Mode Switcher updated for webOS 2.0 compatibility 12

One of our favorite sleeper homebrew apps has long been Mode Switcher. The app, released back in August 2010, allowed users to set up unique “modes” that would change how their webOS phone behaved depending on the conditions encountered. Mode Switcher’s reach extended to almost every webOS preference option, allowing you to customize everything from email fetch intervals to screen brightness to even your overclocking profile.

Unfortunately, much of Mode Switcher was broken by webOS 2.0, but never fear, for developer Sconix isn’t the type to take a challenge sitting down. He set forth rewriting Mode Switcher for full webOS 2.0 compatibility, including rebuilding its core as a JavaScript service that no longer requires a patch to automatically launch on reboot. Additionally, Mode Switcher takes advantage of the Advanced System patches Sconix has also released to enable additional triggers and options, as well as integrating reboot actions from Jason Robitaille’s SysToolsMgr service. The new version, 2.1.1, is available now via Preware, WebOS Quick Install, or your other favorite homebrew app installer.

If you’re not familiar with how Mode Switcher works, here’s a quick overview. The app allows you to create several customized “modes,” which essentially are a collection of settings and apps different from your default. Examples could be setting a lower screen brightness and alert volume for nighttime, or having the phone launch your navigation app and music player when plugged in while in your car. Each mode can be manually launched, or you can set triggers to have it launch automatically depending on the conditions the phone encounters. The nighttime dim-and-quiet mode could be triggered by just the time of day, while the navigation-and-music mode could have a collection of triggers, including being plugged in (or on a Touchstone) and not connected to your home Wi-Fi network. When those conditions are satisfied, the mode triggers and the appropriate settings are automatically changed and apps are launched if set as such. Additionally, you can set a set of triggers for the mode to close and return your phone to normal.

With all the triggers and options, Mode Switcher can very much be a "set it and forget it" type app where it just continually works in the background to make your phone work for you. As always, the work done by Sconix and WebOS Internals is done free of charge and open source for the entire webOS community. If you appreciate their work, feel free to throw some donations their way (Sconix, webOS Internals).