The Future of Tasker is in Good Hands: João Dias of AutoApps Fame is Taking Over Development

Tasker is perhaps the most useful app on the Google Play Store. The app offers total control over your device through its automation features, and through the use of its extensive plugin system, it can even integrate with web services and other smart devices. Unfortunately, development on Tasker has been slowing down in the past few years due to its developer dealing with personal issues, but today he is passing the baton on to a worthy successor: João Dias.

You might know João Dias as the developer of the largest collection of Tasker plugins, AutoApps. His plugins include the widely used AutoNotification to create custom notifications, AutoTools to control hidden settings, and AutoVoice to extend Google Assistant functionality (or create your own voice assistant). His incredible work on Tasker plugins and his high engagement with the community has resulted in many newcomers to Tasker confusing him as the actual developer of Tasker. Well, now that he actually will be the developer of Tasker, there’s no doubt the app is in good hands.

In a post on the official Tasker Google Group, the current lead developer, Pent, had the following to say:

After hanging on a bit too long, I finally decided I was not in good
enough shape to maintain Tasker anymore. The last couple of years, updates
have been too seldom, nagging bugs not fixed, new OS features integrated
too slowly or not at all. As a conscientious person, I find it very
stressful to let people down like that.

I’m therefore very (very) happy to announce that over the coming months
João Dias will be taking over Tasker. João will introduce himself below.

Transfer of the app to its new Play Store account is already achieved,
Website, development and support will follow over the coming days.
Please bear with us if there are glitches due to the transfer.

I will still be maintaining App Factory for a period, but the plan is
that eventually João takes over that too. Most of the work to create
a child app is in any case performed by Tasker.

I hope that João can put the same energy into Tasker as I was able
to in the early days. I’m sure he has a lot of plans he will reveal
to you in time.

You may still see me around a bit during the transfer period as I
try to help João absorb this complicated app. If not: a big, big thank
you to everyone who has been involved over the last 8 years,
especially the stalwarts in the forum. Rich D deserves a special
mention here.

Please stick with it a little longer: things can only get better!

Pent

In response, Joao Dias offered the following statement:

This is João Dias and I’m the developer of the AutoApps and Join. Maybe you’ve heard of them if you’ve been using Tasker for a while.
It is with GREAT pleasure that I can announce that I’m going to be taking over Tasker! This means that I’m going to be developing it from now on!

First of all this is a huge honor for me. Tasker was the app that made me want to buy an Android phone in the first place. It was the first app I bought on Google Play. When I first heard about it, it made my head spin with the possibilities it allowed. I still remember reading the Usage Examples on the Tasker website and literally spending days imagining what I would do with it once I got my hands on an Android device. It was so far beyond what was possible on my then “Smart” Nokia device that my little programming brain couldn’t stop thinking about it.

And now I’m humbled to be in charge of it! I hope I can continue evolving it and keep it always fresh and exciting for you! I have a few plans for it already but please don’t expect anything major soon. Give me a few weeks/months (with Pent’s help) to get accustomed to Tasker’s code. I know I’m going to be terrified to break anything in the app in the first few releases

I’ve been a part of Tasker for some time now, with all my AutoApps, so I know it pretty well from the outside. Of course it’s going to be a different story when I get to look at it from the inside, but I’m confident all will fall in place and I’ll be able to put out some great new features in the future

I hope you can join me on this new adventure and never forget to Automate Your Life!

There are perhaps few who are as excited as I am about this change in ownership. I have long been a fan and active user of Tasker since 2012. I have written many, many articles showing off some of my Tasker creations, including dedicating an entire week to nothing but Tasker tutorials. I have worked with Mr. Dias personally on several projects, including the deAMPify app and the update to AutoNotification which brought back notification importance controls to Android 8.0 Oreo.

There are few details right now on how this transfer of ownership will affect the future of Tasker and AutoApps, but I have reached out to Mr. Dias so we can learn more. Regardless, we’re confident that the future of Tasker is bright. Ownership of the app couldn’t have gone to a more deserving person.

Tasker ($2.99, Google Play) →

AutoApps (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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