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KNOOP edited this page Aug 27, 2026 · 5 revisions

Voice Messages & Calls

Ava turns multiple devices into a simple voice network inside your home. Send a quick voice message to another room, keep messages on a message board, start a live voice or video call between Ava devices on the same local network, or drive all of this from Home Assistant automations.

0.6.0 added a local self-view during video calls, bringing calling, answering, remote video, self-view, mute and camera switching together into a complete visual loop. 0.7.3 added a real-time video enhancement pipeline for calls and a device search function for finding the right Ava to call.

Overview

Features:

  • Voice Messages — Record and send short messages to one or more Ava devices
  • Message Board — Keep received messages on screen and replay them later
  • Live Calls — Room-to-room voice conversation over LAN
  • Video Calls — Optional video during live calls (quality configurable in settings)
  • Home Assistant — voice_action service for automations; diagnostic entities for monitoring
  • Local Network First — Designed for LAN use, without a cloud account or external relay

How It Works

Ava uses NSD (Network Service Discovery) to find other Ava devices on the same LAN. Voice data is transmitted directly between devices using a custom protocol with Opus codec compression. Video during calls uses chunked JPEG over a separate LAN port.

┌──────────────┐                    ┌──────────────┐
│  Ava Device A │  ── LAN ──>  │  Ava Device B │
│  (Kitchen)    │  Voice/Video  │  (Living Room) │
└──────────────┘                    └──────────────┘

Each device advertises a sender display name (configurable). Other devices see that name in the nearby list and in incoming message/call UI.

Setup

Enable sending

  1. Go to Settings → Interaction → Voice Messages & Calls
  2. Turn on Enable send shortcut (shows the voice button in the sidebar)
  3. Set Sender display name (shown on other devices; leave blank to use the device name)

Enable receiving

  1. Turn on Receive voice messages
  2. Choose Display after receipt — dismiss after playback, or keep on message board
  3. For calls: configure Answer incoming calls (manual answer vs auto-connect) and Incoming call ringtone

Expose to Home Assistant

  1. Turn on Expose to Home Assistant (same settings page)
  2. Reload the ESPHome integration in Home Assistant after Ava updates
  3. The initiating Ava device must be the ESPHome node you call voice_action on

Voice Messages

Sending from the app

  1. Open the Voice overlay (sidebar button)
  2. Select one or more target devices from the nearby list
  3. Switch to Message mode if needed
  4. Press and hold the large button to record
  5. Release to send

Receive modes

Mode Description
Dismiss after playback Play once and close automatically
Keep on message board Stay visible until dismissed; replay available

Message delivery delay

Set Delivery delay (minutes) before the receiver gets the voice message. 0 means immediate.

Configured in the app or via the HA entity number.<device>_voice_message_delay_minutes (0–1440).

Use case: Leave a delayed reminder for a child's room — the message stays available for replay.

Voice Calls

Starting a call from the app

  1. Open the Voice overlay
  2. Switch to Call mode
  3. Select target device(s)
  4. Press and hold to talk live; release to listen (push-to-talk)

Video calls

During a live call, tap Video to enable camera sharing. Video quality is set under Settings → Interaction → Video call quality (Smooth / HD / Ultra HD).

When started from Home Assistant with mode: video_call, video is enabled automatically after the call connects.

Local Self-View (0.6.0)

Video calls now include your own live preview, so you can see exactly what the other device sees before you speak:

  • The other participant stays full-screen.
  • A responsive inset shows your own live framing and which camera is active.
  • The front camera is mirrored only in your local preview — the video sent to the other participant keeps its natural orientation.
  • Switching to the rear camera removes the mirror automatically.
  • The camera-flip control sits outside the preview so it never covers the image or conflict with touch.
  • The layout adapts across portrait, landscape, and unusual DPI configurations.

Calling, answering, remote video, self-view, mute, video control and camera switching now form a more complete visual calling loop in Ava.

Incoming calls

When someone calls your device:

  • A ringtone plays if Answer incoming calls is enabled
  • Tap Answer to connect or Decline to reject
  • If Answer incoming calls is off, calls connect automatically
  • After about 1 minute with no answer, the caller is notified the device is unavailable

Call status

Status Description
Ringing Calling the other device
Connected Live voice channel active
No answer The other device did not answer in time
Declined The other device declined
Call ended The other party hung up

Video Call Enhancement (0.7.3)

Video calls on older Android tablets often look washed out — low-quality front cameras, cheap sensors, and uncalibrated displays combine to produce flat, dull video. Ava 0.7.3 applies a real-time enhancement pipeline to both the local self-view and the outgoing video stream.

The pipeline runs entirely on-device with two stages:

  1. Color polish — Saturation and contrast are gently boosted to compensate for flat camera output, with a small brightness lift to improve visibility in dim rooms
  2. Soft sharpening — A light unsharp mask restores edge detail that cheap camera sensors tend to blur

The enhancement is tuned to look natural, not over-processed. It is specifically designed for the low-resolution, low-framerate video that legacy front cameras produce — the kind of 480p-at-8fps stream typical of wall-mounted tablets and Echo Show devices.

The pipeline only processes common pixel formats and caps the working resolution to keep CPU usage low on older hardware. It does not alter snapshots, camera-based automations, or the screensaver camera view.

Call Audio Quality

Voice call audio uses Opus codec compression with a deliberate noise-suppression stage:

  • Opus codec — wideband speech codec, same family used by VoIP and video conferencing
  • Delayed noise suppression — a ~300 ms PCM buffer feeds mild RNNoise-style suppression before encode, trading a small latency increase for cleaner call audio on noisy devices
  • Ringback tone — when you place an outbound call, a quiet ringback tone loops on your side until the peer answers or the call times out (60 s), so you know the call is still connecting

Most kiosk apps that add intercom features use raw PCM or AMR with no noise processing — background noise from a kitchen or hallway goes straight through. Ava's delayed noise suppression is the same approach used by desktop VoIP clients, adapted for Android.

Device Search (0.7.3)

With several Ava devices in a home, finding the right one to call can be tedious. 0.7.3 adds a device search function to the call screen — type a name or room and the matching devices appear instantly.

  • Searches device name, room label, and custom display name
  • Works for both voice messages and live calls
  • Results update as you type

Video Call Quality Presets (0.7.3)

Video calls now offer three quality presets, tuned for different device and network conditions:

Preset Resolution FPS Best For
Smooth 480p 8 fps Default; works on any device including 1GB RAM tablets
HD 640p 10 fps Good LAN; clearer video on modern devices
Ultra HD 720p 12 fps Best LAN; maximum quality when both devices have good hardware

The preset applies the next time you turn on video during a call — it does not interrupt an active call. The video enhancement pipeline (color polish + soft sharpening) runs on all three presets.

Path: Settings → Interaction → Voice Messages & Calls → Video call quality

Settings reference

Settings → Interaction → Voice Messages & Calls

Setting Description Default
Enable send shortcut Show voice button in sidebar Off
Receive voice messages Accept messages from other Ava devices Off
Display after receipt Auto-dismiss or message board Dismiss after playback
Sender display name Name shown to recipients Device name
Delivery delay Minutes before delivery (0 = immediate) 0
Answer incoming calls Require tap to answer calls Off
Incoming call ringtone Ringtone for incoming calls Default
Video call quality Resolution/FPS for video calls Smooth (480p)
Expose to Home Assistant Expose entities and voice_action service Off

Home Assistant integration

Prerequisites

Requirement Why
Ava connected via ESPHome integration Services and entities are exposed through ESPHome protocol
Enable send shortcut on the initiating device HA calls open the sender UI on that device
Expose to Home Assistant on the initiating device Registers voice_action and related entities
Target devices on the same LAN with Receive voice messages on Discovery and delivery
Reload ESPHome after Ava updates Picks up new service schema

Service name

esphome.<initiator_node_name>_voice_action

Example: if your kitchen tablet's ESPHome node is kitchen:

esphome.kitchen_voice_action

Find the exact name under Developer tools → Services (search voice_action).

Important: The service runs on the initiating Ava device — the one that shows the sender overlay and places the call. targets are the other Ava devices to reach.

Exposed entities

When Expose to Home Assistant is enabled:

Entity Object ID Purpose
Voice Messages voice_message_display Switch — show/hide the sender overlay
Voice message delay voice_message_delay_minutes Number — delivery delay (0–1440 min)
Nearby devices voice_target Diagnostic, view only — lists discovered LAN devices
(service) voice_action Start calls/messages, hang up, redial

Entity IDs follow the pattern select.<node>_voice_target, switch.<node>_voice_message_display, etc.

Nearby devices entity (view only)

The Nearby devices select entity shows which Ava devices are currently visible on the LAN. Use it to check device names when writing automations.

Behavior Detail
Updates automatically Reflects live LAN discovery
Not a call target Changing the select in HA has no effect on voice_action
State display One device shows its name; multiple devices show a comma-separated list
Write ignored The entity is diagnostic — always set targets in your automation

voice_action service reference

Parameters (3 fields only):

Parameter Required Description
action Yes start | hang_up | redial
mode No Only for start. Default: call
targets No String array of device names. Omit to reach all nearby devices

action values:

Value Aliases Effect
start — Begin a voice session (opens sender UI on initiating device)
hang_up hangup End the current HA-initiated session
redial redial_call Repeat the last start (same mode and targets)

mode values (only when action: start):

Value Aliases Effect
call — Live voice call (default)
video_call video Live call; video enabled automatically after connect
message intercom Voice message; auto-records ~10 seconds on initiating device

targets resolution:

Input Result
targets: [bedroom] Call/message bedroom only
targets: [bedroom, hallway] Multiple devices (simultaneous)
targets omitted or empty All currently discovered nearby devices
Name matching Exact name or ID match first; partial name match as fallback

Not in service parameters (use app / entities instead):

Setting Where
Message record length Fixed ~10 s for HA-initiated messages
Delivery delay App Delivery delay or number.<node>_voice_message_delay_minutes

What happens on the initiating device

When Home Assistant calls voice_action with action: start:

  1. Ava ensures voice send/receive is enabled and refreshes LAN discovery (~2 s if list was empty)
  2. The sender overlay opens on the initiating device (not headless)
  3. Targets from targets are pre-selected; mode is applied automatically
  4. Call / video_call: Push-to-talk UI; user holds button to speak
  5. Message: Recording starts automatically (~10 s), then sends with configured delivery delay
  6. video_call: Video turns on automatically after the callee answers
  7. Closing the overlay or calling hang_up tears down the session on both sides

Only one HA voice session per initiating device at a time.

Home Assistant automations

Create an automation (UI)

  1. Settings → Automations & scenes → Create automation
  2. Add a trigger (button, motion, time, etc.)
  3. Add action Call service
  4. Service: esphome.<your_node>_voice_action
  5. Service data (switch to YAML mode if needed):
action: start
mode: call
targets:
  - bedroom
  1. Save and enable

Basic examples

Single-device voice call

alias: Call bedroom
triggers:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: input_button.call_bedroom
    to: pressed
actions:
  - service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
    data:
      action: start
      mode: call
      targets:
        - bedroom
mode: single

Multi-target call (several rooms)

alias: Announce dinner
triggers:
  - platform: time
    at: "18:30:00"
actions:
  - service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
    data:
      action: start
      mode: call
      targets:
        - living_room
        - bedroom
        - hallway
mode: single

Broadcast to all nearby devices

Omit targets to reach every Ava device currently visible on the LAN from the initiating device:

alias: Nearby broadcast
triggers:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: input_button.broadcast_nearby
    to: pressed
actions:
  - service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
    data:
      action: start
      mode: call
      # no targets → all discovered nearby devices
mode: single

Leave a voice message

alias: Door motion message
triggers:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.front_door_motion
    to: "on"
actions:
  - service: esphome.hallway_voice_action
    data:
      action: start
      mode: message
      targets:
        - bedroom
mode: single

Video call

actions:
  - service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
    data:
      action: start
      mode: video_call
      targets:
        - front_door

Hang up

actions:
  - service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
    data:
      action: hang_up

No mode or targets needed.

Redial last session

actions:
  - service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
    data:
      action: redial

Repeats the previous start call (mode + targets). Fails silently if no prior session or targets are offline.

Complex automation patterns

1. Doorbell → video call → auto hang-up

Ring the door panel, give time to talk, then end the call:

alias: Doorbell video intercom
triggers:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.doorbell
    to: "on"
actions:
  - service: esphome.hallway_voice_action
    data:
      action: start
      mode: video_call
      targets:
        - door_panel
  - delay:
      minutes: 3
  - service: esphome.hallway_voice_action
    data:
      action: hang_up
mode: single

2. Motion → message only if someone is home

alias: Away motion alert message
triggers:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.garage_motion
    to: "on"
conditions:
  - condition: state
    entity_id: person.family
    state: home
actions:
  - service: esphome.garage_voice_action
    data:
      action: start
      mode: message
      targets:
        - kitchen
        - bedroom
mode: single

3. Different targets by time of day

alias: Night call vs day message
triggers:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: input_button.help_button
    to: pressed
actions:
  - choose:
      - conditions:
          - condition: time
            after: "22:00:00"
            before: "07:00:00"
        sequence:
          - service: esphome.bedroom_voice_action
            data:
              action: start
              mode: message
              targets:
                - parents_room
      - conditions: []
        sequence:
          - service: esphome.bedroom_voice_action
            data:
              action: start
              mode: call
              targets:
                - parents_room
mode: single

4. Escalation: message first, then call if still occupied

alias: Bathroom occupancy escalation
triggers:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.bathroom_occupied
    to: "on"
    for:
      minutes: 15
actions:
  - service: esphome.bathroom_voice_action
    data:
      action: start
      mode: message
      targets:
        - hallway
  - delay:
      minutes: 2
  - condition: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.bathroom_occupied
    state: "on"
  - service: esphome.bathroom_voice_action
    data:
      action: start
      mode: call
      targets:
        - hallway
mode: single

5. Script with parameters (reusable caller)

Define a script once, pass target and mode from any automation:

# scripts/ava_voice_notify.yaml
ava_voice_notify:
  alias: Ava voice notify
  fields:
    targets:
      description: Device name or list of names
      example: bedroom
    mode:
      description: call | video_call | message
      default: message
  sequence:
    - service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
      data:
        action: start
        mode: "{{ mode }}"
        targets: "{{ targets if targets is iterable and targets is not string else [targets] }}"

Call from an automation:

actions:
  - service: script.ava_voice_notify
    data:
      targets:
        - bedroom
        - kids_room
      mode: message

6. Dashboard button row: call / hang up / redial

Use three input_button helpers:

# automation: call
triggers:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: input_button.voice_call_bedroom
    to: pressed
actions:
  - service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
    data:
      action: start
      mode: call
      targets: [bedroom]

---
# automation: hang up
triggers:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: input_button.voice_hang_up
    to: pressed
actions:
  - service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
    data:
      action: hang_up

---
# automation: redial
triggers:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: input_button.voice_redial
    to: pressed
actions:
  - service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
    data:
      action: redial

7. Show overlay, then start call from same device

Useful when you want the UI visible before the automation fires:

actions:
  - service: switch.turn_on
    target:
      entity_id: switch.kitchen_voice_message_display
  - delay:
      seconds: 1
  - service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
    data:
      action: start
      mode: call
      targets:
        - living_room

8. Set delay remotely, then send delayed message

actions:
  - service: number.set_value
    target:
      entity_id: number.kitchen_voice_message_delay_minutes
    data:
      value: 30
  - service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
    data:
      action: start
      mode: message
      targets:
        - kids_room
  # Optional: reset delay afterward
  - delay:
      seconds: 5
  - service: number.set_value
    target:
      entity_id: number.kitchen_voice_message_delay_minutes
    data:
      value: 0

9. Guard: only call if targets are visible

Check the diagnostic entity state contains the target name (optional safety):

conditions:
  - condition: template
    value_template: >
      {{ 'bedroom' in states('select.kitchen_voice_target') }}
actions:
  - service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
    data:
      action: start
      mode: call
      targets:
        - bedroom

This is optional. voice_action already skips unresolved names; the condition avoids opening the sender UI when nobody is nearby.

10. Parallel rooms from multiple initiators

Each Ava device has its own voice_action service. Automations can run in parallel on different nodes:

# Kitchen calls living room
- service: esphome.kitchen_voice_action
  data:
    action: start
    mode: call
    targets: [living_room]

# Bedroom calls hallway (independent session)
- service: esphome.bedroom_voice_action
  data:
    action: start
    mode: call
    targets: [hallway]

Each initiating device manages its own session and overlay.

Legacy overlay control

These entities still work alongside voice_action:

# Show sender overlay
service: switch.turn_on
target:
  entity_id: switch.your_device_voice_message_display

# Hide sender overlay
service: switch.turn_off
target:
  entity_id: switch.your_device_voice_message_display

# Set message delivery delay (minutes)
service: number.set_value
target:
  entity_id: number.your_device_voice_message_delay_minutes
data:
  value: 5

Home use cases

Scenario Approach
Kitchen → living room Sidebar message or mode: message automation
Dinner announcement targets: [room1, room2, …] or omit for broadcast
Doorbell intercom mode: video_call + optional hang_up delay
Delayed child reminder Set voice_message_delay_minutes, then mode: message
Bedroom → hallway panel mode: call from initiating room's voice_action
Missed call retry Dashboard redial button (action: redial)

FAQ

Cannot find nearby Ava devices?

  1. Ensure all devices are on the same LAN
  2. Check firewall settings (voice uses UDP ports 19848–19850)
  3. Ensure Receive voice messages is enabled on target devices
  4. Check Nearby devices entity in HA for live names
  5. Restart the voice satellite service on both devices if needed

Voice message not received?

  1. Check Receive voice messages on the target device
  2. Check network connectivity
  3. Microphone may be busy (voice assistant active on sender)

Voice call doesn't connect?

  1. Both devices must be on the same LAN
  2. Callee may require manual answer (Answer incoming calls enabled)
  3. No answer within ~1 minute ends the ring

voice_action does nothing?

  1. Confirm Expose to Home Assistant is on
  2. Reload ESPHome integration
  3. Use Nearby devices to verify target names
  4. Initiating device must have Enable send shortcut on
  5. Check HA logs and Ava logcat (AvaVoiceHa)

Does the Nearby devices select set my call target?

No. It is diagnostic only. Always set targets in your automation (or omit targets to broadcast to all nearby).

Can I run headless without the sender UI?

No. HA-initiated sessions always open the sender overlay on the initiating device so you can speak or confirm the message.

Microphone busy error?

The voice assistant is active. Finish that session first. The microphone cannot be shared between the voice assistant and voice messages/calls simultaneously.

HA schema still shows old parameters?

Reload the ESPHome integration. Current voice_action exposes only action, mode, and targets.

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