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Andy Walker / Android Authority
I rely on a lot of great Android apps to enhance my smartphone experience. Many features I use every day are already built right into Android, but these apps help fill the gaps that Google is ignoring. One of them is a simple, reliable automation tool. Tasker is my current solution, but in an ideal world, I wouldn't have to install a third-party tool to get smart automation capabilities.
Would you use a simple tasker-like automation tool if it were built into Android?
1098 votes
Android lets me down a bit, so I use Tasker
Tasker is an extremely powerful app that allows one to control almost everything on their device with set-it-and-forget-it flows. Once you master it and unlock its potential, there's very little you can't do with it.
Although I've seen people create obscenely complex flows that dominate their lives, I use the app to complete mundane tasks that I'd rather avoid. It activates my flashlight when I shake my phone hard. It sets my backlight to always on when browsing selected apps. I also used it once to shuffle a list of wallpapers, activating each one at a specific time of day.
It's a great tool, but I often feel like Tasker can be too complicated for its own good, especially for my modest needs. The app boasts a wide and varied set of features, but is overly complex with an unfriendly, inaccessible user interface, which makes learning difficult. I often have to go through forums and spend hours troubleshooting the simplest of flows only to give up in the end.
It's a great tool, but I often feel like Tasker can be too complicated for its own good, especially for my modest needs.
Tasker also requires you to understand some advanced Android tricks that make it inaccessible for beginners. You'll need to use adb (and, in some cases, root access) to unlock its full range of capabilities. It also provides a seven-day trial, which is welcome, but not enough time to explore it head-to-toe before investing in it. Many people don't want to buy an app that they will only use 10% of.
When it comes to automation on an Android phone, Tasker is probably the best solution for power users, but it's impractical for many others. Alternative apps like MacroDroid and Automate also have their own issues, including limited streams and shallower integration.
Why a built-in Android automation tool makes sense
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
It's clear, then, that a Google-built automation suite built into Android has a place on the table. A native solution with a simpler, smarter user interface that is easy to learn and run would be a better service for those who don't want to download, pay for, or learn a third-party app.
In particular, some Android OEMs have already recognized this problem and created their own solutions. Samsung Routines is a great example. However, Apple's Shortcuts provide the best example of what a potential Google product could and could achieve.
As it would be built by Google, such a tool would also offer more seamless integration with other services, from connecting to the company's services like Gmail, Calendar or Photos to its smart home devices or even opening it to allow to third party developers to work with.
It's clear that an automation suite built by Google and placed on Android has a place at the table.
To fit this into Google's larger AI scheme, the company could leverage Gemini to help users create automation flows, or use Gemini Nano to recognize when you repeat actions on your device under certain conditions (time, place, after receiving a specific email, etc.) and suggest a flow that would automate that task for you. The possibilities are wide.
There's an opportunity here for Google to turn its vast service offering and powerful Android tools into an automation suite that makes everyday phone use faster, simpler, and more convenient.
Automation is for everyone, not just power users
I am in no way wishing the death of Tasker or its alternatives. As I've already mentioned, it's incredibly capable and will probably extend far beyond what a similar built-in Android solution ever could. But my problem with it isn't its functionality. is its accessibility. Additionally, a native Android tool will immediately bring the benefits of automation to everyone, not just power users. Any Android device, budget or flagship, could take advantage of it. Just because there are more powerful tools doesn't mean we should keep simpler solutions.
Just because there are more powerful tools doesn't mean we should keep simpler solutions.
We are all busy animals. Tasks that are tedious or mundane can often be completed using automation. Personally, I'd love it if Android allowed me to text my loved one when I enter or leave an area, open the podcast app when my Bluetooth headphones are connected, or turn off social media and news apps at a specific time , so I can enjoy an undisturbed sleep — all without downloading additional apps.
Automation tools may not be on Google's radar for Android 16, and that's a shame, but I hope it's a pointer to the company's roadmap going forward. For now, it looks like I have a date with the Tasker documentation this weekend.
