Back when I had a land line phone there was a device you could plug your phone into to turn on a light when the phone rings. Very useful when asleep!
Now I only have a cell phone so I’ve been looking for something that will turn on a lamp for me when my cell phone rings. Something like a sound activated lamp or light bulb may work.
Anyone have any Ideas as what I could use to wake me at night when my phone rings?
I checked and there are a few recipes on If This Then That (IFTTT) for blinking connected LEDs like the Philips Hue when your cell rings. I have no experience with any of this stuff so I can’t offer much more help than that. I’m not someone who believes in lights and toasters and what not needing to be connected to the internet but some people seem to like it…
And here’s something with SmartThings (I think that’s Samsung):
I found this interesting, so did some quick searches.
Apparently both iphones and Android phones have a setting to flash a light when a call comes in.
iphone:
This is from April of this year, on Apple support:
Android:
I don’t own a cell phone, so I was more interested in the landline gizmo, found it on Amazon! Thank you for posting, as I never gave it a thought!
Check you phone, mine has special setting called “Accessibility” and it’s section on hearing has a number of helps (flash for incoming calls, messages, notifications")
the flash on the camera flashes. Helpful when in a place you don’t want ringer or at home when you might nor hear it, Jusr remember to leave it flash side up.
I don’t have internet except on my cell phone. I don’t care for things to be connected to the internet. It is an Android phone with with android 9 on it. Thanks for your suggestion!
I tried the flash when ringing with the phone in the charge cradle and the led pointed right at me. An amber alert went off last night which didn’t wake me.
I wake easy with a table lamp next to my bed. That is what I had when I had a land line. For this device to work your land line phone plugs into and the lamp plugs into the bottom. Then the device plugs into a power outlet.
Thanks for your suggestion!
OFF TOPIC!
You are really a rare specimen. Almost the last personal landline phone in existence! If it still has a rotary dial - near extinction.
Ahahaaa, not not really. Many of my friends also have no cell phones. They are expensive, and then there is the monthly fee. We have plenty of other ways to spend our money. Cell phone is really not a necessity.
My phone is a mobile, and part of an answering system unit. I don’t use voice mail. Never saw a need, it is SO time consuming! First you have to dial a 10 digit number, then put in a pin, then press this or that to get to your messages. I hit one button have my messages, and have moved on to other things, while you are still trying to get in to it. Nah, waste of time, got so many other things to do. Not got time for that nonsense.
I do keep an old rotary analog phone in a drawer, so as to have phone service in a power failure. I do get it out and hook it up, but not used it in years.
You’re welcome!
I got my landline / lamp device years ago from radio shack. It worked like a charm. At the time my job required me to be on 24 hour call.
An old device which are still being made called the clapper so one could clap their hands to turn or off a light may work.
I have read some of the reviews where they say that the clap sound has to be loud for it to work.
They are pretty cheap so I may order one to test.
Interesting, I have a setting on my phone that does not allow interruptions while I’m sleeping. No thanks!
Yeah, I have that setting as well. I want to use a device for a phone call to wake me as my mom is in the hospital. So far she’s been in there almost a month.
If she makes it out of the hospital she will go to rehabilitation for 21 to 100 days.
I can see your point though. I used to fuss when work calls at 3am.
I’d consider a Mi Band. It’s a simple fitness tracker that you wear on your wrist. You can install companion apps that- amongst other things- can get it to vibrate on events that you set. So, phone rings and band vibrates. This will widen the scope of the solution from just when you’re in your bedroom to when you’re in Bluetooth range of your phone. Got the tv up loud and the phone’s in the kitchen? You’ll still get notification.
Disclosure: I’ve got one sitting in a drawer that’s a few versions old but definitely has that functionality. I assume the current version still does, but maybe check first.
There are some products on harriscomm.com if you search for phone signaler. Some are labeled for cell phone but they also work with landline input.
Confirmation here. I use mine, latest version (4 I think), but with that 3rd party app, Mi band notify, and it can even filter whose vibration can pass through and whose can’t. Vibration can be setup for any pattern you’d like, so you can ensure it’s annoying enough to wake you up, and you can assign different vibrations for different purposes of course. Good app. Good gadget.
Here’s 2 different approaches:
Cell phone only:
Pair cell phone to landline and add flasher/amplified ringer (can also add bed vibrator):
I looked at getting one of these VTech phones a while back, but changed my mind because of their connectivity limitation… Although theylll work with or without a landland/VoIP, the cell phone has to be with 15 feet of the base. That would mean leaving my cellphone near the base and not keeping it on or near me. Then I’d be driving down the road sometime remembering that I left my cell phone at home near the base phone. That would be not be very convenient!
Re: the clapper. If you got that, then record a ringtone of loud clapping when phone rings.
Did you ever find the flashiylamp attachment you were looking for. I am looking for the same kind of thing for my sister. She also has a land line and needs a light alert
Sorry, I never followed through on this. I just let the answer machine take calls I miss. At this point, no one really calls me, they know I can’t hear well on the phone.