Recently I’ve been running a lot and when running I use Endomondo to track my time/distance details. However, it’s kind of a pain to grab my phone, unlock it, and then hit the pause/stop button at the end of an exhausting run. I seem to just end up adding 15 seconds to my overall time as I fidget with my phone.
Yeah, I know, first world problem.
I also play a lot of disc golf. I use Easy Score Card pro to track our scores on each hole. The course we mostly play is 19 holes long so I am unlocking the phone 19 times during the round while walking on less than smooth terrain. It’s a bit of a pain.
Yep, another first world problem.
Anyway, I decided to make my life easier by creating a simple Tasker Profile that will turn off my screen lock when either of those two applications are running. I call it “Screen Lock Off” and here is how I created it.
NOTE: you have to have the secure settings helper installed to get this to work.
- In Tasker, first thing to do is create a “Task” callled “Turn off Lockscreen”
- Add action -> Select “PLUGIN”
- Select “Secure Settings”
- A fairly unhelpful screen appears. Click “Edit” in the configuration box.
- Scroll down to Password/Pin and select it
- Select “Enter Password once before unlocking”
- Make sure the “Enabled/Disabled” button says “Disabled”
- Touch the “diskette” icon to save the configuration
- You’re now back at the unhelpful screen but it should also say “Clear Password/Wait for Unlock”
- Touch the “back arrow” to go back to the tasks screen.
Now we need to create a second task to turn the lock screen back on.
- Repeat steps 1-6 from before but name this one “Turn on Lockscreen”
- Make sure the “Enabled/Disabled” button says “Enabled”
- Pick either Pin or Password
- Enter the Pin/Password you want your lockscreen to use
- Confirm your Pin/Password
- Repeat steps 8-10 above.
Now that both tasks are created to go the Profiles tab and we’ll create the profile.
- Click the “+” to create a new profile
- Pick “Application”
- select any applications you want to fire off the “Turn off Lockscreen” task
- After you’ve selected some apps, click the back arrow in the top left of the screen
- When prompted pick the “Turn off Lockscreen” task
- The profile now exists
- Long press on the profile to put it in edit mode.
- Long press on the “Turn off lockscreen” task under the profile
- Select “Add Exit Task”
- Select the “Turn on Lockscreen” task
That’s it - you’re done.
NOTE: Each time you update your ROM you’ll have to reinstall the secure settings helper plugin .. You can do that easily from within the secure settings app that remains installed.