The popular automation app Tasker just picked up a big new feature: The ability to call tasks from Tasker directly from the Google Assistant. It's English-only for now, but you'll be able to trigger your tasks just by name when telling the Assistant to "start" or "do" a specific command in Tasker. Even more powerfully and flexibly, you can also use Tasker's Pattern Matching to perform actions with variables on the fly. But unlike AutoVoice, this only works on the device that has Tasker installed on it — probably your phone.

It's a little complex (like most Tasker stuff is), but if you use Tasker Pattern Matching, you can have commands pass specific variables as input for more complex instructions, like issuing a specific command after waiting a certain amount of time or if other conditions are met. It's not the most user-friendly process, but if you're computationally minded, it offers a lot of potential for Assistant commands.

This may also remind you of AutoVoice or Join, other apps by João Dias, the developer now behind Tasker. AutoVoice has made the news twice in the last couple of years, due to Google's repeated and mistaken Play Store takedowns. In case you're unfamiliar, AutoVoice also lets Tasker integrate with the Google Assistant, but in a different and much more advanced way. This new integration explicitly does not replace AutoVoice and can't work on other Assistant devices like your Google Home, but it does make it a little simpler and easier to trigger "basic" Tasker tasks from your phone.

The full changelog for the latest v 5.11.14 Tasker update, which includes the new Assistant functionality, is just below:

  • Removed alert that "Assistant Action" event was not working since it's now working

  • Added Assistant Actions video tip

  • Fixed building apps with App Factory on some devices in some situations

  • Fixed link to forum on Russian translation

  • Made "alert()" function in javascript return which button was pressed

  • Made "BT Connected" event able to select BT devices when being setup

  • Added "GenerateUUID()" function to "Tasker Function" action

  • Made it possible for users to use custom redirect URL in "HTTP Auth" action by specifying it directly there

  • Fixed issue where sometimes a notification would show up saying that Tasker was not authorized when that wasn't the case

  • Fixed license checking in Tasker in some situations

  • Only use location permission in "Test Net" action if really needed

  • Allow "Perform Task" action's Parameter input fields to have more than one line of input

  • Fix bug where sometimes when copying files to external SD card with uppercase extensions the wrong extension could be used in the destination file

  • Fixed using Project/Profile/Task variables in Javascript in some situations

  • Disallow using non-monitored built-in variables in "Variable State" state. Was allowing it by mistake

  • Fix using invalid variable names in plugins in some situations

  • Fix "Steps Taken" event on some devices

  • Fixed small crashes

The update to v5.11.14 is rolling out now over on the Play Store. If you'd like to download it early, you can also get it from the developer's dropbox link here.

Source: Tasker