Can somebody tell me why none of this works?
- Thread starter Wjbell1
- Start date
Endercraft
Moderator (& bug finder :D)
Probably RCS breaking it. Try notification trigger instead.
Qarboz
Well-known member
Try to receive an SMS with the phone unlocked and MacroDroid in the foreground, to exclude that it is the operating system that kills MacroDroid
Thank you for the reply. I will look into notification triggers. What is RCS?
My phone is always unlocked with the screen on. The operating system isn't killing macrodroid because where I'm testing it macrodroid is still running in the status bar.
Endercraft
Moderator (& bug finder :D)
RCS is some messaging protocol that can't be detected by apps. You can search it online.
Okay, you're a genius and a scholar! I got it working, sort of. Now here's some weird stuff. To test this I have the text now app. That's a separate app that runs with its own phone number that gives your phone a second number. So when I go into the text now app and text my real phone number to test this script the text now app sends a text to my real phone number and that activates the macrodroid script. The macro Droid script is supposed to bounce back my location to the text now number. Instead, it sends my location to my real phone number. So the script is working within my own phone. When I tell my friend to text my phone with the same code he gets nothing bounced back to him but I get the location bounce back to my phone. Very strange.
Also, I started off with the notification trigger but I was working with two scripts and I was bouncing back and forth between the two and I started doing modifications to this one which doesn't have them notification trigger but the regular SMS trigger and it started working. Bizarre. Sorry for all the confusion but attached is the script that I'm explaining here and is working kind of sort of. Can you help me figure out why this isn't bouncing back to the person or the phone number that sent the SMS location request?
Endercraft
Moderator (& bug finder :D)
Depending on the phones you may receive the SMS as true SMS because either the sender or receiver doesn't support RCS.
Looking at your macro, first off you left a phone number in there, I assume that's yours because from what you're describing it doesn't update.
If you are using the notification trigger {sms_number} won't work. However if it doesn't update when receiving a true SMS, that's weird... Make sure all the permissions related to SMS and phone calls are enabled.
Also check both the troubleshooting section of the app and the system log (green tile on home screen).
Looking at your macro, first off you left a phone number in there, I assume that's yours because from what you're describing it doesn't update.
If you are using the notification trigger {sms_number} won't work. However if it doesn't update when receiving a true SMS, that's weird... Make sure all the permissions related to SMS and phone calls are enabled.
Also check both the troubleshooting section of the app and the system log (green tile on home screen).
Thank you! I looked at the macro again a few times. Under what section did I leave a phone number in there? I cannot find it.
Okay I rewrote the whole macro exactly the same as the first one just changed the name. I didn't answer any specific phone numbers into it this time, I didn't think I did the first time. Saved it as a new macro. Disabled the old one you commented on. And we tested. It does the same exact thing sending the link to my location to my actual phone text instead of two the text of the alternate phone number that I sent it from. It is not using notification as a trigger it's using the regular receiving of an SMS message. Can you take a look at the new macro I created and see if you see any numbers in there or what could be wrong with this? I'm coming to The forum to ask advanced users instead of going through pages and pages of FAQs and help topics. I'm really trying to just get this working so my friends can find me in case of an emergency. I've learned perl in depth back in the day through a lot of late nights and smash keyboards jk... Not trying to be a master at this just need to get this working. Thank you and I hope you continue to help. Attached is the new file written from scratch.
Endercraft
Moderator (& bug finder :D)
Well that's weird, I don't see the problem. The phone number is saved within a local variable.
It would be easier to remove the variable and use the SMS number directly in the send sms action.
Try the attached macro.
It would be easier to remove the variable and use the SMS number directly in the send sms action.
Try the attached macro.
Thanks a lot for helping me with this. I renamed my macro then downloaded yours and it has the same exact result. When I text my real phone number from my secondary number instead of texting back my phone's location to the secondary number from which I sent the text, I get a text to the phone I'm trying to track with its location. I know testing it this way works because I had a working script before. Bizarre.
Well it was working doing the same things that I'm doing now. So I guess I have to chalk it up for macrodroid is just unreliable in some areas as a scripting platform. I guess ever since I have used it, it has given me sketchy results. I guess when using macrodroid I'll just stick with the cute stuff, like telling me what time it is when I shake the phone 
Endercraft
Moderator (& bug finder :D)
To be honest that's probably some bug either device specific or something else because I don't remember encountering this issue.
Just tried this out, I'm not having the issue that you have but I definitely encountered a bug because it asks me for permission that I already have.
OK it's weirder than that but I'll just make a bug report.
Just tried this out, I'm not having the issue that you have but I definitely encountered a bug because it asks me for permission that I already have.
OK it's weirder than that but I'll just make a bug report.
Okay thank you for responding also. I gave it a try and downloaded and installed The Listener plugin. But I'm not sure how to make it work. Do I have to text a certain keyword for it to balance a text back showing my location? Or do I just send a text to my phone from any other phone with any text at all and will it bounce back my location to the phone I sent the text from? In other words will it send my location back to anyone who sends me any text at all? I just sent a text to myself saying test and nothing at all happened except for that I got the text message that said test.
Endercraft
Moderator (& bug finder :D)
You may use the notification reply action to skip the notification listener plugin entirely.
Also to test this I'm using the text now app that provides you with a different phone number and it has its own built-in text messaging software. As for the text messaging software that I use locally on my phone I use Google messages not the messaging app that came on my phone. When I switch back to the messaging app that came on my phone and I tried to send my self a text message it says I'm not allowed to enter myself as a recipient. With Google messages it doesn't give me that error so I can send myself a text message. So I guess I need something that works no matter what anybody sends me a text message with. Whether it's an app that has its own text messaging software, an apple platform, etc
Okay to cut out all the confusion I had a friend text message me with the word find. I got the text message that said find from him but I also got three separate links to my location in MY text from him. He got nothing in response to his message to me with the word find.