API 29 was a wake-up call. But Tasker survived. And so will your automations.
Embrace the Document Tree. Learn to love the Tasker folder. Use intents like a poet. And when all else fails, remember the ADB hack exists.
The good news is that Tasker is still the most powerful automation app on Android. You just have to work with the new rules, not against them.
When Tasker (or any app) targets API 29, it must obey all the new privacy and security rules of Android 10. If an app still targets an older API (like 28), it can use the old, permissive file system. tasker api 29
But here's the perspective: Google is trying to protect normal users from malicious apps that steal their photos, read their bank PDFs, and encrypt their files for ransom. Tasker is collateral damage in a war against malware.
Permission denied if the destination wasn't a Tasker-owned folder. 2. The Cross-App Data Mover You used Tasker to move a downloaded PDF from Download/ into a specific app's folder (e.g., /sdcard/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Documents/ ).
Have a specific API 29 issue I didn't cover? Drop a comment below or head to the official Tasker Google Groups. João reads every post. API 29 was a wake-up call
If you’ve been a Tasker user for more than a year, you’ve probably seen the dreaded phrase pop up in forums, Reddit threads, and error logs: API 29 .
A Tasker user since 2012, owner of over 200 profiles, and survivor of the great API 29 migration of 2020.
But fear not. We are going to break down exactly what API 29 means, why it happened, how it affects Tasker, and—most importantly—how to fix your broken tasks for good. Embrace the Document Tree
Instead of saving a text file yourself, use an intent to open a "Save as" dialog via a file manager. Part 5: Specific Task Fixes (Copy-Paste Ready) Let's fix the broken examples from Part 3. Old (Broken) Backup Script: A1: Read File [/sdcard/Documents/notes.txt] A2: Write File [/sdcard/Backups/notes_backup.txt] Text:%text Fix:
The red errors in the Tasker log feel personal. They feel like Google telling you that you don't own your phone.
So why did this become a Tasker nightmare? Because . João Dias (Tasker’s developer) had no choice. He had to update Tasker to target Android 10, and with that came Scoped Storage . Part 2: The Villain – Scoped Storage Before Android 10, Tasker had free rein over your storage. It could read, write, delete, and modify any file in /sdcard/ (your internal storage). Want to delete a stray MP3 in your Music folder? Easy. Want to modify a JSON file in a game's data directory? No problem.
Empty list, or only Android/data/com.joaomgcd.tasker/ (Tasker's own folder). 4. The SD Card Sorter You had a task that moved photos from DCIM/Camera into dated subfolders on an external SD card.
Partial success at best, constant permission popups at worst. Part 4: The Good News – Tasker’s Workarounds João is a wizard. Within weeks of the API 29 requirement, he implemented several powerful workarounds. You don't have to abandon Tasker; you just have to adapt your methods . Workaround #1: The "Use Document Tree" Mode (SAF) The most important feature you need to know: Storage Access Framework (SAF) .