Tasker is the most comprehensive automation app for Android, but it can be a little complicated to set up, especially for beginners. This article will explore five apps that will give you alternative means to automate actions on your Android device.

1. MacroDroid

MacroDroid features a more modern design than all the other apps on this list with an equally feature-rich experience, so that’s something you might want to consider when choosing a Tasker alternative. On the other hand, it offers a limited number of tasks and shows ads in its free version, but you can upgrade to pro for $3.49 if you desire to remove the limits and ads. You can get started with the app by clicking the “Add Macro” button on the homepage and selecting triggers for the actions you want to be performed. You can also set up optional constraints which determine the conditions which macros are allowed to run. It’s a really good app as evidenced by its 4.5 rating on the Play Store and it’s also regularly updated.

2. Condi

Condi takes a straight-forward approach to automating tasks on your device. Once you install the app, you are immediately directed to the homepage where you can create new tasks by clicking the “+” button at the top. In doing so you are presented with a variety of actions to select from, and afterwards, a trigger for your action. Condi allows you to add multiple triggers that must be satisfied before a task is performed but only after the initial creation of the task (as opposed to while creating the task).

Note: Condi has not been updated since 2014.

3. Automate

Automate is another highly-rated automation app that is very easy to set up for beginners. It uses a flowchart to display the hierarchy of blocks that make up a task which makes it ideal for those familiar with flow diagrams. It has some pre-configured flows which you can edit to see the underlying flow diagram, and you can also download several more community-made scripts as well as make your own.

4. Llama

Llama is a simple Tasker alternative that enables you to set location-based profiles that can trigger certain actions automatically based on your current location. For example, you can set your phone’s ringer to silent while at work and back to normal while at home or open your music player when your headset is connected. Llama uses phone masts (and not GPS) to determine your location, so it will not consume any additional battery power and will still provide a fairly reliable signal, especially if you live in a populated area with plenty of masts. In addition, there is GPS-based tracking and experimental WiFi-based location tracking if the phone mast method does not work well for you. If none of the location-tracking options work for you, you can create time-based profiles instead.

One thing to note is that Llama has not been updated since 2014.

5. AutomateIt

AutomateIt has the most unconventional layout of the apps on this list, but it’s pretty powerful as you’ll see. Creating a task (called “Rules”) is quite straightforward as you can select triggers and actions one after the other or check the rules market to download from a large selection of rules created by the community that can be applied immediately to your device without any hassle. The free version shows ads and has some restrictions, but you can upgrade to pro for $2.99 to unlock the ad-free unrestricted version.

Wrap Up

If you’ve always wanted to automate your device and found Tasker too complicated for you, try any of these alternative apps. If you prefer Tasker or know any other powerful automation apps for Android, leave a comment and let us know.