What the source did
- He wanted his agent to call places for him from his own number, because people don't pick up calls from a random Twilio number.
- He plugged a $15 Bluetooth dongle into his computer and paired his phone with it, the way a phone pairs with a car. The computer then gets the call audio.
- The agent runs on LiveKit. One command gives it a number and a task, such as booking a table for two tonight at 7.
- It dials, waits until someone picks up, talks, hangs up and saves the transcript. In the comments he says it waits about 1.5 seconds to hear whether a person or voicemail answered before it speaks.
- It can answer his incoming calls and press keys in phone menus. Recording is one switch.
- His idea is to leave an old phone at home on the dongle and let the agent take calls there.
- Limits he names: one call at a time, and it can't hear keys pressed on the other end. For many calls at once he says to use a SIP trunk instead.
- The repo also has a Claude Code skill, so a coding agent can text and call, plus a macOS softphone app. It runs on Mac and Linux.
“point here is my own number and no monthly bill”— u/AppropriateExit8518, Reddit
Summary written by Agent Cookbook from the original post. See the original for the full context. How we source recipes
Our notes
- What it takes
- A USB Bluetooth dongle (he says $15; the README tested a TP-Link UB400), a Mac or Linux machine, any phone that pairs with it, LiveKit and an API key for the example voice agent. His MIT repo also ships a Claude Code skill.
- Where it breaks
- One call at a time, since it's one phone line, and it can't hear keys pressed on the other end. It waits about 1.5 seconds for a hello before talking. Texting is Android only, per the README.
- Human checkpoint
- You write each call's task and choose who it calls. Read the transcript before acting on anything agreed, and only turn on auto-answer for a line you're happy for an agent to speak on.
- Tools involved
- A USB Bluetooth dongle (the README tested a TP-Link UB400), A Mac or Linux computer to plug it into, Any phone that can pair with a Bluetooth headset, LiveKit, run locally or on LiveKit Cloud, An OpenAI API key for the example voice agent, Optional: Claude Code, with the repo's skill
✓ Verified Source link checked and still live. Notes by Thomas, editor. How we verify
Get their template
Made and published by AppropriateExit8518. Start here; it is their original, not ours.
Our adapted version
Ours Our first-call checklist, built from his post and README. His repo is the real setup. Fill in the [BRACKETS].
Help me set up agent-bluetooth (github.com/Hormold/agent-bluetooth) and make one test call. Follow the repo's README and docs; don't guess at commands.
1. Check I have what it needs: a USB Bluetooth dongle, a Mac or Linux machine, a phone that pairs with Bluetooth headsets, LiveKit, and an API key for the example voice agent.
2. Walk me through install, starting LiveKit locally and pairing my phone. If the dongle doesn't show up, run its status command and tell me what it says.
3. Start the example voice agent.
4. Before any call, show me the number and the exact task you'll give the agent, and wait for my yes.
5. For the first test, call my own second number or a friend who knows it's a test.
6. After the call, show me the transcript and anything that was agreed.
Never call anyone, send texts, turn on auto-answer or start recording without my yes for that specific action. Never agree to pay, buy or book anything on a call.
Approval rule
🛡
Every call starts from a task you write, and nothing in the repo spends money or books anything on its own. Read each transcript before acting on what was agreed, and only switch on auto-answer for a line you're happy for an agent to speak on. Sending, buying, posting, and deleting always need a human.
Set it up
- Buy a USB Bluetooth dongle. The README tested a TP-Link UB400.
- Install the tool and LiveKit as the repo's README describes, then pair your phone with "Agent Bluetooth".
- Start the example LiveKit agent from the repo with your API key.
- Make a test call to a number you control, with a short task.
- Read the transcript it saves.
- Optional: copy the repo's skill into Claude Code so it can text and call when you ask.
- Optional: set incoming calls to the agent only on a spare phone you're happy for it to answer.
Common failures
⚠
- The dongle doesn't come up. The README says the status command explains why.
- Expecting two calls at once. It's one phone line; he points to a SIP trunk for that.
- Phone menus that need you to hear the other side's keypresses. It can press keys but can't hear theirs.
- Talking over the person who answers. His agent waits about 1.5 seconds for a hello before it speaks.
Variations
- Keep an old phone in a drawer on the dongle, give that number out, and let the agent answer, screen spam and text you what matters, an idea from the README.
- Have it sit through a phone menu or hold queue for you, then read the transcript.
- Use LiveKit Cloud instead of a local server if the agent needs to be reachable from anywhere.
Related setups: A day of Grok Bot phone calls → · A Grok Bot front desk for texts and voicemail → · A missed-call voice agent agency → · A voice agent that calls clinic leads back → · A voice agent that books removals jobs → · A voice agent for a repair shop → · Get pinged when your agent needs input → · A library of specialist subagents →
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