yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Android Apps and Games] Muzikant:
I've received several reports lately on this issue and most of the times (~99%) it is caused by an error on the licensing mechanism provided by Google which identifies the version as unlicensed (this has started since the "upgrade" to Google Play instead of Android Market).

A few other cases were caused by running some sort of task killer which kills AutomateIt process unexpectedly.

For most users (actually, all but one - "alexbk66") what solved the issue was reinstalling the app as described on my FAQ post.

I'll continue investigating this issue so if you do encounter this error, please send me an error report using the "Help !" button on the About screen AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after the rules have disappeared.
[Android Apps and Games] Muzikant:
AutomateIt only shows applications that can be launched from the applications drawer.

To achieve the result you are looking for, you can use the application status trigger to set the screen timeout back to 30 sec when those apps are deactivated.
[Android Apps and Games] druiddb2:
Application Trigger for System Apps

thanks! i was also thinking the same thing but it means i have to register the app names twice (one for the timeout off, and one for the timeout back to 30 sec). triggering the launcher app would be simpler because anyway most of the time you always go back to the home screen, thus triggering the launcher. I see APEX launcher though so it is possible i can use this launcher (instead of stock) and achieve the same effect.
[Android Apps and Games] alexbk66:
Happened to me today again, wake up in the morning - no rules!:mad::mad:
[Android Apps and Games] rpmccormick:
Thanks again for the software. I bought the Pro version a while back. I'm loving it, but still frustrated over the following...

My Current List of Feature Requests:

1) Fix LaunchApp/KillApp actions so that I can have it launch/kill "Navigation" instead of just "Maps" (both contained within the Maps.apk, but this is not an issue for most other programs that show a list of installed apps)

2) New Action: USB Tether -> Enable/Disable

Same as WiFi/GPS/BT. Found in Settings->Wireless&Network->Tethering&PortableHotSpot->USB Tethering.

3) New Action: LED Control -> Enable/Disable for each detected LED

LEDs are listed as subdirectories under: /sys/devices/platform/leds-gpio/leds/

My subdirectories are: led1-blue, led1-red, led2-red, led2-green, led-qwerty

LEDs can be turned on/off by setting a file called brightness to either 1 or 0.

(ie: Type "echo 1 > led1-red/brightness" from within "/sys/devices/platform/leds-gpio/leds/")
[Android Apps and Games] AndrewSimoes:
LOVE the APP

But would love it even more if I could run scripts. It woud kick all those 'Task Scheduler' apps on the market straight out of the window
[Android Apps and Games] alexbk66:
I mean reset the timer, i.e. if timeout is set to 10 seconds, while i'm using the phone (i.e. slightly shake) the timer restarts back to 10 seconds, so when i finally put the phone down, screen will switch off after 10 seconds.

So the idea is - while i'm using the phone (like download something without touching the screen) - the screen stays on.

Check "better sleep" app, must have!

---------- Post added at 07:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:09 AM ----------

And also would be nice to switch screen on/off in the action. This could replace "Pocket Sensor" app
[Android Apps and Games] rpmccormick:
Those both sound like awful apps. I guess the first one isn't that bad, if it fully shuts down when the screen is off. The second one locks the power button when in your pocket, and auto-unlocks when you remove it from your pocket. That means is constantly checking the prox-sensor 24/7, draining battery, AND if the program crashes or prox-sensor is damaged, then your phone is completely locked and even the power button doesn't wake it up. Also, I often take the phone out of my pocket to set it on a table... I would never want it to always auto-unlock upon pocket removal.

My solution: 1. Set screen-timeout to 45-seconds (if I'm waiting longer then that, I'm already yelling at my phone and rapidly pressing back & home). 2. Remember to always press the power button to turn off the phone before putting it in my pocket (really not a big deal for me since I've been doing it with every phone for 20 years, and I could count my total lifetime pocket-dials on one hand). On the other hand, I've had people pocket dial me about 100 times, so I guess my solution is not for everyone. :P

Sorry, I know that is not helpful to your situation, but I did want to warn you about the possible dangers of those apps: constant memory/cpu/battery drain, and the possibility of needing to pull the battery if app misbehaves or is killed while asleep.
[Android Apps and Games] alexbk66:
"better sleep" app is great! But this kind of reply is awful.:rolleyes: I love to set my screen timeout to minimum and then automate my phone.

Wrong! It just switches off the screen, that's all. And it DOES NOT lock the power button. And I use "where's my droid power" to monitor battery consumption, and it's fine.

I hate when people post useless replies just for sake of argument. And I hate when people argue about apps without even trying them. What's the point?:mad:

You are in the wrong forum, this one is about AutomateIt, remember? Did you confuse it with "I love to press buttons" forum?

But again, that's exactly the point of my original question - I don't like to install multiple small apps, would be great if all this functionality could achieve using single program i.e. AutomateIt. And as an added bonus I could configure more details this way to avoid any problems in existing apps.
[Android Apps and Games] yungyeh:
Let me get this straight...

Do you mean if the app is killed by a task killer, or anyone uses unlicensed pro version will cause rules disappearing? Is this some kind of protection mechanism?

I do not install any task manager/task killer/process killer apps. However, as we know, sometimes android system will "collect" inactivate background app and I am not sure if that's the case which is equivalent to terminate the program unexpectedly. If so, it somewhat explains why our rules went to the wonderland. :rolleyes:

By the way, I took your advice uninstalling, rebooting, reinstalling AutomateIt. The only settings I changed were unchecking the following options:

show service notification

show popup messages

and then I restored my rules. It has been three days and my rules retain. I guess that the reinstallation does somehow manage to fix the problem. Nevertheless, I will wait for a number of weeks and see if it is complete true. ;)
[Android Apps and Games] Muzikant:
Yes, That's exactly what it is.

It's true that Android recycles its services all the time and this is not a problem since AutomateIt handles it and does not "lose" your rules in this case.

Task killers however, are not aware of the internal state of the app and can cause some unexpected results, such as failing to reload the rules when AutomateIt restarts.
[Android Apps and Games] alexbk66:
I tried to disable task killer - it didn't help. Also AutomateIt is in my list of excluded apps, so it shouldn't be killed.

I suspect it mostly happens when phone restarts because of some problem. However last time my rules disappeared without any problem.

Another possibility is 'remove rules' buttons which could be touched accidently when phone wakes up in the pocket. I don't think that 'remove all rules' button is used very often (if at all) - so it shouldn't really be on the main screen.

---------- Post added at 04:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:46 PM ----------

Minor problem - when I setup a delayed rule action with cancel trigger - and the execution gets cancelled by the trigger - the notification ("Click to cancel") stays in the notification area. There's no "Clear" button to clear the notification.
[Android Apps and Games] movrshakr:
I kind of agree with this. I have not had the problem, but it is right there where an accidental hit is certainly possible. Might should be 'inside' the menu button and with a confirmation second push required.
[Android Apps and Games] MrMrMr111:
I have a Sensation XE with official v4.0.4 on. I have AutomateIt Pro

However whenever the service is running it interfere with my screen lock. Either not activating it, sometimes I can use it for a bit, switch app, and the screen lock come on?!?

I've tried everything, re-installing, rebooting etc, but I've proved its AutomateIt messing with it, as when I stop service, its fine.

I've emailed developer numerous times, but no fix yet. Is anyone else having this problem.

I've had to uninstall it for now, I wa hoping ICS v4 would help but no, it also did this on v2.3.4 before
[Android Apps and Games] SimonCt:
Will you add NFC support?

Thanks!!!!
[Android Apps and Games] test123456789012:
update

Hi there,

today I've discovered, that said functions are now working again with latest CM9-nightly from may, 29th. BT, GPS, Screen unlock... everything is working like it did before on GB. Thank you! :)
[Android Apps and Games] gpz1100:
Muizkant, which part of yungyeh's reply are you affirming? Are you saying that disappearing rules are part of your protection scheme?

Up until tonight i've never heard of or used this app. Someone suggested it in a different thread, so been evaluating the free version so far. I don't think the fee for the pro version is all that high either. However, disappearing rules is a bit sneaky. If you're going to break functionality, have the app not run at all when it fails the licensing check, don't have it run half @ssed.
[Android Apps and Games] alexbk66:
I don't think it's some kind of protection - it's a bug, and pretty annoying, when you expect the phone to behave according to the rules you setup, then you realize half of the rules are gone :(
[Android Apps and Games] Muzikant:
I'll try to clarify:

When you run an unlicensed version of AutomateIt Pro, it will revert back to the free version and will not allow using features only available on the Pro version (such as Composite Triggers/Actions). There were some issues since the transition from "Android Market" to "Google Play" that required several users to reinstall the app in order for the license to be verified.

What alexbk66 is describing is an issue that I'm still investigating to verify whether it's a licensing issue or something else.
[Android Apps and Games] gpz1100:
Muzikant, thanks for that informative reply.

Perhaps you have some insight into the following...

The more I think about it, any triggers that are set to test while the screen is off will result in battery consumption. The phone has to enter a wakelock state to determine if the condition(s) are true. Triggers such as checking location, which cell tower you're on, etc. In the end, more battery is consumed than by just leaving wifi/bt/gps on all the time.

I had 2 rules set up

Home arrival:

-----triggers:connected to a specific cell/sid/nid

-----action: enable wifi, disable BT

Home departure:

-----triggers:NOT connected to a specific cell/sid/nid (i'm on an airave, so easy to determine if i'm home or not)

-----action: disable wifi, enable BT

Leaving these run for a 6 hours period resulted in the phone waking up every 10 minutes (not screen on, just waking). Battery during that time went from 90% to 77%. Screen was off the entire time.

Without this app (with wifi/bt/gps enabled), I'll usually see 0-2% battery drop during the same time period under the same conditions.

Am I missing something, or is there some other way of achieving the same result?
[Android Apps and Games] movrshakr:
gpz1100,

I had similar results. I had set up several rules to save battery, and battery consumption soared. I agree with your analysis--depending on the rule, it takes the phone out of deep sleep, and consumption jumps.

But it is great for other forms of automation.
[Android Apps and Games] Muzikant:
Cell Id trigger should not impact your battery usage as even if you are using the "Trigger when device is asleep" feature (described on the following link: http://muzikant-android.blogspot.co.il/2011/12/cell-id-trigger-guide.html), the device is awake for less than a second only to pick up the currently connected cell and goes back to sleep.

Anyway, If you suspect that this is the cause for your battery drain, you can change this setting to monitor your connected cell every 20-30 minutes and see if that changes the result.

Just a side note - During testing, I've noticed that when running on ICS you receive cell updates even when the device is asleep so there is no need to wake the device at all. Again, this could be ROM-specific behavior but I'm using the stock ICS on Galaxy Nexus so it should be the common behavior.
[Android Apps and Games] gpz1100:
@Muzikant,

I did have "trigger when device is asleep" enabled over night.

The device is 100% stock but rooted, htc evo 4g lte on sprint. I did try disabling the above toggle to see if it would pick up the cell tower change. This was easily tested by just powering down the airave, which would cause it to pick up an actual tower and there'd be a sid/nid change. During testing, for action I had it simply send a text message with the current time when the rule was activated. After 10+ minutes after the event occured (switch from airave to cell tower), no text came through. While I agree, the phone should be recognizing a change in cell id when screen off, it wasn't happening, or wasn't happening in a way that the app recognized the change.
[Android Apps and Games] Muzikant:
Instead of waiting for the SMS message used as an action, you can simply look at the rule log and see when your device connects to different cells (or alternatively, when it stops receiving cell updates).

If you wish to get a bit more technical details, The issue with not receiving cell updates when the screen is off was discussed on the following thread:

http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=10931
[Android Apps and Games] movrshakr:
Musikant, my uninformed theory is that there is a "sleep state" and there is a "deep sleep" state. Further, that the phone has to be 'inactive' for some unknown period before it changes from sleep to deep sleep.

Thus, waking the phone, even for just a second or two, changes its state from deep sleep (extremely low batt usage) to sleep (low, but not extremely low batt usage).

Is this correct or am I just in lala land?
[Android Apps and Games] yungyeh:
Although I agree with your means for license protection, the "disappearing rules" does cause serious problem on my device (HTC Sensation T-mobile 4G ).

I am using latest ARHD T-mobile ICS rom (ver 1.1.0). I basically did a superwipe and reinstalled all apps. However, my rules keep disappearing from time to time, sometimes a day, or within a few hours. It did happen occasionally when my device was running with a gingerbread rom (ARHD 3.6, in specifically), and it seems getting serious ever since I upgraded from gingerbread to ICS. Oddly, this issue never happens to my wife's device (HTC Desire S, Virtuous Affinity 1.48). I tried to reinstall the app and the issue seemed to be solved for a few moment, perhaps a few days, and it came back like it's always there.

I may be scared away if I am using any unauthorized pro version, but the fact is that I paid the fee though I still cannot make the app run properly and your protection scheme kinda drives me away,too.

I don't know if the situation is nearly desperate, but I am seriously thinking maybe I have to use tasker for a temporary period until the issue can be fixed. And although tasker is powerful, I have hundreds of reasons not want to use that user-unfriendly app. :(
[Android Apps and Games] alexbk66:
Is it so difficult to fix the problem of rules dissapearing? Even as a temporary workaround periodically check if rules are changed and reload the rules automatically?

It's very annoying!:(
[Android Apps and Games] test123456789012:
Hello,

sorry for bringing up another question:

Is it somehow possible to add an option to duplicate a rule? I find it cumbersome having to add another rule the exact same way with reverted triggers and actions just because I want to revert changes made by another rule after the conditions have changed again.

For instance I let AutomateIt activate GPS and WiFi when I am not at home and certain GPS-aware apps, like maps, start.

I have a second rule which deactivates GPS and WiFi when the app quits and I am not at home.

I have another rule which does the same but doesn't touch WiFi if I am at home and a corresponding rule which reverts the actions.

Or is it possible to yield the same with a more sophisticated rule?

I've provided said rules as attachment for clarifying. Thanks in advance!
[Android Apps and Games] soccer1:
Hello,

I want to let you know I love your app and bought the pro version. I thought I would just use it for a couple things (replace two single purpose apps - screen on for select apps, and lockscreen off at home), but it seems I find new uses for it every day (and I've only had it for a few days!)

I have a feature suggestion, but perhaps it can be done with current triggers. I would like a sensor trigger that registers if the phone is moving. That is, if the orientation and/or acceleration sensor numbers are static or changing.

Current settings allow me to trigger a particular state of motion or orientation, but I simply want to register, is the phone moving (at any speed or orientation), or not moving (at any orientation)?

I've set it up with an accelerometer sensor trigger, and it usually triggers when I pick it up (but not always).

Any suggestions? Thank you.
[Android Apps and Games] Muzikant:
Copy rule is definitely on my "TODO list" for next updates. It's one of the features with highest vote count on my "Vote for feature" page:

http://muzikant-android.blogspot.com/2011/09/vote-for-feature-take-ii.html
[Android Apps and Games] Muzikant:
This is currently not supported by AutomateIt.
[Android Apps and Games] camspy:
Hello Muzikant, I am an owner of the Pro version for 1 year or so. I bough a new phone - SGS3 and tweaked my Automateit Pro app with new rules. But i see some strange behaviour:

I have a rule where it starts an app when headphones/headsets is plugged. While it really works this way, it has a bug, when somebody calls me, for some reason I see that app started, nor headphones isn't plugged in. Do you have an idea why is that happening?

Also, i want to ask you to comment about 3 other things that i wanted to work:

1. I created a rule to start 1 app when Poweramp app is opened, when i start Poweramp now, it goes into app opening loop.

2. I created a rule to close that 1 app, when Poweramp app is closed, Poweramp is music player app, I would like that 1 app to close after Poweramp is REALLY CLOSED, because now, I open Poweramp and "soft close" it, meaning i close it's main window but the app is playing music in background, it is not completely closed

3. I created a rule to disable lock screen when connected into specific WIFI. Is it possible to have lock screen disabled not when connected to WIFI (as when i turn off the screen, it disconnects from WIFI), but when specific WIFI network is in range (means I am at home, or I am at office)?
[Android Apps and Games] camspy:
Few more bugs found on SGS3 phone:

I have rules to start GPS when navigation app is started and close GPS when app is closed. So it doesn't start nor finish GPS reception at all in auto mode.
[Android Apps and Games] Pkt_Lnt:
A few of us found that with ICS, since ICS changed access to OS functions, and that is one of them. Sorry, but you have to turn it on and off manually, no third party utilities can access GPS now.
[Android Apps and Games] Muzikant:
AutomateIt - The Next Generation !

AutomateIt has been around for quite some time now, but as you probably noticed, it wasn't updated in a long time.

This does not mean that we abandoned this product - in fact, it means that there is something BIG happening and coming your way.

Use the following link to sign-up for our pre-release version which should be available for a limited number of users at first before it's released to the rest of the world.

Don't get left behind !

Sign up

here
[Android Apps and Games] vincelge:
Hello,

I want to define a rule for my wifi connection. I start wifi each time my screen is switched on, and I want stop it if my wifi connection is not available. I can't define a rule with the location trigger because my provider permit me to connect on some free point accesses when I go out.

I want to define a rule like this: AutomateIt starts my wifi module. If my access are not avalaible (they always have the same id), AutomateIt stops my wifi module.

I've tried all the options: Déconnecté, raté, suspendu (I'm french ...) but it doesn't seem to work.

Is it possible to detect the absence of a wifi spot ?

Thanks !

(excuse me for my english ...)
[Android Apps and Games] eyal-f:
AutomateIt

Waiting for the new version. From what I heard it sounds fascinating.
[Android Apps and Games] Muzikant:
On the Pro version you have a feature of cancel delayed execution by trigger which might be handy in this case.

You can have the following rule:

Trigger: Wifi State Trigger (Wifi Enabled)

Action: Set Wifi State Action (Wifi Disabled)

Delayed execution: 1 minute (or any other value as you desire)

Cancel delayed execution by trigger: Wifi Network Connection State Trigger (Connected to <Any Network>)

Since when the device identifies a known network it automatically connects to it, in case you Wifi is enabled and for 1 minute it does not connect to any network, it's safe to assume that they are not available.
[Android Apps and Games] stfudude:
i would like to replace this app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.jays.headsetcontrol&hl=en with Automateit Pro but so far I'm not able to do that. @muzikant maybe you should consider putting a "Headset button clicked" trigger, with the option to select "one, two or triple presses"

I already saw the vote and feature request page but I don't see this specific one that I mentioned, so i decided to post the request here. BTW, why do you use facebook vote? i can't vote with that, as I don't have facebook account. I hope this request of mine is doable. I'd like to be able to press my headset button three times to call upon the "Tell Me the time" app, to tell me what's the current time. I don't have a watch, so that's why I look for other ways to know the time.
[Android Apps and Games] ehajgbo:
Next gen automateit - When...?

Hi,

Just one question: When can we expect approximately the next gen automateit? :)

bb
[Android Apps and Games] ph3nom:
great app keep it up
[Android Apps and Games] Muzikant:
Sounds like an interesting idea. I'll add it to the list of features.

The reason I use facebook for voting is since it is very simple to manage counting of votes this way. I do understand that it's not perfect as many people don't have (or don't want to have) facebook account.

There is no official release date planned yet but should be several weeks from now. If you registered on the signup page, you'll get updates just before the release.
[Android Apps and Games] ripper2860:
ICS and no GPS Toggle

Since receiving the ICS 4.04 update (OTA) on my Razr Maxx, AutomateIT Pro can no longer enable GPS as part of a rule. My phone is rooted, but still a no-go. Any tips on getting it to work.

BTW -- it's not the only app that has stopped toggling GPS on/off automatically -- Widegetsoid switcher has stopped doing that as well, so I'm sure it's an ICS/Moto/VZ thing. Just hoping for some insight as to what I can do!!

Great product. Well worth the price for Pro!! Couldn't live w/o it.