What is a vDoorbell?
The vDoorbell service offers users a virtual doorbell that they can install in front of their house, or virtually anywhere else they choose. In front of the house, the vDoorbell offers a similar service to the smart doorbells. If you're not home, a visitor or delivery person can ring the smart doorbell and you will be notified on your smartphone, be it in the backyard, the bathtub, at your office, the gym, the grocery store or while traveling. The vDoorbell is not a physical device so it cannot be vandalized or stolen. Instead, the vDoorbell runs on your visitor's smartphone but does not require the installation of any apps on their phone. And it protects your privacy by not requiring that you share your contact information (phone, email, name) with your visitor.
How does it work?
You create a personal vDoorbell by visiting vDoorbell.com. You specify its name, its location, and a radius (in meters) within which it is active. You get a URL and a QR code that you can share with your visitors. You might post the QR code at your door. You might share the URL by email with a delivery person or other visitor. Your visitors then access the URL by clicking the shared link or scanning the QR code. A visitor sees a map displaying the location of your vDoorbell. When the visitor is within the radius you set, they see the image of a doorbell on screen which they can ring. They can only ring the doorbell from within that radius so that you know they're at your door.
What's a good place for a vDoorbell?
You can place your vDoorbell pretty much anywhere you like. And you can create more than one. You might have one for:
- your frontdoor,
- your front gate that reads "Beware of dog",
- your building entrance that lacks intercom,
- the parking lot of the hotel where you're staying,
- the business you operate without being on site all of the time,
- the beach where you've agreed to meet the guys.
You might place vDoorbells in places where you want your phone to vibrate rather than a regular bell to be rung so as not to disturb others. Maybe it's because your children are napping. Or maybe you work in a quiet space and don't want to disturb anyone when a customer looks for you at your desk while you're tending to business elsewhere.
Bell or intercom
You can configure your vDoorbell in one of two modes: bell or intercom. In bell mode, you get a notification when someone rings your vDoorbell. In intercom mode, you also get a notification and it comes with a proposal to connect with your visitor to talk (in a chat, audio call or video call). Your visitor gets the same proposal. If you both choose to connect, you can be put in contact in seconds. Nothing needs to be installed and there are no fees for this communication, aside possibly for the data usage your internet provider may charge.
Requirements
Requirements for the user ringing a vDoorbell: a smartphone (or tablet) with internet access, and location (GPS) activated.
Requirements for the user creating a vDoorbell: a smartphone (or tablet or PC) with internet access, the Telegram instant messaging app installed, and an active Telegram account.
Why did we choose Telegram? Among the most popular instant messaging apps, it is the only one which offers an easy programmatic access. Other solutions may come in the future.
TL;DR. Try it out
- Decide from where you want people to ring your vDoorbell. For most, this will be from their door or desk.
- Decide how far from that place you want people to have access to your vDoorbell. For most, this will be just a few steps away.
- Decide what name you want to show on your vDoorbell. This might be your name, the name of your business, or maybe a nickname.
- Decide if you want the bell or the intercom function.
- Create a personal vDoorbell.
- Share the link (or the QR code) to your personal vDoorbell with your visitors.