Comparison

Signal (intercom) vs Tiny Intercom

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Signal (intercom)

This app provides a simple intercom system for quick communication. Create or join a "Signal" to use pre-set buttons for instant messaging in specific scenarios, avoiding unnecessary noise or lengthy conversations.

Highlights
  • Create or join communication 'Signals'
  • Use quick communication buttons
  • Instant messaging for specific scenarios
  • Minimalist design
  • Hypothetical use case examples
Features
Read full description

Absolutely minimal intercom system. Create a "Signal" or join someone else's, then use quick communication buttons in situations where it might be useful! Like, strictly hypothetically, when your wife yells up to you in your office that "TEA IS READY", and your dog starts barking until you come down - now, she can simply press the "TEA IS READY" button, you can respond with the "COMING" button, and no barking will ensue!

About

Tiny Intercom

Transform an old iPhone or iPad into a functional audio intercom for your home. Use your primary device to communicate with individuals in another room without needing to shout or walk around. It operates entirely on your local network for secure, private conversations.

Highlights
  • Audio intercom functionality
  • Local network operation
  • Encrypted communication
  • Multiple terminal/controller support
  • Announcement-only mode
  • Apple Watch companion app
Features
Read full description

Repurpose an old, unused iPhone/iPad into an audio intercom. Install the app on both your regular device and the unused one, put the unused device in a remote room in your house and you will be able to talk to whoever is in that room from your phone. No more yelling or walking over! The app can run in two modes: terminal and controller. The terminal is what you put in the remote room. In this mode, the app runs continuously (turning the screen off is OK), transmitting audio in both directions. The controller mode is for your everyday phone, tablet or Mac. In this mode, you can connect to terminals to listen and talk through them. The app works entirely on your local network, with no accounts, servers or cloud services involved. Connecting to a terminal requires pairing using an access code that is visible only on the terminal. All communications between controllers and terminals are encrypted. You can have as many terminals and controllers as you wish. Multiple controllers can connect to the same terminal at the same time (and speak together), and a controller can connect to multiple terminals (but not at the same time). If desired for privacy or other reasons, it is possible to set a terminal to an "announcement only" mode where you can speak via the terminal but not listen to it. Toggle "Mute microphone in terminal" in the iOS app settings to activate this mode. TIP: You can use Apple Configurator to lock your terminal device into a “single app mode” (aka kiosk mode) to make it run just the intercom terminal app and not allow switching out of it. Features and requirements: • Audio only. This app does not support video. • All devices must be on the same local Wi-Fi network to communicate. • In order to connect to a terminal, a controller must first be paired with it. The pairing code is displayed on the terminal (press the "key" button) and can be scanned as a QR code or entered manually in the controller app.  • The app can also run in either controller or terminal mode on Apple Silicon Macs. • A companion Apple Watch app lets you connect to terminals from your wrist. See below for watch app functionality and limitations. • There are no in-app purchases or ads of any kind. • Versions of this app are available for other platforms in case you have a mix of iOS and other devices. See the developer site for details. Apple Watch support: The companion watch app can be used as a controller to connect to terminals, but not as a terminal. Please note: • The paired phone must be on, nearby and connected to the local network where your terminals are. • New terminals must be paired from the phone first. The watch app itself is unable to pair. • Updates to terminal names or availability may take a moment to appear on the watch. They are not as instantaneous as on the phone. • The UI when connected to a terminal is the standard Apple Watch "in-call" UI rather than a custom one as on the phone. Just like on the phone, you can either listen or talk, but not at the same time. Tap the "mute" button to switch between listening and talking. • The watch app is not available in countries/territories that prohibit use of the Apple CallKit framework. If you start the watch app in such a country/territory, you will receive a "This app is not available in your country or region" error message.

Screenshots

Signal (intercom)3 screens
Tiny Intercom4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Signal (intercom) at every 2 days against Tiny Intercom's every 2 weeks. Signal (intercom) also leads on ratings volume (11 vs 1). Tiny Intercom's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 12.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tiny Intercom holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Signal (intercom) has 11 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Signal (intercom) ships an update every 2 days, Tiny Intercom every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 23, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Signal (intercom) versus Tiny Intercom: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSignal (intercom)Tiny Intercom
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (11 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings11 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS12.010.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatthew TakaoEugene Gershnik

Customer experience

Signal (intercom)

All ratings11 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral9.1%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Tiny Intercom

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Signal (intercom)

No in-app purchases

None

Tiny Intercom

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Signal (intercom) free?
Signal (intercom) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tiny Intercom free?
Tiny Intercom is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Signal (intercom) or Tiny Intercom?
Tiny Intercom is rated higher. Signal (intercom) averages 4.7 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Tiny Intercom averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Signal (intercom) or Tiny Intercom have ads?
Neither Signal (intercom) nor Tiny Intercom shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Signal (intercom) or Tiny Intercom?
Signal (intercom) ships an update every 2 days, and Tiny Intercom every 2 weeks. Most recently, Signal (intercom) was updated on July 23, 2026 and Tiny Intercom on September 13, 2026.

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