There was recently some discussion of starting a new topic for Android workarounds in this #roadmap topic with a similar title:
So, I have created this topic for Android users dedicated to discussion and help to implement workarounds on Android phones since the Wyze app can’t do this yet.
Here is what I have done:
I have been experimenting with a couple 3rd party apps as a workaround. I am using both these apps currently in testing on my Android Moto G with great results.
I originally used the app Free Notification Reader to force the phone to audibly speak my Wyze Notifications over the speaker or BT Headset. I could also customize the preamble to every notification to say ‘Alert’ or ‘Attention’ or whatever I wanted. Because of the Notification Tone being limited to one tone for all Wyze Notifications in the Android App Notification settings, I customized that to the Jetson’s tune although Free Notifications Reader can do that as well through the app.
Every time any of my 12 cams sends a notification, I would hear the Jetsons Tune followed by “Alert. Person Detected on camname Cam at 1:02pm. Check out the event video”. So, I audibly heard a) what was detected, b) what cam detected it and c) when. However, if this was on the phone speaker, it could get a bit annoying and wordy.
Another user in the forum introduced me to an app called MacroDroid. This app gives me the ability to set a custom notification sound for each and every one of my individual cams.
Setting up a macro for each cam was super easy. For my Garage Cam, I tell the macro to watch for any notification containing the words “Garage Cam” and to play a custom tone from my ringtone library when it comes in. Since the number of tones I have is limited by only the number I want to download, it is limitless. 100 cams = 100 tones. Or record your own. And, it isn’t limited to cams. Any notification from Wyze, so long as it states the device name, can be set for a custom tone. And that’s not all. It can trigger the phone to vibrate, flash the LED, open the app, send a SMS Text, send an email, send a tweet, trigger another app to do something, tons of action options (see the screenshot list below)
UPDATE EDIT: I also experimented in MacroDroid with giving unique notification tones to Person, Pet, Vehicle, and Package notifications which also worked well. Currently working on combining type and cam tones and recording my own voice notification tones.
UPDATE EDIT 2: I have created Macros that successfully combine two tones for every notification. The first notification tone tells me the specific type of AI (4 tones = person\pet\vehicle\package) and is immediately followed by the cam triggered. I have 9 cams in 3 groups of 3, so each group has its own tone and each cam in the group sounds that tone 1, 2, or 3 times telling me which cam it is. I have 3 other cams each with their own individual tone. It was easier for my brain to remember this rather than 12 individual tones… Which is also totally possible. I have also recorded my own voice as a mp3 file saying the name of each cam and they do work, but the output takes several seconds rather than the fraction of a second for the quick tones I chose.
With these two apps working together, I have shut off my Android setting Jetson’s tone for Wyze notifications because the MacroDroid tone will play at the same time and they will walk on each other.
I have the Free Notifications Reader set to only read when my BT headset is connected (driving) so it only reads in my ear, not out loud on the speaker (although it would probably work on a BT car link, I don’t have that BC I prefer old beaters). It plays the MacroDroid device specific tone (not limited to cams… ANY Wyze device) then I have a 1 second delay set to read the notification on my BT headset so the tone stops first. When I am on phone speaker, all I hear is the MacroDroid set tone for whatever device triggered the notification (cam, contact sensor, motion sensor, leak detector, HMS alarm, Thermostat… ANY Wyze IoT device that can send a notification).
Here are links to the apps if you are interested. Free Notification Reader is free and without ads:
Update: FNR has been updated recently and has moved to an Ad based revenue model. Accessing the Advanced Settings requires watching an Ad, but once they are set the App will run in the background without the need for more Ads. You will only need to watch an Ad if you need to return to the Advanced Settings to make a change.
MacroDroid is has a free version limited to 5 macros with ads. Pro version is $5.99
