Bixby Routines vs Tasker

[Libb]

You are probably often in a situation when you want to do something always at some time, on some place or generally depending on a situation. There are lot of application which can help you. Let me introduce two of them:

Bixby Routines

Bixby Routines are probably preinstalled on your phone if you’re using latest firmware. You can access it e.g. by pulling the taskbar, the is an icon Bixby Routines by which you can quickly enable or disable it by tapping on the text you can configure it.

Bixby Routines has two serious advantages. It is a part of the system, so you don’t have to download, install or pay for it. This leads to another advantage and it is ability to access system settings. You can do by Bixby Routines what is hard or impossible to do with other tools without root (I don’t recommend rooting your phone!)

Configuring Bixby Routines is very easy, I’ll show some examples later.

Tasker

Tasker is an application which you have to install from Google Play and pay for it.

Tasker is harder configurable than Bixby Routines and if you want to change system settings you have to grant permissions. But Tasker has also some advantages. It is very popular so there exist a lot of plugins and extensions for tasker which extend abilities or just do some hard work for you. Also, a lot of applications support Tasker, e.g. Watchmaker (a tool for you Galaxy Watch for creating watch faces) can call Tasker tasks or read Tasker variables so you can control your phone from your wrist.

Example: mute phone in the office

This is very easy example which you can do in both tools very easily. If you didn’t disable Bixby Routines it probably detects your habits and offers you automatically a new routine. But you can configure it by yourself:

When you go to the Details you can see that there is already a profile Work but we'll create a brand new profile for demonstation by clicking +. Select condition: Work, Bixby prefills address. Tap on Next, then you can configure action. Select Sound mode, choose Vibrations. It's all, you're done.

OK, now let's go do the same in Tasker:

 

Go to the profiles section and create a new profile based on State. Select Net, the Wifi near, find your wi-fi by tapping on search icon. Exit creating profile and select a new task, enter it's name, add action: Audio, Sound mode, select Vibrate. Go back to the profile, long tap on the task, select Add Exit Task. Create a new task, add actions for enabling sound. Optionally: add starting Spotify and start music as you're leaving the office You're done.

Note: this is not how-to article.

You can see that configuration of Tasker is more complex. So why use it? 

• you're already get used to it (my case)
• you need more complex actions or conditions

One of the most complex conditions I'm using is something like: you're in the car, you're connected to charger, navigation is running, it is day (based on light level) THEN turn off AOD, set display brightness on manual level (preventing burning the screen), but if navigation isn't running and you're in the car and the light level is lower THEN set brightness to automatic mode.

Or an action: when I connect or disconnect to my car, Tasker writes actual time into a file so I have an overview how much time I spent in the car.

Conclusion

If you're a standard user, you don't need too complex conditions or actions, you can stay on Bixby Routines. It is very stable, easy and does good work. If you're a geek, consider buying Tasker or some other automation tool.

[SjorsK]

Nice comparison! 😉 Please note that Bixby Routines is currently only supported on the Galaxy S10 or newer

[RpBP]

It's useful, but now it has options very simples, I remember the full Tasker funtionality with older Android Versions. Now, you have not full permisions for activate and manage a few useful options. In my case and with new Android versions, I could not create a specific Tasker, it continue with the same problems that I had in olders attempts.

[RpBP]

I can see Oriflame, do you sell cosmeticts?, I meet a person who worked hard and now is Regional Director with her new second car free, "Los Piñones de Oriflame" was the main group were she was the manager. Good Luck.

[Libb]

@RpBPIt is Oriflame Software so you can blame me if you're unable to order some cosmetics but not if it burns your skin

[Libb]

Which issues do you have with Tasker in newer Android?

[RpBP]

For example, ploblems with activation and actions with the GPS, the Bluetooth, third part actions and scripts and other limitations and reductions derived of that new rules inserted since old old versions android intalled as I said you, and I hope that Bixbi can really manage to be privileged in access, but we will need time to make a really funtional and complete agent. For now, I have not access to this Bixby option to check, but Samsung will have the same problems at the moment. Bye

[RpBP]

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@Libb wrote:

@RpBPIt is Oriflame Software so you can blame me if you're unable to order some cosmetics but not if it burns your skin

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Always a wet wipe 

[RpBP]

with Aloe Vera better 

[Libb]

Yes, GPS is an issue always as it doesn't work in SmartLock neither...