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Unofficial Tasker FAQ thread

A.Nonymous

Extreme Android User
Jun 7, 2010
7,058
970
Tasker FAQ thread

People have asked for a Tasker FAQ so I figured I'd make one. If you think this is useful enough to be stickied, please let the mods know. If you think this is useless enough that it should disappear, don't respond and it will. :)

Questions about Tasker:

WTF is Tasker?
Tasker is a productivity app that you can use to automate tasks within your phone. Let's say you use Google Navigation, but you don't have GPS turned on all the time because it's a battery hog. You could set up Tasker to turn on GPS when you launch Navigation and turn it off again when you exit the application. Tasker can pop up a menu of media programs when you plug in your headphones, turn your ringer down when you get to work, turn the call volume up when your friend who whispers calls, turn the call volume down when your boss who yells calls, launch your grocery list app when you pull into the parking lot of the store, turn on Bluetooth when you get in the car, help you find where you parked your car and read text messages to you as you receive them. These are just some of the many, many things you can do with Tasker.

How does Tasker work?
Tasker consists of profiles that have two parts - a context and a task. Think of it as a cause and effect. The context is the cause and the task is the effect. In the case of GPS turning on when Navigation launches the context is Navigation launching and the task (effect) is GPS turning on. You program a context and a task to create a profile. You can set up multiple contexts within a profile and multiple tasks as well. For example, you can say that you want your ringer off and vibrate on when you're at your office between 8-5. In this case you have two contexts (causes) - being at the office and the time of day being 8-5. You also have the two tasks (effects) - ringer down and vibrate on. All of this is within the same profile.

Does Tasker kill my battery life?
Depends. Most people report no impact at all in their battery life, but it depends on what contexts you're using. If you have a profile that launches Pandora when your headphones are plugged in, Tasker will constantly monitor your phone to see if headphones are plugged in. Obviously checking to see if your headphones are plugged in takes a miniscule ammount of battery life. If you have a profile that is dependent completely on your GPS location, Tasker will check your GPS location periodically and this could cause a power drain but no more than any other program dependent on your GPS location. Tasker is designed to be very power conservative. If you have a profile that's dependent on a GPS location between 8-5, Tasker won't check your location unless it's between 8-5. It checks the least power hungry requirement first.

How can I get Tasker?
Tasker is available in the market for about $6 USD or from the developer's web site at Tasker for Androidfor slightly less.

How hard is it to use?
There is definitely a learning curve as there is with any application, but it all depends on what you're trying to do. Having your media player pop up when you plug in your headphones is easy. Making Tasker chime the hour every hour, but only on alternate Tuesdays during August between the hours of 0300-0500 is a bit more complicated.

Can Tasker do task XYZ?

Probably yes. Search the Tasker wiki and you can probably find a solution.

Where can I find more information about Tasker?
Their are at least three places that have great information about Tasker.

Developer's site - Always a good place to start.
Tasker wiki - Great list of pre-created profiles and instructions and walkthroughs
Tasker Google group - Another good resource for news and information about the program.

I hope someone has found this FAQ somewhat useful.
 
Could this also be an unoficial tasker help thread?

Hopefully someone could help me out to set up a simple widget that would open a menu with few applications to chose from. I get to the point when I have the widget and I get all the applications to load up, but I want to chose which one I need from a menu, not to have them all up and running at the same time, which is rubbish :/

Any help would be appreciated guys!
 
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Could this also be an unoficial tasker help thread?

Hopefully someone could help me out to set up a simple widget that would open a menu with few applications to chose from. I get to the point when I have the widget and I get all the applications to load up, but I want to chose which one I need from a menu, not to have them all up and running at the same time, which is rubbish :/

Any help would be appreciated guys!

Couldn't you do this with a folder on the home page.
Not as 'fun' I know, but it sounds like what you're after.
 
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Could this also be an unoficial tasker help thread?

Hopefully someone could help me out to set up a simple widget that would open a menu with few applications to chose from. I get to the point when I have the widget and I get all the applications to load up, but I want to chose which one I need from a menu, not to have them all up and running at the same time, which is rubbish :/

Any help would be appreciated guys!

Click on empty spot on home > Widget > Task

+ > App > Load App > choose app (repeat this step for as many apps as you want)

Then click on task properties. It's the button with the wrenches to the left of the question mark. Change task type to Menu. Click Done, Done and Apply.
 
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I think this could be a great one-stop thread for tasker. I would also like to see people post their profiles so people can get ideas on what is possible. Although some profiles are on the tasker wiki page, I think the

Kinda a big post like this:

Do something
Context -> Event -> New SMS
Add task blah blah

Do something2
Context -> Event -> New SMS
Add task blah blah
 
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Someone on the google groups asked Pent if he was going to create a forum...I second the idea and even offered a donation to get it going...if anyone is interested I would suggest going over to google groups and add to the thread. I think he would have enough support to get this going...it might make our lives easier if we had a real forum. :)
 
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Since this is the FAQ thread.

Anyone using this on Droid Eris?

I bought the app via the market and it seemed to keep my phone awake. This was with the stock rom. I've since rooted and started using XTRSense. I really want to grab it again but I don't want to bug Pent anymore then I already have if it doesn't work.
 
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A Tasker forum would be great. I've sometimes thought of asking for a Tasker sub-forum in here, perhaps under Android Apps.

But anywhere that was Tasker specific would be good!

Rob

There already is the tasker google group for that.

I think this thread is on the right track, but a comprehensive and consolidated list of user created profiles, and their instructions, is exactly what is missing.
 
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There are some profiles, but can you find lots of user created profiles? If this thread is to be the one stop shop for tasker, then all profiles including the ones in the threads mentioned above, could be put here.

I don't know that there's a one stop shop for profiles anywhere on the web. The wiki has the best collection I've seen though I admit it's not a gigantic number at all.
 
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