# How to call iphone connected to LAN from node-red?

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [16 March 2021 07:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698 "2021-03-16T07:38:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 16\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![janvda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/janvda/32/234_2.png) [@janvda](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/janvda)\
**Post date:** [16 March 2021 07:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/1 "2021-03-16T07:38:13Z")

</div>

Is there a free or cheap way to call an iphone (only for audio) connected to the internet from Node-Red ?  
Moreover you can assume that the iphone is connected to the same LAN as Node-RED.

So when calling the iphone the iphone user should get a notification (e.g. ring) and the ability to pick up the call. Once picked up a bidirectional audio session should be opened between the iphone and node-red.

If this means that a special app needs to be installed on the iphone then I am happy to hear which app should be used.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [16 March 2021 08:06 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/2 "2021-03-16T08:06:00Z")

</div>

> [@janvda](#):
>
> Once picked up a bidirectional audio session should be opened between the iphone and node-red.

What is it that node red is going to say when you pick up the phone? To get node red to hold an intelligent conversation is going to be tricky.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![janvda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/janvda/32/234_2.png) [@janvda](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/janvda)\
**Post date:** [16 March 2021 08:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/3 "2021-03-16T08:51:47Z")

</div>

> [@Colin](#):
>
> What is it that node red is going to say when you pick up the phone? To get node red to hold an intelligent conversation is going to be tricky.

No, the idea is not that node-red is going to hold an intelligent conversation.

FYI the complete solution:

1. node-red is running on a device having a microphone + speaker which is constantly listening for a hotword
2. once it hears the hotword, it listens for the command (e.g. "call John")
3. once it recognizes the command "call John": it calls the iphone from John
4. once John picks up the iphone: everything the microphone of the node-red device hears is routed to the iphone from John and everything John says is routed to the speaker connected to the node-red device.

So I think I can build most of it except for the part about calling the iphone and communicating the audio with the iphone I am looking for advice.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![janvda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/janvda/32/234_2.png) [@janvda](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/janvda)\
**Post date:** [16 March 2021 09:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/4 "2021-03-16T09:29:50Z")

</div>

some of the options I am considering:

- discord
- telegram
- linphone

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![krambriw](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/krambriw/32/5429_2.png) [@krambriw](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/krambriw)\
**Post date:** [16 March 2021 09:53 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/5 "2021-03-16T09:53:44Z")

</div>

Is it not easier to buy a second iPhone instead, put it where you need to put it, configure it to react on your hotword/phrase using Siri? -\> you get called on your iPhone

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![leftymuller](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/leftymuller/32/102326_2.png) [@leftymuller](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/leftymuller)\
**Post date:** [16 March 2021 11:16 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/6 "2021-03-16T11:16:19Z")

</div>

You can use the alexa node, alexa app and a an echo dot to call between devices

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![janvda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/janvda/32/234_2.png) [@janvda](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/janvda)\
**Post date:** [16 March 2021 12:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/7 "2021-03-16T12:32:31Z")

</div>

Thanks that seems a good option.

By alexa node you mean [node-red-contrib-alexa-local](https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-alexa-local) ?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![janvda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/janvda/32/234_2.png) [@janvda](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/janvda)\
**Post date:** [16 March 2021 13:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/8 "2021-03-16T13:39:36Z")

</div>

> [@leftymuller](#):
>
> You can use the alexa node, alexa app and a an echo dot to call between devices

I did some further digging and I don't think there is an alexa node-red node that allows to make these calls. So for making those calls I need :

- echo dot device or
- deploy the alexa voice service to one of my devices (e.g. [Set Up the AVS Device SDK on Raspberry Pi](https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/avs-device-sdk/raspberry-pi.html)) - I am even not sure if that is sufficient to make these calls.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [16 March 2021 20:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/9 "2021-03-16T20:58:57Z")

</div>

The "right" way would be to run a voice server of some kind, a comms server with voice capability. Maybe Teamspeak or Mumble - sorry, not sure if those have mobile versions.

Once upon a time, I would have immediately recommended Jabber. But since it became a CISCO property I'm no longer sure whether you can simply run your own server.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![janvda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/janvda/32/234_2.png) [@janvda](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/janvda)\
**Post date:** [16 March 2021 22:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/10 "2021-03-16T22:42:51Z")

</div>

> [@TotallyInformation](#):
>
> sorry, not sure if those have mobile versions.

There are apps for teamspeak and murmur but it doesn't look like they can be "called".

Telegram, Discord and Alexa app seem to support "incoming calls".

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Robmak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Robmak](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Robmak)\
**Post date:** [16 March 2021 22:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/11 "2021-03-16T22:44:39Z")

</div>

> **[node-red-contrib-unificationengine](https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-unificationengine)**
>
> UnificationEngine (UE) makes your connected products IoT Messaging-ready

would this help with perhaps a few add ons for voice recognition

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Robmak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Robmak](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Robmak)\
**Post date:** [16 March 2021 23:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/12 "2021-03-16T23:25:56Z")

</div>

sorry but i not sure i get this. why do you need to phone someone who is close enough to the pc for the microphone to hear ??  
Do you want to make a call to another phone by voice command from a pc. Or have a nr device control a phone that is calling another phone. If so then why not miss out the iphone and call directly voip to the person you want.  
To me it seems the iphone inbetween is causing the problem.. Do you have a network plan on the iphone you want to use. But with viber skype etc free calls shouldn't be a problem.  
I think i get it now. Forget the phone make. Its not important. If the nr device is connected to internet then voip is the way to go. Linked with a wake word node and flow. There is also a node called browser that uses electron browser and can automatically insert text to login to a skype or viber account and make a call

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![janvda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/janvda/32/234_2.png) [@janvda](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/janvda)\
**Post date:** [17 March 2021 09:07 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/13 "2021-03-17T09:07:03Z")

</div>

> [@Robmak](#):
>
> sorry but i not sure i get this. why do you need to phone someone who is close enough to the pc for the microphone to hear ??

The person I want to call is on the 2nd floor - a bit too far for shouting.

> [@](#):
>
> Do you want to make a call to another phone by voice command from a pc.

More or less. I have a [google voice kit](https://aiyprojects.withgoogle.com/voice/) which I want to extend with that functionality. As the voice kit is running on a raspberry pi, I can easily install other software on it.

> [@](#):
>
> To me it seems the iphone inbetween is causing the problem

The iphone is the device the person on the 2nd floor has to receive and answer the calls.

> [@](#):
>
> But with viber skype etc free calls shouldn't be a problem.

viber and skype are indeed also good suggestions. But it seems not easy to make headless calls to vibe or skype from a raspberry pi (my google voice kit).

> [@](#):
>
> If the nr device is connected to internet then **voip** is the way to go.

That is an interesting remark. I am thinking of

- setting up PBX (asterisk)
- installing a softphone app on the iphone
- use [nodered-contrib-asterisk-ari](https://flows.nodered.org/node/nodered-contrib-asterisk-ari) for making the calls (not sure if this is possible with that node and how well it works) from my raspberry pi (= google voice kit)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![janvda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/janvda/32/234_2.png) [@janvda](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/janvda)\
**Post date:** [19 March 2021 15:24 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/14 "2021-03-19T15:24:56Z")

</div>

> [@TotallyInformation](#):
>
> The "right" way would be to run a voice server of some kind, a comms server with voice capability. Maybe Teamspeak or Mumble - sorry, not sure if those have mobile versions.

I managed to setup [freepbx (asterisk)](https://www.freepbx.org/) and was able to set-up a voice call between [Zoipher](https://www.zoiper.com/en) (installed on my macbook) and [linphone](https://www.linphone.org/) installed on my iphone.

The current issue is that the standard installation of freepbx doesn't support "**iOS push notifications (CallKit)**".  
This means that my iphone will only receive incoming calls if the linphone app is running (in the foreground). In other words freepbx must be extended to support "iOS push notifications" in order to assure that you can receive incoming calls while linphone app is not running.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![notSure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/43a26b/32.png) [@notSure](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/notSure)\
**Post date:** [20 March 2021 16:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/15 "2021-03-20T16:22:28Z")

</div>

I would also encourage you to look at Nextcloud Talk.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [19 May 2021 16:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-call-iphone-connected-to-lan-from-node-red/42698/16 "2021-05-19T16:22:38Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.