Automation mega-app Tasker has a new update out, and it's a big one. The app, which recently changed hands, is now on v5.7, bringing new NFC, keyboard, and nav bar actions, amongst other things.

With the new 'Say WaveNet' action, Tasker uses Google's WaveNet algorithm to bring natural-sounding audio to text-to-speech (a feature that has been beta tested since a few months). Bixby button remapping also makes its first appearance in the stable version of Tasker — no need to download a separate app just for this.

Using keyboard actions to navigate an app and type out a message

Other notable features include navigating apps' UIs with keyboard actions (Joao uses this to type and send a text within the WhatsApp app in the demo video), NFC tag actions, and volume long press events, which can even be triggered with the screen off. My favorite new functionality has to be the navigation bar customization — I can have different Tasker actions appear on my nav bar at different locations or times of the day.

Practical or aesthetic? No. Amazing proof of concept? Definitely.

Take a look at the changelog, detailing all new functionality in the v5.7 update:



New Say WaveNet action! Allows you to use much more realistic voices for your say actions. Demo.

action! Allows you to use much more realistic voices for your say actions. Demo. New Keyboard action! Simulate keyboard keys. Allows you to navigate app's UIs (using the arrow or tab keys for example) and interact with inputs in other apps! Demo.

action! Simulate keyboard keys. Allows you to navigate app's UIs (using the arrow or tab keys for example) and interact with inputs in other apps! Demo. New Navigation Bar action! Totally customize the bottom navigation bar with custom icons and commands (on supported devices). Demo.

action! Totally customize the bottom navigation bar with custom icons and commands (on supported devices). Demo. New NFC Tag event and action! Allows you to react to NFC Tags and write data to them! Demo.

event and action! Allows you to react to NFC Tags and write data to them! Demo. New Volume Long Press event (Android 8+) which allows you to handle long clicks on the physical volume keys on your device even when the screen is off. Demo.

event (Android 8+) which allows you to handle long clicks on the physical volume keys on your device even when the screen is off. Demo. New Secondary App launcher icon and Secondary App Opened Event. This will allow to perform tasks from other places like double-tapping the power button or Bixby. This icon can be hidden if not needed.

launcher icon and Event. This will allow to perform tasks from other places like double-tapping the power button or Bixby. This icon can be hidden if not needed. New Notification Settings action. Allows you to open an app's notification settings screen with an optional category (useful for App Factory apps)

action. Allows you to open an app's notification settings screen with an optional category (useful for App Factory apps) New Notification Channel Info action which returns all info about a given notification channel for Tasker or the kid app that's running

action which returns all info about a given notification channel for Tasker or the kid app that's running New option in menu: Report Issue To Developer so that users can more easily send the developer a log with for issue they're having with an optional video and audio capture to make it easier for the bug to be found!

The developer joaomgcd notes that this is a staged rollout and should be available for all users over the next few days. You can get the update from the Play Store, or grab the installer from APKMirror.