Automate Android with Llama: Location Profiles & More

Automating Your Android Phone with Location-Based Profiles

Considering the capabilities of modern smartphones, how truly intelligent are they? They can manage emails and provide navigation assistance, but can they automatically disable GPS upon returning home? Or intelligently activate the ringer when you leave the workplace?

Experienced Android users might recognize this functionality as similar to that offered by Tasker. However, at MakeUseOf, we focus on free applications, which leads us to Llama for Android.

Llama can be viewed as a free alternative to Tasker, possessing a more approachable interface and a slightly less complex feature set. For those unfamiliar with Tasker, Llama represents the most potent customization software available for Android devices without a price tag.

Initial Setup and Help Text

Upon initial launch, Llama presents users with comprehensive help documentation:

The developer clearly anticipates users needing guidance. If you're new to customization software, it's highly recommended to read these prompts before proceeding; you won't be disappointed.

After acknowledging the initial help message, another informative prompt appears:

Leveraging Location Without GPS

Location awareness is central to Llama’s functionality, yet it doesn't rely on GPS or WiFi by default. Instead, it identifies your location by detecting the cellular towers ("cells") your phone connects to. This approach is efficient, conserving battery life while providing reasonably accurate location data, particularly in urban environments.

Eager to begin, I selected "Groovy" and then chose "Home" from the list:

However, a reminder appeared: "Long-tap the area for your current location". Following the instructions:

This allowed me to define my home location. I then selected "Start Learning Area" to enable Llama to identify and remember the cells in my vicinity.

Llama inquired about my availability for location learning. I indicated I would be available for at least 30 minutes.

Exploring Settings and Experimental Features

Further exploration led me to the settings menu, which also features detailed help text. This comprehensive documentation minimizes the need for a separate manual, enhancing Llama’s user-friendliness.

A button labeled "Experimental Stuff" piqued my curiosity:

This revealed additional location modes, including GPS and WiFi-based location detection, as well as Bluetooth scanning. These features were marked as highly experimental, and given my location in a cell-dense area, I opted not to test them.

Events and Profiles: The Building Blocks of Automation

Llama’s core functionality revolves around "events" and "profiles". An event consists of "conditions" and "actions". For example, connecting a Bluetooth earpiece (condition) could trigger the phone to switch to Silent Mode (action).

Here's a look at available conditions:

Each condition is accompanied by helpful documentation. The Calendar Event condition is particularly interesting:

By tagging calendar events with keywords like "meeting", Llama can automatically silence your phone during scheduled appointments. Multiple conditions can be combined within a single event:

This event would only execute if a meeting is scheduled between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm.

Now, let's add an action:

This action changes the phone's profile to "Quiet" when the event is triggered, effectively silencing it during meetings between 9 am and 5 pm.

Understanding Profiles

A profile defines a set of settings. It's a concept familiar to users of older Nokia phones.

Profiles allow granular control over various audio settings:

You can customize ringtone volume, notification volume, vibration settings, and more. This allows you to create profiles tailored to specific situations.

The Recent Tab

Finally, the Recent tab:

This displays a history of recently connected cellular towers. You can add these to existing locations or create new ones, allowing you to define locations even after you've left them.

Concluding Thoughts

Having reached this point, it’s likely you’re already aware of the exceptional capabilities of Llama. However, should you have only briefly reviewed the preceding information, allow me to reiterate: Llama represents a truly remarkable software solution for mobile devices, offering a compelling alternative to Tasker.

It is characterized by its cost-free availability, user-friendly interface, engaging design, and substantial power. For those who have previously desired mobile automation but haven't utilized Tasker, immediate acquisition of Llama is highly recommended.