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Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear

Dec 29, 2014 10:40 PM
Dec 30, 2014 12:57 AM
Conference phone with microphone and call indicators.

The first few times I posted on some of the Android forums out there, I asked things like "Does anybody how I can make my phone do this or that?" Without fail, the responses to these types of questions were always one word—Tasker.

If you're not familiar with it, Tasker is an automation app for Android that lets you create a set of conditions (Profiles) that, when met, will trigger an event (Task). The possibilities with this app are almost endless, with your own imagination really being the only limitation.

We like to cover some of the more interesting Tasker profiles here at Gadget Hacks, and I've recently come across one that's downright genius. By monitoring your phone's proximity sensor while you're in a call, this one will automatically turn on speakerphone mode if you take your phone away from your ear, then seamlessly switch it back off when you move your phone closer again.

Install Tasker

The full version of Tasker is available on Google Play for $2.99, and this tutorial is mainly targeted at folks who have already bought the app for other purposes. But, if you haven't already purchased Tasker and would still like to give this a try, a free 7-day trial version can be downloaded at this link.

Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear

If downloading the trial version, make sure you have app installation from "Unknown Sources" enabled in your phone's settings under "Security", then run the APK file and tap Install.

Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Tasker app installation confirmation screen
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Tasker app installation confirmation screen

Enable Proximity Sensor Monitoring

From Tasker's main menu, tap the 3-dot menu button and head to Preferences. From here, tap the Monitor tab, then scroll down and look for the "Display Off Monitoring" category.

Menu options for a software application interface.
Settings menu displaying various sensor options and connection statuses.
Menu options for a software application interface.
Settings menu displaying various sensor options and connection statuses.

Next, tap the drop menu below the Proximity Sensor entry, then set its value to "Yes". When you're finished here, just back out to Tasker's main menu.

Settings menu for device sensors, including options for proximity, step, and temperature sensors.
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Settings menu for device sensors, including options for proximity, step, and temperature sensors.
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear

Create a New Profile & Task

From Tasker's main menu, tap the "+" button to create a new profile, then select "State" from the list.

Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Alternative text: "Screenshot of a mobile app interface showing options for application settings, including Day, Event, Location, and Time."
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Alternative text: "Screenshot of a mobile app interface showing options for application settings, including Day, Event, Location, and Time."

From the two menus that appear next, select "Sensor", then "Proximity Sensor".

Select State Category options including Mail, Phone, Person, Ticket, Sensor, Service, and Plugins.
Sensor status selection interface displaying options for migration path, direction, and position.
Select State Category options including Mail, Phone, Person, Ticket, Sensor, Service, and Plugins.
Sensor status selection interface displaying options for migration path, direction, and position.

Since we want this profile to trigger a task that enables speakerphone mode when your phone is not next to your ear, tick the box next to "Invert" on the next screen. This means that any time the proximity sensor is not covered, the profile will become active.

Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear

Next, back out to Tasker's main screen and you'll be prompted to associate a task with this profile. Tap "New Task", then enter a name (optional) and tap the checkmark icon when you're done.

User interface of a task management app with an option to add a new task.
Settings menu with options for enabling or disabling a proximity sensor on a mobile device.
User interface of a task management app with an option to add a new task.
Settings menu with options for enabling or disabling a proximity sensor on a mobile device.

At the bottom of the next screen, tap the "+" icon to add an action to this task. From here, select "Audio", then "Speakerphone".

Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Audio action selection menu in an app.
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Audio action selection menu in an app.

Next, select "On" from the drop menu under the Set category, then back out to Tasker's main menu again.

Dropdown menu with options: On, Off, Toggle.
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Dropdown menu with options: On, Off, Toggle.
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear

Add a Second Condition to Your Profile

At this point, you now have a profile that will become active whenever your proximity sensor is not covered, which will then trigger a task that turns speakerphone mode on. But since that occurs practically all of the time, we'll add a second condition to the profile next.

To do that, long-press the "Not proximity sensor" text underneath your profile's header label, then select "Add".

Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear

From here, choose "State", then select "Phone" and "Call" on the next two menus.

Application settings menu with options for day, event, location, state, and time.
Select State Category options on a mobile interface.
Selection screen for property types: apartment, house, and mixed-use.
Application settings menu with options for day, event, location, state, and time.
Select State Category options on a mobile interface.
Selection screen for property types: apartment, house, and mixed-use.

Use the drop menu on the next page to select "Any", then back out to Tasker's main menu again.

Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Dropdown menu displaying options for 'Type': Investing, Categorizing, and Art.
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Dropdown menu displaying options for 'Type': Investing, Categorizing, and Art.

Now your profile will only become active if your proximity sensor is not covered and you are currently in a call of any type. That narrows it down quite a bit, but we still need to add an exit task for the times when these conditions stop being met.

Create an Exit Task

To do that, long-press the task label in your profile ("Speakerphone On" if you didn't set a custom title), then select "Add Exit Task".

Settings menu for Samsung call app features.
Settings menu for adjusting proximity sensor call area on a mobile device.
Settings menu for Samsung call app features.
Settings menu for adjusting proximity sensor call area on a mobile device.

From here, select "New Task", then tap the checkmark icon.

Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Settings menu for a mobile phone application with options for proximity sensor and call settings.
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Settings menu for a mobile phone application with options for proximity sensor and call settings.

Next, tap the "+" icon at the bottom of the screen, then select "Audio" and "Speakerphone" from the two menus that follow.

Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Alternative text for the image: "User interface for selecting action categories, including options like audio, video, and location."
Select audio action options on a mobile app interface.
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Alternative text for the image: "User interface for selecting action categories, including options like audio, video, and location."
Select audio action options on a mobile app interface.

This time, leave the drop menu set to "Off", then back out to Tasker's main menu. Use the screenshot below to verify that your profile is accurate.

Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Settings menu for proximity sensor and call options on a mobile device.
Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
Settings menu for proximity sensor and call options on a mobile device.

Now you have a profile that will only become active when you're in a call and when your phone's proximity sensor is not covered. When these conditions are met, speakerphone mode will be turned on. But when the conditions stop being met, the speakerphone will be turned back off. To enable this profile, simply back all the way out of Tasker.

From now on, just use your phone to make and receive calls as you normally would. When you pull your phone away from your ear, the conditions of your profile will be met and speakerphone mode will automatically turn on. If you want to turn speakerphone mode off, simply put your phone back up to your ear and the call volume will return to normal as per your exit task.

This is definitely one of those profiles that showcases how powerful, yet straightforward, Tasker can really be. What are some of your favorite Tasker profiles? Let us know in the comment section below, or drop us a line on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter.

Cover image via Shutterstock

The next big software update for iPhone is coming sometime in April and will include a Food section in Apple News+, an easy-to-miss new Ambient Music app, Priority Notifications thanks to Apple Intelligence, and updates to apps like Mail, Photos, Podcasts, and Safari. See what else is coming to your iPhone with the iOS 18.4 update.

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