my (generally poorly) son.

Can we keep a Tasker thread open to help eejits like me?

My questions start with this:

How do I do, well, anything? I'd like the phone to switch to silent when connected to my WiFi and the sound to come on when not in range. How do I do that?

Thanks and sorry for being a bit of a thicko. smile

JTW

Dave^

7,324 posts

252 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
A bit late, as you've already bought Tasker, but I found Llama better (for me), easier (again, for me), and it's free...


james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,287 posts

196 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
Dave^ said:
A bit late, as you've already bought Tasker, but I found Llama better (for me), easier (again, for me), and it's free...
**swears**

Dave^

7,324 posts

252 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
hehe

Sorry!

I did try Tasker a while back, but I just didn't get on with it. It does do a little more than Llama though, so it's not entirely wasted...

stevejh

799 posts

203 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
Funnily enough I downloaded Tasker yesterday, found some good beginner videos on Youtube and within half an hour had set up a task to switch wifi on when I get home and one to set my phone to silent when I get to work. I was using Llama for the latter but, for some reason, it would switch notification sounds back on at work without any warning which was not good as my company has a strict policy about mobiles in the office.

So far today my phone has stayed on silent. I'm sure I could have sussed out the issue with Llama but it looks as if there is so much more that Tasker can do once you get the hang of it. I can't wait to try some more complex tasks.

The videos on Youtube really helped and I simply put 'Tasker' into search and found a beginners guide which talked me through the two tasks I've set up so far. There are more videos that deal with more complex tasks which I'll be trying later.


Dave^

7,324 posts

252 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
stevejh said:
Funnily enough I downloaded Tasker yesterday, found some good beginner videos on Youtube and within half an hour had set up a task to switch wifi on when I get home and one to set my phone to silent when I get to work. I was using Llama for the latter but, for some reason, it would switch notification sounds back on at work without any warning...
Are you sure you were catching the Volume buttons while it was in your pocket/cradle/etc?

There is an option to "Lock" profiles so you can't accidently re-enable the sounds.

Ston

628 posts

268 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
Tasker is awesome...

1) Add a new profile.
2) First context is "State"
3) Select State Category of "Net"
4) Choose Wifi connected and fill in the blanks for your Wifi network.
5) Associate a New Task with it, name it, if you choose.
6) Select Action Category of "Audio Settings"
7) Choose "Ringer Volume" and slide it all the way down.
8) Job, jobbed.

  • 7) Optionally choose all the other actions you want to do. Maybe slide the notifications volume all the way down etc.
If you still have problems, reply here and I can send you the config file to import.

ZesPak

24,420 posts

195 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,287 posts

196 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
Ston said:
Tasker is awesome...

1) Add a new profile.
2) First context is "State"
3) Select State Category of "Net"
4) Choose Wifi connected and fill in the blanks for your Wifi network.
5) Associate a New Task with it, name it, if you choose.
6) Select Action Category of "Audio Settings"
7) Choose "Ringer Volume" and slide it all the way down.
8) Job, jobbed.

  • 7) Optionally choose all the other actions you want to do. Maybe slide the notifications volume all the way down etc.
If you still have problems, reply here and I can send you the config file to import.
I have set that up. I think. Will let you know later...

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,287 posts

196 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
Just noticed that it says "no active profiles" - but it does seem active. I'm not at home to try it out yet though...

JimbobVFR

2,679 posts

143 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
The profiles are active very when a certain condition is true, so in a location, connected to a network, date time etc etc. So that message means whatever profiles you have setup haven't been activated.
This is how mine shows when charging and at home (based on GSM towers rather than connected to wifi)

If I leave the area and unplug from charging this will show no active profiles just like yours does.


Edited by JimbobVFR on Tuesday 5th March 16:36


Edited by JimbobVFR on Tuesday 5th March 16:38

paulrockliffe

15,639 posts

226 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
Can you set it to do stuff when a certain network becomes visible? Can't connect to my work WiFi Network, but would still like to use it as a trigger.

JimbobVFR

2,679 posts

143 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
paulrockliffe said:
Can you set it to do stuff when a certain network becomes visible? Can't connect to my work WiFi Network, but would still like to use it as a trigger.
Yes using the "wifi near" state. Choose "state" - "Net" - "wifi near" to use it.

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,287 posts

196 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
quotequote all
Hooray, that works smile

Just got to work out what else I want it to do ... **ponders**

ZesPak

24,420 posts

195 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
quotequote all
james_tigerwoods said:
Hooray, that works smile

Just got to work out what else I want it to do ... **ponders**
You can scan for cell towers to do a certain action in a certain region, for example, when connected to the cell towers that are in my home region, it activates WiFi.

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,287 posts

196 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
quotequote all
ZesPak said:
james_tigerwoods said:
Hooray, that works smile

Just got to work out what else I want it to do ... **ponders**
You can scan for cell towers to do a certain action in a certain region, for example, when connected to the cell towers that are in my home region, it activates WiFi.
Urgh. I was afraid of just this - extra tinkering because I can smile

So, how do I do that smile

ZesPak

24,420 posts

195 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
quotequote all
james_tigerwoods said:
Urgh. I was afraid of just this - extra tinkering because I can smile

So, how do I do that smile
Add new profile, "state", "phone", "cell near".

biggrin

Then you can look in the recent cell towers you had, or look for the current ones. Don't be surprised, in and around my house I've got about 10.

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,287 posts

196 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
quotequote all
ZesPak said:
james_tigerwoods said:
Urgh. I was afraid of just this - extra tinkering because I can smile

So, how do I do that smile
Add new profile, "state", "phone", "cell near".

biggrin
I'll try that at home - I was going to in the office, but just realised that the tower I'm near will be one that will put the phone on silent when I'm near the office. Not ideal.

stevejh

799 posts

203 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
quotequote all
Dave^ said:
stevejh said:
Funnily enough I downloaded Tasker yesterday, found some good beginner videos on Youtube and within half an hour had set up a task to switch wifi on when I get home and one to set my phone to silent when I get to work. I was using Llama for the latter but, for some reason, it would switch notification sounds back on at work without any warning...
Are you sure you were catching the Volume buttons while it was in your pocket/cradle/etc?

There is an option to "Lock" profiles so you can't accidently re-enable the sounds.
I had it locked and it was still switching notifications on every so often which might be a conflict with another app. Tasker has kept it on silent exactly as I wanted. I just need some time to set up some more tasks.

durbster

10,223 posts

221 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
quotequote all
I switched Tasker off a few weeks ago because my constant messing about was murdering my battery life. I've started switching things on one by one again now though.

I've been experimenting a lot with gestures but I can't quite work out whether it has a major impact on the battery or not. It's incredible what you can do with them though.

I set one profile up so that by raising the phone into a typical 'taking a photo' position, it would automatically load the camera app. It worked pretty well but maybe 1/10 times it wouldn't pick the gesture up and then you look like a tit waggling the phone about. I changed it to a simple shake to launch the camera app instead. It's surprisingly useful, especially when you only have one hand free.

I've also got a profile that texts the missus as I leave work so she knows when to put the oven on biggrin