MacroDroid – easy setup app to fully automate your Android
by Paul Wilks
Aug 13, 2012 11:20 AM –
Install
MacroDroid is an automation app for Android, much like the ever-popular Tasker. While Tasker would appear to be one of the most popular apps we’ve reviewed, one complaint is that it’s not that easy to use. Technology snobs may sneer at this, but the bottomless pit of options and functionality is a little intimidating for some and many others find Tasker lacking intuitiveness. However, in the comments of our Tasker review, user Cretin suggested MacroDroid as an alternative that’s easier to configure. And, by jingo, I think he has a point!
Price: Free, $2.49 for the full version
Tested on: HTC One X
Content Rating: Low Maturity
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Really, really easy to use!
- Lots of functionality to automate your Android device!
- Great list of templates!
Cons
- Doesn’t quite have the infinite functionality of Tasker.
Features:
MacroDroid aims to make your Android smartphone that little bit smarter. It allows you to create “macro’s”; specific settings based on various conditions. So, if your phone often wakes you up in the night when you get an email or text, you can set it to go on silent mode at a certain time, and back to normal volume when you wake up. It can also do other smart things, like turn your WiFi off when your battery goes too low, or it will tell you the time through your speaker when your press the power button (saves you taking your device out of your pocket!)t It’s a clever little app that can perform lots of smart actions, but best of all, it’s really simple to use.
Creating a Macro only requires three phases. First, enter a Trigger. This is the condition under which the Macro will kick in, for example a time of day or battery level. Then select an Action- the thing you want your phone to do, such as go silent, turn off WiFi or even send a text. You might even want it to perform more than one action, such as both turning off WiFi and setting your brightness level really low. Finally, you have to set a Constraint. This might be specific days of the week you want the Macro to occur. If you normally set your phone to silent at say, 11pm, yet on a weekend you’re out on the town, you might decide to only have the macro enabled on weekdays. In just three quick settings then, you’re macro is set up!
The app’s menus, etc. are very straightforward, yet still allow for an impressive range of features and the ability to trigger any number of different functions. There are twenty different triggers that can be used, alongside 30 different actions and 10 constraints. In each macro, you can add up to 10 different actions and constraints, so it’s highly configurable. I’m not sure exactly how many of these aspects you get in apps like Tasker, but the point of MacroDroid should be that it’s so incredibly simple to set up. It’s a very smart and clever little application that’s blissfully easy to set up and use.
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MacroDroid – Dashboard
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MacroDroid – Template Macros
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MacroDroid – Add action
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MacroDroid – Naming Macro
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MacroDroid – Setting days of the week for my Macro
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MacroDroid – Customising template
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MacroDroid – 2 Macros set up
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MacroDroid – Intro
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MacroDroid – Option to upgrade to Pro
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MacroDroid – Settings
Usefulness:
These kind of apps are among the most useful in the Google Play Store. They let you automate your device in a vast number of ways that can ultimately make life easier. From making sure your device is on silent when you’re in a business meeting to replying to a text with your geo-location, MacroDroid is full of handy functionality, and the templates are a brilliant place to start.
Ease of Use:
Compared to practically all other automation apps, or profile apps I’ve tried, MacroDroid is by far the easiest to use. There’s lots of options, but they are all simple to execute.
Frequently Used:
This is the kind of thing that is very much down to the user. You might just really want to make sure you’e not disturbed too early on weekend mornings, in which case you won’t be as active on the application as the user who has several macros set up for multiple scenarios.
Interface:
The interface is essentially monochrome black, white and silver. Like using the app, it’s very simple and nicely designed.