I fixed so many of Android’s annoying little quirks with this secret weapon

While not as configurable as traditional desktop operating systems, Android is quite malleable by mobile platform standards. There are endless apps and tools out there that can significantly alter the look and feel of a given Android device, and automation or ‘rule’ style software is readily available for more advanced customizations.

Out of the box, some Android phones ship with basic automation tools (think: Google Pixel’s Rules feature and Samsung Galaxy’s Modes and Routines). That being said, third-party alternatives like Tasker and MacroDroid are capable of providing far more utility, though, admittedly, this comes somewhat at the expense of user-friendliness.

Thankfully, even though Tasker’s main app flow is on the intimidating side, an entire database of free, pre-configured projects can be browsed through and added to the utility without the need to worry about plugins, modules, root access, or any other power-user considerations.

Here are five simple-yet-effective Tasker projects that I rely on each and every day. Each entry on this list is readily accessible from within the TaskerNet database, and while they all include a corresponding XLM file, they functionally act as plug-and-play automations when activated.

Auto-Rotation Apps

Only allow landscape orientation where it makes sense

Some third-party Android skins provide plenty of user-facing options when it comes to configuring rotation lock. Unfortunately, many lack the option to enable auto-rotate on a per-app basis. The Auto-Rotations Apps Tasker project rectifies this, by allowing you to designate certain apps to work with rotation and others to ignore it. For example, I hardly ever want auto-rotate enabled as I go throughout my day, but I have certain streaming apps like YouTube and Netflix greenlisted to save me the hassle of toggling on and off the setting whenever I want to watch a video.

Adaptive Brightness Quick Setting

The missing quick settings toggle

Credit: Pocket-lint / TaskerNet

Most Android phones offer a quick-and-easy toggle for turning on or off adaptive brightness, which is the feature that automatically adjusts the brightness of your screen based on ambient lighting conditions. Unfortunately, the Google Pixel (as well as the Android Open Source Project (AOSP)) lack this toggle, which can be quite a pain. With the Adaptive Brightness Quick Setting Tasker project, this becomes a non-issue, as it effortlessly adds a simple quick settings tile for enabling and disabling the feature at will.

Flashlight Slider

Conveniently dim your LED torch

Credit: Pocket-lint / TaskerNet

Google is working behind the scenes to implement a native LED flash brightness slider into the core of Android, but it’s taken them far too long to do so. Just about every third-party hardware maker has already built their own alternative version of the feature, leaving Pixel devices in the dust. Flashlight Slider Tasker is a sweet and simple Tasker project that, when enabled, will place an LED brightness slider at the top of the screen whenever the flashlight quick setting tile is activated. It’s a small addition, but one that can come in handy when navigating in the dark.

Great to have when in a pinch

Credit: Pocket-lint / TaskerNet

Message Contact When Battery Low is among my favorite Tasker projects, as it provides extra peace of mind when out and about on low battery. To get started, you simply create a text passage, select a battery life threshold, and then pick a contact from your phone. When things are all set up, your message will be automatically fired out when your handset reaches the battery percentage you’ve designated. In my case, I have my phone set to send off: “My phone is about to die — if you can’t reach me, it’s because I’ve run out of battery” to an emergency contact whenever it hits 2% battery capacity.

Say Time Out Loud Every Hour

Keep tabs on the time of day

Credit: Pocket-lint / TaskerNet

This last Tasker project is one that some will find annoying while others will appreciate. Say Time Out Loud Every Hour is very matter-of-fact in its naming, reading the current time whenever the clock strikes a new hour. If you’re finding yourself getting lost in your work, or if you simply want to keep better tabs on the current time of the day, then this project is the perfect tool to have at your disposal. Traditional analog clocks chime on a regular basis, so why not have your smartphone do so as well?