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Home intercom guides

Practical answers about announcements, intercoms and smart speakers at home. Written to be useful whether or not you use Holler.

Turn your iPhone Action Button into a push-to-talk house intercom

Which iPhones have the Action Button, how to point it at a push-to-talk shortcut, and how to make it useful for a whole family.

Why apps can't broadcast to HomePod and AirPlay, and what to use instead

Why no third-party app can broadcast to your HomePods or AirPlay speakers, and the honest answer on what to use instead.

Whole-house intercom options compared: wired, Alexa, Google, Apple and apps

Wired panels, Alexa, Google, Apple Intercom and phone apps side by side, with a plain recommendation for each kind of home.

Speakers not showing up in an app? Fixing guest networks, mesh Wi-Fi and VLANs

Why apps lose sight of your Chromecast, Nest and Sonos speakers, and the router settings that bring them back.

How to use your Nest and Chromecast speakers as a home intercom

Four ways to turn the Google speakers you already own into a house intercom, and which one fits your family.

How to make voice announcements on Sonos speakers from a Mac

The Sonos app has no announce button, so here are the real ways to send your voice to Sonos speakers from a Mac, and which one fits.

How to send announcements to Google speakers without saying "Hey Google"

Three ways to get a message onto your Nest speakers without shouting the wake word first.

25 everyday announcements that end yelling up the stairs

Ready-to-use announcements for dinner, school mornings, bedtime and chores, with tips on wording and timing so people actually listen.