Phone Call Skill 📞#

Use the macOS Phone/FaceTime stack to start phone calls from an OpenClaw agent. The skill can also speak text into/near the active call using local TTS ( sag/ElevenLabs when configured, otherwise macOS say).

This is useful when you want calls to go out through the MacBook/iPhone Continuity path instead of Twilio/Telnyx/Plivo.

When to Use#

✅ Use this skill when:

• The user asks to call/anrufen/telefonieren from a Mac.
• The user provides a phone number in international/E.164 format.
• An OpenClaw agent should speak a generated sentence into a Mac Phone call.
• You need a local MacBook calling fallback when a cloud telephony provider is unavailable.

❌ Do not use this skill when:

• The user wants SMS/iMessage → use the messaging/iMessage skill.
• The user wants a public telephony bot with inbound calls → use OpenClaw voice-call with Twilio/Telnyx/Plivo.
• No explicit permission/number was provided for a live outbound call.

Setup / Activation#

1. Install the skill bash

   clawhub install phone-call
   
   

   Or update an existing install: bash

   clawhub update phone-call
   
   

2. Enable iPhone calls on Apple devices

   • iPhone: Settings → Cellular/Phone → Calls on Other Devices → enable the Mac.
   • Mac: sign into the same Apple ID; open Phone or FaceTime once.
   • Keep iPhone and Mac reachable via Continuity/Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth as required by Apple.

3. Grant macOS permissions once

   The process that runs OpenClaw must be allowed to control the UI:

   • System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility → enable Terminal / Warp / OpenClaw runner.
   • System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation → allow the runner to control System Events and Phone/FaceTime if prompted.

4. Optional: higher-quality TTS

   scripts/speak.sh uses ElevenLabs sag only when an API key is available; otherwise it falls back to say. bash

   export ELEVENLABS_API_KEY="..."
   export PHONE_CALL_TTS_MODEL="eleven_flash_v2_5"
   # optional: export PHONE_CALL_TTS_VOICE="Roger"
   
   

Commands#

Make a Call#

bash

scripts/call.sh +491234567890

Dry run without placing a call:

bash

scripts/call.sh --dry-run +491234567890

Useful options:

bash

scripts/call.sh --scheme tel +491234567890
scripts/call.sh --scheme tel-phoneapp +491234567890
scripts/call.sh --scheme facetime-audio +491234567890
scripts/call.sh --timeout 15 +491234567890
scripts/call.sh --no-confirm +491234567890

Speak During a Call#

bash

scripts/speak.sh "Ciao, hier ist Luigi. Ich spreche jetzt über das MacBook."

speak.sh also accepts stdin:

bash

echo "Kurzer Test über das MacBook." | scripts/speak.sh

Agent Call Wrapper#

Start a call, speak an intro, then speak every line from stdin:

bash

scripts/call-agent.sh +491234567890 --intro "Hallo, ich bin dein OpenClaw Agent."

Pipe generated agent text into an already running call:

bash

printf 'Erster Satz.\nZweiter Satz.\n' | scripts/call-agent.sh --no-call +491234567890

How It Works#

• scripts/call.sh validates E.164 numbers, opens a macOS phone URL ( tel: by default), then searches visible Phone/FaceTime/System dialogs for German/English confirmation buttons ( Anrufen, Call, Fortfahren, etc.).
• If no confirmation button appears, it continues successfully because recent macOS versions may start the call directly after the user has granted permission.
• scripts/speak.sh plays TTS through the active Mac output device. In a normal MacBook/iPhone Continuity call this can be heard through the call path when the call uses Mac audio.
• scripts/call-agent.sh combines both pieces for agents: call first, then speak an intro and/or piped text.

Number Formatting#

Use international E.164 format:

• Germany: +49 + area code/mobile prefix without leading 0
• Austria: +43 + area code without leading 0
• Switzerland: +41 + area code without leading 0

Examples:

• Mobile DE: +4915112345678
• Landline Berlin: +493012345678

Environment Variables#

• PHONE_CALL_URL_SCHEME — default URL scheme ( tel, tel-phoneapp, facetime-audio, telephony). Default: tel.
• PHONE_CALL_CONFIRM_TIMEOUT — seconds to search/click confirmation UI. Default: 10.
• PHONE_CALL_SETTLE_SECONDS — pause after starting a call before intro speech. Default: 2.
• PHONE_CALL_TTS_MODEL — ElevenLabs model for sag. Default: eleven_flash_v2_5.
• PHONE_CALL_TTS_VOICE — optional ElevenLabs voice name/id.
• PHONE_CALL_SAY_RATE — macOS say words per minute fallback. Default: 185.

Troubleshooting#

Call opens the wrong app (for example Warp):

• macOS LaunchServices may have reassigned tel:. Set PHONE_CALL_URL_SCHEME=tel-phoneapp and retry: bash

  PHONE_CALL_URL_SCHEME=tel-phoneapp scripts/call.sh +491234567890
  
  

Confirmation is not clicked:

• Re-check Accessibility/Automation permissions for the actual process running the skill (Terminal, Warp, OpenClaw, or the gateway service).

• Retry with a longer timeout: bash

  scripts/call.sh --timeout 20 +491234567890
  
  

No speech in the call:

• Confirm the Mac call is using Mac audio, not only the iPhone handset.

• Test local playback: bash

  scripts/speak.sh "Audio test"
  
  

• Select the intended output device in macOS Control Center/Sound settings.

• For clean two-way telephony audio, prefer the official OpenClaw voice-call plugin with realtime media, or add virtual audio routing (for example BlackHole) plus STT.

ElevenLabs fails:

• Set ELEVENLABS_API_KEY/ ELEVENLABS_API_KEY_FILE, or let the helper fall back to macOS say.

Safety Notes#

• Do not place live calls without explicit user permission and a confirmed number.
• The call may be visible on the Mac screen and in Phone/FaceTime recents.
• This skill controls local UI; macOS permissions are required and should not be bypassed.