Your building needs a phone number. Here's the right one to give them.
When you move into a new apartment with an intercom, the building manager will ask for a phone number to register in the system. Most people give their cell. That works — but it means every delivery person, courier, and visitor calls your real number directly.
A better approach: give the building a BuzzBot number instead. BuzzBot answers intercom calls automatically, buzzes in expected deliveries, and only involves you when it needs a real decision.
What you need
- 📱An iPhone (iOS 17 or later)
- 📧A Gmail account (used to detect expected deliveries)
- 🏢Your building manager's contact info or access to the intercom portal
Step-by-step setup
Download BuzzBot
Download BuzzBot from the App Store and tap "Sign in with Apple." There's no password to create — Sign in with Apple handles everything securely.
Get your local phone number
After signing in, BuzzBot automatically provisions a local phone number in your city's area code. This is the number you'll give to your building.
Connect your Gmail
Tap "Connect Gmail" and sign in with your Google account. BuzzBot gets read-only access to scan shipping confirmation subjects. It never reads email body content or accesses non-shipping mail.
Set your active hours
Choose the time range when you want BuzzBot to intercept intercom calls. Outside of active hours, calls go directly to your real number as normal.
Give the number to your building
Contact your building manager, super, or front desk and give them your BuzzBot number. Ask them to update your unit's intercom record. If your building has an online resident portal, you can often update it yourself instantly.
Test it
Once your building confirms the update (usually 1–2 business days), test it by having someone buzz your unit from the building entrance. You should see a BuzzBot notification on your phone rather than a regular incoming call.
What happens after setup
Once your building has your BuzzBot number on file, every intercom call goes through BuzzBot instead of ringing your phone directly. Here's what the experience looks like:
BuzzBot detects a shipping confirmation in Gmail and buzzes the carrier in automatically. You get a notification: "UPS delivery — buzzed in."
BuzzBot asks for a name. If it matches your household, they're buzzed in. If not, you get a lock screen notification with Buzz In and Deny buttons.
If nothing resolves in 28 seconds, the call forwards to your real phone. You get a normal incoming call for anything that truly needs you.
Common questions
What if my building won't update the number?
Some older buildings are slow to update records. If the management company is unresponsive, check if your building has a self-service intercom panel — many modern Butterfly MX, Latch, and ButterflyMX systems let residents update their own contact info through an app or web portal.
Does this work if I have a landline intercom?
BuzzBot works with any intercom system that calls a phone number — which includes virtually all modern intercom systems. If your building's intercom sends a call to a phone number when someone buzzes, BuzzBot can handle it.
Can I use my existing Gmail or do I need a new account?
Use your regular Gmail account — the one that receives shipping confirmations from UPS, FedEx, Amazon, and other carriers. BuzzBot only scans for emails from known shipping senders and never accesses other messages.
What if I move again?
Your BuzzBot number travels with you. If you move to a new apartment in the same city, update the number at your new building. If you move to a different city, BuzzBot can provision a new number with the correct local area code.
Ready to set up your intercom?
Get a local number and automate your apartment buzzer in under 2 minutes.