Hey everyone, I am Max here from Techolyze
Recently, I took on a client project where the goal was to automate some repetitive tasks inside his company’s Android app.
At first, I honestly thought it would be a piece of cake. I’ve used Puppeteer and other JavaScript automation libraries on the web before, and those made automating things super easy.
But after spending four long days researching, testing, and getting frustrated with every new tool I tried, I can say — automating tasks directly on Android, without using a PC, is way more complicated than it looks.
Let me share what I learned through this little adventure. Maybe it’ll save you some time — or at least make you smile if you’ve gone through the same pain.
Everyone Says “Use Appium”
If you start Googling or even ask any AI tool, the first suggestion you’ll get is Appium.
Now, Appium is indeed a powerful framework — it lets you automate apps, simulate user actions, and even perform complex test cases.
But here’s the problem: Appium is just designed for testing, not for native task automation on Android devices. It requires a PC connection, device drivers, and a lot of setups. So, if your goal is to run automation purely within Android, Appium won’t really help you much.
Trying “Automation Apps” from Play Store
Next, I explored different automation apps available on the Play Store — things like MacroDroid, Automate, and Tasker.
They do a decent job for basic stuff — like toggling Wi-Fi, sending scheduled messages, or launching apps automatically.
But here’s the problem:
When it comes to custom, in-app automation (like filling forms, navigating screens, or pressing specific buttons), these apps hit a wall. They lack the deep access or scripting flexibility needed for more advanced tasks.
So yeah… another dead end.
Discovering Auto.js — A Hidden Gem
After more researching, I came across something interesting: Auto.js.
It’s a scripting-based tool (originally built by Chinese developers) that allows you to automate Android using JavaScript. You can simulate touches, clicks, swipes, and more — basically write full automation scripts that act like a human user.
Sounds amazing, right?
The only issue: it’s hard to find, harder to understand, and often lacks proper documentation in English. Most resources are in Chinese, which makes experimenting with it quite challenging. Still, it’s powerful and definitely worth exploring if you’re determined.
My Current Approach — Building a Native Kotlin App
After testing countless tools, I’ve finally settled on a new approach — building a native Android app using Kotlin that leverages Accessibility Services for automation.
The Accessibility API allows apps to interact with the UI — things like detecting screen elements, performing clicks, or scrolling automatically. It’s the same mechanism some screen readers and accessibility tools use.
It’s still in progress, but so far, it looks promising. If all goes well, this could be the cleanest way to build a “pure Android” automation solution — no PC, no root, and full control.
On PC
When you have a PC, the game changes completely.
You can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) commands, integrate Appium, or even control your phone using scripting tools and emulators. You get access to the Android system in a way that’s simply not possible from within Android itself.
Without a PC, you’re limited to what Android allows apps to do — and Android doesn’t like apps that “control” other apps automatically for obvious security reasons.
Let’s Collaborate
If anyone out there has tried something similar — maybe with Auto.js, Tasker scripting, or even custom Accessibility-based automation — I’d love to hear your experiences.
I’m primarily a JavaScript developer, so diving deep into Android internals has been a learning curve. Any advice, resources, or even warnings are welcome!
Automating tasks on Android without a PC is definitely possible — but
not easy. You’ll hit restrictions, outdated libraries, and confusing
setups. Still, it’s an exciting space to explore if you enjoy solving
tough technical puzzles.
I’ll keep experimenting and share updates as I make progress.
