What sets Android apart from other mobile operating systems is the extraordinary level of flexibility it offers. If you want to enjoy detailed control of your smartphone then Android is the best you can expect. However, to get the best out of it, you need the right tools to help you harness its wealth of flexibility and customizability.
Powerful, multifunctional and easy-to-use, MacroDroid is the kind of do-it-all app that will help you do almost anything you want with your Android smartphone. But how good is it, and what exactly can you do with MacroDroid? let’s find out.
What is a macrodroid?
MacroDroid is a nifty little Android app that can help you automate almost any task on your device.
To better understand what MacroDroid does, think about all the other things you can do with your Android smartphone. You can make calls, browse the web, download files, tweet or share photos on Facebook. MacroDroid introduces automation to all those activities or tasks.
So, instead of doing these things yourself, you can program them to happen at certain times of the day or when certain conditions are met.
Need your Android phone to send messages to your partner when you’re not home by 6 PM? MacroDroid can do this. How to send an email to your boss every time you are late for work? MacroDroid can do it too. How about dimming your screen every morning at 8am? not a problem.
MacroDroid is like a robot assistant, you tell it what to do and when—and it will do exactly that.
As a rule of thumb, if you can perform a certain task manually on your Android smartphone, there’s a good chance you can get MacroDroid to do it automatically for you. While MacroDroid isn’t the only Android automation app around, it’s one of the easiest to use, especially if you’re just getting started with Android automation.
If you’re curious what other automation apps you can get, we’ve previously detailed some of the best automation apps for Android.
How to set up and use MacroDroid
It may seem a bit daunting at first, but using MacroDroid is quite easy once you understand the basics of how MacroDroid works. So how does MacroDroid work?
At a basic level, MacroDroid works based on two main concepts: actions and triggers.
1. Macrodroid Actions
Simply put, there are actions that need to be done. This is something your Android device can do and which can be automated by MacroDroid. Dialing a number, sending an SMS, or taking a picture are all actions that your Android smartphone can perform, which can also be automated by MacroDroid.
2. Macrodroid Trigger
Triggers are events that must occur in order to initiate an action. Since it would make no sense for actions to occur randomly, triggers are preconditions for an action to occur.
This can be an event or set of events that must occur before MacroDroid can initiate the preprogrammed action. Your battery level falling below 50%, receiving a call, or pressing your volume buttons are examples of events that can be used as triggers.
Your functions and triggers are combined into smaller functions called macros.
How to Create a Simple Automation Task on MacroDroid
To create your first automation task or macro, all you need is an action and a trigger—what to do and when. For this guide, we’ll create a simple automation routine that launches the Spotify app on your Android smartphone every time you plug in your headphones or connect to your Bluetooth headphones or speakers.
To get started with MacroDroid, head over to the Play Store and install MacroDroid.
MacroDroid is a massive app with so many moving parts. once you
Launch the app, you’ll be greeted with the MacroDroid home screen filled with dozens of user interface components. While they are all important, you may not need them for most of the basic automation tasks you do with MacroDroid.
MacroDroid also requires several permissions to function properly. The app is safe to use, but if you’re not very familiar with managing permissions on Android devices, feel free to check out our Android OS permissions explainer.
set triggers
Remember, the idea is to create an automation routine that triggers once the headphones are plugged in or connected to a Bluetooth speaker or headphone. Therefore, the trigger to use here is when the “plugging in headphones” event occurs or whenever the “connecting to bluetooth speaker” event occurs.