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Answered: Discussion Open

Getting ActionTiles to Autostart on Android Tablet

Wallace 7 years ago in Panels (dashboards) updated by justindm6 4 years ago 20

I am attempting to create a Smartthings "Wall Panel" using an Android Tablet and ActionTiles. I have downloaded Tasker, Motion Detector and AutoStart (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.autostart) But I am unable to figure out how to have my ActionTiles Panel automatically open when the tablet is turned on. It does not show as an App in AutoStart, nor have a I figured out how to call it in Tasker. Any help?

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Answered: Discussion Open

It can be done in Tasker:

  1. create a new profile
  2. name it if you want
  3. select Event
  4. select System
  5. select Device Boot
  6. click the phone's back button


That basically creates the 'Condition' (my term), and pops up the Task menu.
Then you need to add a Task (the 'Action' that will be performed when the Condition is met; in this case, when the Android device boots)...

  1. on the menu that opens immediately after clicking the back button above, select New Task
  2. name it if you want
  3. click + at bottom center
  4. select App
  5. select Launch App
  6. select the app you want to launch at boot time
  7. click the phone's back button
  8. click back button again


Done.
You should now have a profile in Tasker that causes your app of choice (in this case, the browser you're using for ActionTiles) to open automatically at boot time.

This is what I use on my Androids, and it works on all of them....so far. :-)


NOTE: As with other operating systems, such as Windows, since there is always still a bunch of stuff going on related to the machine booting up, even after you have logged in, don't expect it to pop open your app right away. It may take up to a few minutes for it to launch. However, unless something is broken, it WILL open. Just be patient.

I am using Tasker to launch the AT Android App (I don't want to use a browser), is there a way to pass a parameter to the AT app so that it will launch to a specific panel. I have a panel called "Front Door Panel" and I would love the app to load directly to it.

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How do you get it to launch in immersive mode like the homescreen shortcuts? I dont want to just fire a Url and have tabs.

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Bring up the panel in a Chrome tab, click on the 3 dot menu button in the upper right corner and select "Add to Home Screen". It puts an icon on the Home page that you can open which brings up the panel full screen.

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I got that, thanks Wallace. I am more so asking how to get Tasker to launch it this way so I can remap my home key

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Since they already mentioned the idea of the homescreen shortcuts, I think @ChrisP is wanting to have it automatically open full screen like that when it runs at boot time (i.e. if using the method I posted just above).

For that, I'd recommend using Fully Kiosk Browser.

I usually prefer Chrome, but in the case of using ActionTiles on Android tablets, and wanting it too just come up and be ready-to-go after it boots, and not have to fiddle around with it, Fully Kiosk Browser is the one for me (it also has a lot of other great functionality).

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Cool. I will check it out. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

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by any chance, do you have a IP camera linked?

it works for me in the PC Chrome but not on my tablet using Kiosk Fully

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Second vote for Fully, It is what I use. I am running it on a couple Kindle Fire's that I have customized. This is what the tablet goes to when it starts up.



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Fully Kiosk Browser seems like the way to go for the issues listed above. 

However i cant get it to load a particular spotify playlist and playit. In chrome i could get an action tile with a URL link to load the playlist and bring it up in the spotify app. Does anyone know how to do this with Fully Kiosk i.e have the app open spotify

Have you paged through all of the Fully settings, Neil?


Fully runs on top on Android Webview (which uses the Chrome libraries), so I would assume it can open App intents.

  • Fully has lots of settings options, including stuff related to opening popups and perhaps external Apps. I hope that turns out to be the simple answer.
  • Otherwise; Fully support is very helpful.

Hi Terry. I just  finished an email exchange with Fully and they were very helpful. Unfortunately Fully

doesn't provide possibility to assign a specific URL to some app like Chrome does.

With that said is there something missing from my URL that is causing this problem:

https://open.spotify.com/station/user/neil_kaye/cluster/0kbYTNQb4Pb1rPbbaF0pT4

When it open the web page it just a generic spotify webpage and not the URL playlist specific webpage that the URL above should point to.

Do you know of any other kiosk apps that people have had better luck with loading playlist?

Thanks for checking with Fully's support. I have not heard that conclusion from any other customer however. There's got to be some technical complications under-the-covers that I don't understand.


It seems to me, though, that the specific example you give (i.e., a fully qualified URL that clearly references a particular endpoint) should not have compatibility issues across browsers. Did you discuss this exact example with Fully, including demonstrating that it works in Chrome on the same tablet? Fully utilizes Android Webview which is built upon the Chrome engine; so in most cases it should function identically. They might at least be able to give a more detailed explanation at to the failure of your specific example.


For that same reason, any other "kiosk browser" is likely to exhibit the same problem. We don't have a recommendation for any other particular kiosk browser, since, with few exceptions, Fully has exceeded expectations.


Other viewers of this Topic, however, may have some suggestions... I hope.

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Terry this is the answer i got from Fully:

"sorry no idea how to fix it. Fully doesn't provide possibility to assign a specific URL to some app like Chrome does. Fully opens all web contents by itself. Only other contents can be redirected to other apps."


ChrisP suggestions sound like a good way to go if i can or some here can let me know how to configure Tasker so that is launches Spotify app when the URL posted above runs etc


I will also try installing the Spotify web player plugin into chrome tonight... (only thought of that now) and see if that helps

Fully doesn't provide possibility to assign a specific URL to some app like Chrome does. Fully opens all web contents by itself.

This is good specific information. I wonder if there is any "simple" practical way around this for us or the developer, but it's has some inherent complications.

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I use Tasker + Autoshortcut to launch anything I want from AT in Fully

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thanks Chris this look like a way to go. Would you mind describing (noob here) how this might work as i am very new to both android OS and AT... very excited about getting this all to work though

as and aside does anyone know what teh commands sequence is to have tasker launch chrome in full screen mode?

I have an older Nook.  I installed Tasker and AutoStart.  Neither seem to be working for me. When I reboot the tablet, it just goes to desktop.  I am using LauncherPro as my launcher.  Any suggestions?  I want Firefox to launch in fullscreen mode into ActionTiles evertime the tablet restarts