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Text auto reply App for driving.

jungleexplorer

jungleexplorer

Android Enthusiast
We all know it is dangerous to text and drive. My problem is that I feel I am being rude if don't reply and at least let the people know I am driving and that is why I can't respond. Of course there is not always convenient place to pull off the road to do this and I don't always have the time to stop. So, what I would like is an app that sends out an auto reply for me. Of course there are many apps out that that do this, but you have to remember to turn them on a set them up before you start driving, which is not good for a person like myself who is notoriously forgetful when it comes to things like this.

So, what I would like is an app that automatically detects when I am driving based on my rate of travel. An app that I can set to auto reply if my phone is moving in excess of 10 miles per hour, just for example. Are there any apps out there like this?
 
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I in fact, have a special macro set up, it monitors all SMS for the phrase "whereareyou"

and it will reply to any incoming SMS message/phone# with the GPS coordinates of where my phone is.
 
I tried Macrodroid, but it cannot do what I want. I want an app that will send an sms to an incoming sms (or call) and tell them that I am driving , but only if my phone is moving above a certain rate of speed. Macrodroid does not provide the options to set this up. Or at least I can't find them.
 
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I had not tried it until today. I don't know where the 12.4MPH minimum was introduced as stated earlier by someone else.

This Tasker Task samples the speed every 8 seconds and announces it. This was so I could safely drive around and monitor the activity without looking at it. The slowest speed announced by this Task was 1MPH.

The task is for evaluation and is NOT the solution to the requirements(it is only used to evaluate speed) ...

tlaSpeed
A1: Variable Set [ Name:%loop To:1 Do Maths:Off Append:Off ]
A2: Display Timeout [ Secs:0 Mins:0 Hours:1 ]
<Loop>
A3: Get Location [ Source:GPS Timeout (Seconds):100 Continue Task Immediately:On Keep Tracking:On ]
A4: Wait [ MS:0 Seconds:8 Minutes:0 Hours:0 Days:0 ]
A5: Variable Set [ Name:%speed To:round(%LOCSPD*2.2369362) Do Maths:On Append:Off ]
A6: Say [ Text:%speed Engine:Voice:default:default Stream:3 Pitch:5 Speed:5 Respect Audio Focus:On Network:Off Continue Task Immediately:Off ]
A7: Flash [ Text:%loop - %speed Long:On ]
A8: Variable Add [ Name:%loop Value:1 Wrap Around:0 ]
A9: Goto [ Type:Action Label Number:2 Label:Loop ] If [ %loop < 11 ]
A10: Display Timeout [ Secs:0 Mins:1 Hours:0 ]

The documentation I read says that the screen has to be on for the GPS to work. I don't know if this is true.

The original question was to monitor it while in the car and moving. There is a logic error in the rquirements. If you implement it, stop at a stop sign, and at that time an SMS comes in it will not be recognized as needing the auto response.

... Thom
 
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Thom said:
I had not tried it until today. I don't know where the 12.4MPH minimum was introduced as stated earlier by someone else.

This Tasker Task samples the speed every 8 seconds and announces it. This was so I could safely drive around and monitor the activity without looking at it. The slowest speed announced by this Task was 1MPH.

The task is for evaluation and is NOT the solution to the requirements(it is only used to evaluate speed) ...

tlaSpeed
A1: Variable Set [ Name:%loop To:1 Do Maths:Off Append:Off ]
A2: Display Timeout [ Secs:0 Mins:0 Hours:1 ]
<Loop>
A3: Get Location [ Source:GPS Timeout (Seconds):100 Continue Task Immediately:On Keep Tracking:On ]
A4: Wait [ MS:0 Seconds:8 Minutes:0 Hours:0 Days:0 ]
A5: Variable Set [ Name:%speed To:round(%LOCSPD*2.2369362) Do Maths:On Append:Off ]
A6: Say [ Text:%speed Engine:Voice:default:default Stream:3 Pitch:5 Speed:5 Respect Audio Focus:On Network:Off Continue Task Immediately:Off ]
A7: Flash [ Text:%loop - %speed Long:On ]
A8: Variable Add [ Name:%loop Value:1 Wrap Around:0 ]
A9: Goto [ Type:Action Label Number:2 Label:Loop ] If [ %loop < 11 ]
A10: Display Timeout [ Secs:0 Mins:1 Hours:0 ]

The documentation I read says that the screen has to be on for the GPS to work. I don't know if this is true.

The original question was to monitor it while in the car and moving. There is a logic error in the rquirements. If you implement it, stop at a stop sign, and at that time an SMS comes in it will not be recognized as needing the auto response.

... Thom
Click to expand...

Thom. I don't think there is a perfect solution that can handle every possible situation. In my case, 90% of my driving is straight highway driving. 90% is better then nothing. Also, there are several commands that could be used to handle the stop sign (or other traffic stops) situation. The app could be told to stay active unless movement remained below a certain speed for 5 minutes.

I am constantly amazed when I go looking for apps that seem to make common sense to me, that the app I am looking for does not exist. I mean with all the laws and concern of texting and driving, it seems that there would be an app that was designed to do this. The Tasker and Macrodroid apps, are not designed to do what I am asking for. They are apps that allow you to program them to do some automated task, which may include the task I am looking for, if I learn how to program them in and jump through a hoop on one foot while rubbing my tummy and patting my head (I am not just not interested in doing programming). I appreciate the suggestions, but I am looking for a designated app to do this.

It just seems implausible that no one has thought of this before now.
 
A few things. I'm into software development. I ALWAYS look for the weakest link. That was the subject of my previous post.

Tasker is not really programming. Learning Tasker is labor intensive and not for everyone. It is the mot complete non-programing solution for Android I have found.

For the limitation in your requirement ... basing the automatic response over a range of the last n response might be a solution.

Another issue ... GPS eats battery. The need to keep the screen on for GPS also eats battery.

Perhaps a trigger other than speed is a better solution ... plugged into charger? Blue Tooth confection? Voice control "OK phone I'm driving" "OK phone I'm not driving" to turn it on or off.

Press a button to turn it on or off.

As for the auto response ... in Tasker it is trivial ...

Profile: tlaAutoResponse
Event: Received Text [ Type:Any Sender:* Content:* ]
Enter: Anon
A1: Send SMS [ Number:%SMSRF Message:I am driving now and will get back to you when I stop. Store In Messaging App:Off ]

... and if enabled will send the response back to the sender of the original message. (If you try it don't send the original message to yourself.)

... Thom
 
hmmmm,

I did not take into consideration that you were wanting to restrict it to a minimum speed.
My problem is that I feel I am being rude if don't reply and at least let the people know I am driving and that is why I can't respond.


I think you are a bit biased as to your responsibility to respond to a SMS message.

SMS was designed for one big purpose. To allow us to send out a message, and then to sit down, and be snug about knowing that our friends got it, and WHEN they have time, they will reply to it.

ALL of my friends, and that is a bunch of folks as I am a moderator on a motorcycle forum............
all of them know, that we will ALL respond to any message, or Phone Call, AFTER we have stopped for a rest, quit driving, or we have finished up the chore we are working on out in the yard.

THEN, we sit down to a cold beverage, grab a snack, and look to see who has been talking to us....

For us, it works like a champ, and NONE of us get offended if it takes 24 hours to get a response.


My daughter and I are constantly talking back and forth, info on this or that, grocery lists, "how is mom doing?" and she knows that I will definitely respond to each and every message she sends.

But she and I will NOT text while driving a car, and I damn sure won't even look at the phone while riding my Honda Goldwing.
 
Why not just have MacroDroid reply to any and all SMS messages that you are unable to reply, that you will do so when you can.

all you need do is create the simple macro that senses any SMS macro, then when you get in your car, start the engine, enable that one macro. Job 1 done.

Then, when you reach the end of the trip, you disable the macro....
there is no harm in leaving it active during rest stops, getting gas, eating lunch....

as you will respond to only the Priority #1 messages then anyway....
they know you said you were unavailable and when they get your reply, they won't even care if the macro is still alive.... and why should they? you are going to be back in the car in 5 minutes anyway, so don't be messing with disabling the macro, and then having to remember to turn it back on.

that is what I do when I go motorcycle riding.

my message says "On the bike, later, gator"

then 12 hours later, when I check into a hotel, or go round robin and get back home, I look to see who is in the inbox....


I think you are trying to make it too hard.....
but, that is what we all do until we learn "that we are the boss" and the rest of the world can just go take a nap.

Right now, the only reason I am typing is, "I am bored out of my skull. My wife is sleeping in a hospital bed, and I am the Get up and Fix my blanket guy" when she turns over and it falls off into the floor.....

She is not long for this world, but that is another subject.
 
AZgl1500 said:
Why not just have MacroDroid reply to any and all SMS messages that you are unable to reply, that you will do so when you can.

all you need do is create the simple macro that senses any SMS macro, then when you get in your car, start the engine, enable that one macro. Job 1 done.

Then, when you reach the end of the trip, you disable the macro....
there is no harm in leaving it active during rest stops, getting gas, eating lunch....

as you will respond to only the Priority #1 messages then anyway....
they know you said you were unavailable and when they get your reply, they won't even care if the macro is still alive.... and why should they? you are going to be back in the car in 5 minutes anyway, so don't be messing with disabling the macro, and then having to remember to turn it back on.

that is what I do when I go motorcycle riding.

my message says "On the bike, later, gator"

then 12 hours later, when I check into a hotel, or go round robin and get back home, I look to see who is in the inbox....


I think you are trying to make it too hard.....
but, that is what we all do until we learn "that we are the boss" and the rest of the world can just go take a nap.

Right now, the only reason I am typing is, "I am bored out of my skull. My wife is sleeping in a hospital bed, and I am the Get up and Fix my blanket guy" when she turns over and it falls off into the floor.....

She is not long for this world, but that is another subject.
Click to expand...

Please except my heart felt concern and prayers for you and your wife. After thirty years of marriage myself, I cannot begin to image what you are going through.

I agree with what you are saying and it makes a lot of sense. I had not thought about some of those issues with speed activated auto reply.

Thanks for the help. Again, I will pray for strength for you to endure the days ahead. PM me if you feel the need to talk. Helping people going through difficult times is kind of what I do for a living.
 
FWIW in the UK in you're seen holding a phone while at the wheel, even if stationary at lights or a stop junction, the police will book you. Basically if you're at the wheel and the engine is running, you're deemed to be operating the vehicle and it's an offence. AFAIK same in EU countries as well. China, it's supposed to be illegal to operate a phone while driving or riding a motorcycle, but I don't think many care about it

So I don't think there would be much demand for a minimum speed detecting auto-responder here. So it would be, you put a Tasker macro or app to "I'm driving." and that's it. Any messages get an auto-reply, until it's turned off manually.
 
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JimSmith94 said:
I use Tasker to send an auto reply if I'm moving faster than 20 KM/HR (that's what Tasker uses). It translates to about 12.4 MPH, which is faster than I can walk or run.
Click to expand...

AZgl1500 said:
MacroDroid does not require any programming, and it is easy to set that up.

Trigger: Incoming SMS "any"
Action: Reply to incoming with message "what you want to say"

Job 1 done... easy as that.
Click to expand...
I do some other things with my profile, but if you just surround AZgl1500's task with "If %LOCSPD > 20" and "End if", that will only reply when your speed is greater than 20 KM/HR which is about 12.4 MPH.
 
AZgl1500 said:
hmmmm,

I did not take into consideration that you were wanting to restrict it to a minimum speed.
My problem is that I feel I am being rude if don't reply and at least let the people know I am driving and that is why I can't respond.


I think you are a bit biased as to your responsibility to respond to a SMS message.

SMS was designed for one big purpose. To allow us to send out a message, and then to sit down, and be snug about knowing that our friends got it, and WHEN they have time, they will reply to it.

ALL of my friends, and that is a bunch of folks as I am a moderator on a motorcycle forum............
all of them know, that we will ALL respond to any message, or Phone Call, AFTER we have stopped for a rest, quit driving, or we have finished up the chore we are working on out in the yard.

THEN, we sit down to a cold beverage, grab a snack, and look to see who has been talking to us....

For us, it works like a champ, and NONE of us get offended if it takes 24 hours to get a response.


My daughter and I are constantly talking back and forth, info on this or that, grocery lists, "how is mom doing?" and she knows that I will definitely respond to each and every message she sends.

But she and I will NOT text while driving a car, and I damn sure won't even look at the phone while riding my Honda Goldwing.
Click to expand...

^^^^ this!!!
 
Thom said:
As for the auto response ... in Tasker it is trivial ...

Profile: tlaAutoResponse
Event: Received Text [ Type:Any Sender:* Content:* ]
Enter: Anon
A1: Send SMS [ Number:%SMSRF Message:I am driving now and will get back to you when I stop. Store In Messaging App:Off ]

... and if enabled will send the response back to the sender of the original message. (If you try it don't send the original message to yourself.)

... Thom
Click to expand...

Thom - this is really helpful.

I didn't see where to enter Anon (I don't even know what that means), so I skipped that. But I did the rest and it works.

Thanks.
 
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