I started to look into this and found there are a number of tools and difference approaches, and rather than waste my day reading websites and screwing with crippled demos, I’d just turn to The Greatest Information Source In The Universe™.
I am less interested in being able to record and mimic swipes and touches (which seems to be a big part of the demand, especially for the game crowd that wants a way to farm points or game currency) than just being able to build a simple applet that will do a defined set of steps.
Example: I have a couple of junior Barbarians who need to be picked up from school and rehearsals and so forth on a regular basis. It’s a PITA to wait until I am there and parked to send a HERE text, and both my sense of safety and rather stringent anti-phone laws keep me from sending a timely OMW or 1 MIN text.
So if I could program one button that sends a defined text to a specified contact… it would be very useful. I can tap the “ABjr-1 MIN” button while driving.
Are there tools that will do this, and which ones are best?
Tasker is probably the most capable tool of this type. Can be a bit of a learning curve but simple things can be achieved without too much difficulty. Plenty of online resources to help.
Tasker seems to come to the top of most lists, but the emphasis of its function seems to be on “reprogramming” your phone - if event X happens, do this, if event Y happens between noon and one, do that. Maybe the simple “when I press a button, do this” stuff is too trivial to mention.
I’ll look at it more closely. AFAIK, though, it’s pay to play and I’d rather not spend even $3.00 on something that won’t do what I want.
Further input appreciated.
ETA: NM, it has a trial version and further investigation of the (rather stilted German-based) website seems to indicate it’s Thuh Tool. Thanks.
Probably the best way to do what you want is to send an automated text when you arrive in a particular area. You’ll need to get it to interface with an automated SMS app (there’s plenty of those out there).
I don’t think it’s an easy solution and will need a lot of fiddling about, but if you’re like me, then that’s fun!