Gairmean: No-Internet Calls

The Wi-Fi router is working. The internet is not. Gairmean lets participating Android phones call each other through that router alone.

After a disaster

An earthquake can take down mobile towers, mains power and internet together. A router running on a battery or compatible power bank can provide a local link for neighbors and volunteers across a building or rescue site. The router and phones still need power and must remain within range.

Disconnected by design

An office, factory, laboratory, bank or hospital floor may keep its Wi-Fi cut off from the internet for security. Staff can use that working network to talk across the floor every day. Connected phones must be allowed to communicate; follow your organization's network rules.

During an ordinary outage

The line is cut, the bill is unpaid, or the connection is down while the router keeps running. Calls between participating phones can use the router without waiting for internet service to return.

Join once, then call by name

No account, phone number, SIM, server or internet connection is needed for these calls. Install Gairmean on each Android phone and join the same Wi-Fi.

For a workplace or team, an officer creates a group. Each person scans the QR or types the nine-digit code and gives their phone a name. The officer checks the matching six digits on both phones and approves. Approved members can verify and call one another without separate introductions for every pair. The creator can appoint up to four officers to approve or remove members. Removal information spreads when members connect; a disconnected phone learns it when it meets another member.

Families and neighbors can keep using Introduce a phone: compare the six digits in person and confirm on both phones. Each phone supports six of these separate introductions.

Tap a name to call. Answer, mute, choose speaker or earpiece, or end the conversation. Select up to six other phones for one call. Ring the whole floor adds a confirmation and is available when there are no more than six other contacts. Larger groups support individual and selected calls; group membership is separate from the call-size limit.

Receiving uses the local network, with no cloud push service. Leave it enabled so a known phone can ring yours with the screen off, including in a pocket. Android and manufacturer battery settings can delay or stop calls; Gairmean explains the controls. After Android's Force stop, reopen the app before expecting calls. Coverage and network settings affect reachability.

The signal board distinguishes a responding router from Android-confirmed internet access. Compare up to 30 saved readings. If a router blocks phones from communicating, connection help explains what to check. Supported devices can attempt Wi-Fi Direct; permissions and approval vary by device.

Around the home, too

Call the kitchen, check in with a parent upstairs, or talk across an apartment floor. English and Bengali, large call controls, and light and dark appearances support everyday use.

Safety and privacy

Introduce only people you know and avoid sensitive information in phone names. Officers must check the person and matching code before approving. Whole-floor ringing does not contact emergency services. Child safety and phone details offer a reporting route that prepares an email draft for you to review and send.

The microphone is used during calls you place or answer. The camera is used only when scanning a group code; images are not saved. Gairmean does not record conversations.

Block contacts, review recent calls, clear history and readings, or reset local data. You can enable a separate Gairmean PIN, fingerprint or face unlock where supported, and a limited preview of call details. The optional lock starts off and needs no online account.

Gairmean connects participating Android phones on a local network. It is not a mobile-number dialer, an internet calling service or an emergency response system.