Tasker is among the most powerful apps for Android and allows you to create automations and triggers. The problem is that it is equally difficult to use. Even if you look past the outdated interface, creating automations in Tasker with variables, scenes, etc. is not easy. I have tried using Tasker several times over the last decade, with little success.
While I could create simple automations, trying to automate complex actions was always confusing. Then AI came along and with the help of Google Gemini, I was finally able to create complex Tasker profiles in minutes. Here’s how.
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Because AI should make complex tasks easier
First, you should know that Gemini cannot create and share Tasker profiles that you can import and use on your phone. That would have been the best thing and would have made things even easier. And while that might be possible in a year or two, that’s not the case right now.
Instead, you can use Gemini to get detailed steps on how to create the required Tasker profile for automation. This requires you to specify detailed triggers and actions, and a vague input like “Create a Tasker automation to play YouTube Music at home” won’t get you anywhere.
It also goes without saying that you need to have purchased Tasker and installed it on your phone. To make sure you don’t run into any issues, grant the app all the permissions it needs before creating an automation. I went to Tasker’s app info page and gave it access to all permissions from there. Also, disable battery optimization for Tasker so it doesn’t kill in the background.
Note that if you have a Samsung phone, you can use Bixby Routines to automate such tasks, but for complex automations, Tasker is still the best solution.
When I leave the house in the evening to go to the gym, I also pick up my wife from her workplace. I text her when I leave so that she has her work done when I arrive. I have long wanted to create a Tasker profile that would automatically text her when I leave the house between certain times. However, given my limited programming and logic skills, I found creating such an automation in Tasker too complex.
That was until I got Gemini’s help. For the above scenario, I gave Gemini the following inputs: Help me create a Tasker automation that will text my wife when I leave the house between 5 and 6 p.m. in the evening. This automation should only trigger when my phone connects to my car’s infotainment system.
Here I specified the time to ensure that the Tasker automation only runs in the evenings and not every time I leave my house. More importantly, I set the trigger to make my phone connect to my car’s Bluetooth system. Specifying specific and detailed triggers is important so that Gemini can provide you with easy steps to create the Tasker automation.
Below is an excerpt from Gemini’s response:
As you can see, the appropriate instructions were provided with the trigger and task actions, as well as a detailed explanation of each step. However, if you are a first-time user of Tasker, you may want detailed steps. I asked Gemini, “Can you provide more detailed step-by-step instructions?” This provided me with comprehensive instructions that allowed me to create the automation I needed.
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Gemini isn’t perfect, though, and there will be issues. In the example above, Google’s AI-powered chatbot prompts me to create a second profile—the Bluetooth trigger—after I set up the first trigger. But Tasker prompts me to create a new task when I press the back button after entering the time.
Apparently there is no way to create multiple new profiles/triggers before adding a task, so after the first trigger (step 1 in the previous screenshot) I had to go straight to creating the task (step 4).
After that, I long-pressed the time trigger to add the other conditions for the automation to run. Gemini suggested adding a third trigger based on my location, but I felt that was unnecessary. Instead, I had Tasker trigger the automation between a certain time of day (5-6pm) and when my phone connects to my car’s Bluetooth.
This works because my trigger isn’t heavily location dependent, but when you create a Tasker automation like this, you can’t skip these steps.
Occasionally, Gemini makes silly mistakes. For example, in the task above, Gemini suggested I go into Tasker’s settings and enable “Bluetooth” and “Location” in the “Monitor” tab. However, I couldn’t find any such options. When I asked the chatbot about it, it replied, “You’re absolutely right. In newer versions of Tasker, the “Monitor” tab has been replaced by the “Settings” section.”
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Let Gemini do the hard work for you
The above is just one example of how I used Gemini to create a useful Tasker automation. I’ve also created several others that are useful in daily life, like automatically forwarding text messages with certain words to my wife, muting my phone when I’m in a meeting, and more.
Not only does Gemini help you with Tasker automation, but you can also ask it for help with other similar apps like MacroDroid. I can’t wait for Tasker or Google to allow developers to integrate Gemini into their apps. It will open up multiple use cases and allow you to automate tasks with just a few taps.
Still, I would recommend using Google Assistant routines for smart home automation instead of relying on Tasker.
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