Yes. Most baby monitors play sound through a speaker, but an add-on like Dozzi listens in the nursery and sends a silent vibration alert to the parent on duty, on their smartwatch or phone. Dozzi works with Apple Watch (paired with an iPhone) and with Wear OS 3 watches (paired with an Android phone), and the watch is optional: the alert can go to the phone instead.
Why it matters: a sound in the bedroom wakes whoever hears it, which is often both of you. A buzz on one wrist wakes one person. That is the whole trick, and it is why a watch alert pairs so well with taking turns at night.
Below: how a smartwatch baby alert works, which phone and watch combinations work with Dozzi, a checklist to make sure the buzz actually wakes you, and what to do if neither of you wears a watch.
The short version
- A smartwatch baby alert sends a silent vibration to one parent's wrist instead of playing sound in the bedroom.
- Dozzi sends its cry alert to only the parent on duty, on their phone or smartwatch, so the other parent can keep sleeping.
- Dozzi works on iPhone and Android, mixed in one household, with Apple Watch or Wear OS 3 watches as an option, for up to 4 caregivers.
- A smartwatch is optional with Dozzi; Smart mode is the only mode that needs an iPhone plus an Apple Watch.
- On Apple Watch, setting Haptics to Prominent in Sounds and Haptics makes wrist taps stronger.
How does a baby monitor that vibrates on a smartwatch work?
Something in the nursery listens for the baby, then sends a notification to a phone, and the phone passes it to the watch on your wrist. The watch taps you. No speaker, no beep across the room.
With Dozzi, the listening part is the Base. It sits on a shelf or dresser in the nursery, 3 or more feet from the crib. When it hears a real cry, it sends a silent alert to only the parent on duty. The audio stays in the room, and Dozzi works alongside the baby monitor you already have. It is an add-on, not a replacement.
Who counts as on duty is up to you. You can take turns cry by cry, split the night by the clock with Schedule, or alert everyone with All Caregivers. Our post on the baby monitor that only wakes one parent walks through the modes.
Why use a buzz on the wrist instead of sound?
Because sound does not know whose turn it is. A monitor speaker on the nightstand plays to the whole room. Even a phone alert with sound on can wake the parent next to it.
A watch is different. It is on one body. The tap reaches the person wearing it, and the person next to them has a decent shot at staying asleep. It also works when the phone has slid under a pillow or ended up face down on the floor, which happens more at 3 AM than anyone admits.
Wrist alerts matter for a lot of Deaf and hard of hearing parents too. Our guide for Deaf and hard of hearing parents covers vibration and light setups in more depth.
Which phones and watches work with Dozzi?
Short answer: iPhone and Android both work, and the two of you do not need matching phones. Android needs version 8.0 or newer. An Apple Watch pairs with an iPhone, so on Android the watch option is a Wear OS 3 watch. Here is how it shakes out.
- Up to 4 caregivers can be set up, so a grandparent or a night helper can take a shift on their own phone.
- Smart mode is the one mode that needs an iPhone plus an Apple Watch.
| What you have | Where the alert goes | Modes you can use |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone, no watch | The phone | Take turns, Schedule, All Caregivers |
| iPhone plus Apple Watch | The phone or the watch | Take turns, Schedule, All Caregivers, Smart |
| Android 8.0 or newer, no watch | The phone | Take turns, Schedule, All Caregivers |
| Android plus a Wear OS 3 watch | The phone or the watch | Take turns, Schedule, All Caregivers |
| One iPhone, one Android | Each parent's own phone or watch | Take turns, Schedule, All Caregivers |
How do we make sure the buzz actually wakes the parent on duty?
A watch alert only helps if you feel it. Run through this checklist once, in daylight, before you trust it at night.
- Turn the taps up. On Apple Watch, open Settings, then Sounds and Haptics, and set Haptics to Prominent. You can also do it on the iPhone in the Watch app under My Watch, then Sounds and Haptics. On a Wear OS watch, look for vibration strength in the watch's sound or notification settings; the name varies by brand.
- Charge in the evening, not overnight. Put the watch on the charger during dinner or bath time so it is on your wrist when your shift starts.
- Wear it snug. A loose watch on a sleeping wrist is easy to miss.
- Check focus and sleep settings. Make sure the on duty parent's phone lets Dozzi alerts through, and that the watch is not set to silence notifications on its own.
- Test it on a nap. Next time the on duty parent naps, set a vibrating alarm on their watch and see if it wakes them. Better to learn at 2 PM than at 2 AM.
- Agree on a backup rule. If one of you hears a cry that keeps going, one shoulder tap is allowed. Then it goes back to being the other person's job.
What if neither of us wears a smartwatch?
You do not need to buy one. The alert can go to the on duty parent's phone instead. Keep that phone close to their pillow, charged, and set so Dozzi alerts come through. The off duty parent's phone stays quiet.
Some couples mix it: one parent wears a watch because they sleep heavily, and the other uses the phone. That works too. If you are still deciding how to split the night at all, start with our guide to splitting night duty.
What will a smartwatch alert not do?
It silences the alert, not the baby. If the crib is in your bedroom, a loud cry can still wake you both, so earplugs or a fan on the off duty side still help. Our hub on hearing the baby without waking you both has room setups for that.
Like most baby monitors, Dozzi needs power and Wi-Fi, and it picks back up when they are restored. And it is not a replacement for your baby monitor. Keep using the monitor you have for watching and listening; Dozzi decides who gets woken up.
Quick answers
Do both parents need a smartwatch for Dozzi?
No. A watch is optional. Alerts can go to a phone instead, and one of you can use a watch while the other uses a phone.
Does Dozzi work with Apple Watch if I have an Android phone?
No, because an Apple Watch pairs with an iPhone. On Android, alerts can go to the phone or to a Wear OS 3 watch.
Can my partner use an iPhone while I use an Android?
Yes. Dozzi works with iPhone and Android mixed in one household, for up to 4 caregivers.
Is there a monthly fee?
No subscription required. Dozzi is $275 once, with free U.S. shipping and 60 nights to try it, Rested or Refunded.
From Kim and Ben
One cry, one wrist
Dozzi sends each cry alert to only the parent on duty, on their phone or smartwatch. iPhone or Android, with the monitor you already have.
About Dozzi: Dozzi is a small Base that sits on a shelf or dresser in the nursery, 3 or more feet from the crib. When it hears a real cry, it sends a silent alert to the parent on duty, on their phone or smartwatch, so the other parent can keep sleeping. It works with the baby monitor you already have, on iPhone and Android, for up to 4 caregivers. $275 once, no subscription required, 60 nights to try it. Made by Kim and Ben, two parents in Texas (our story).
Sources: Apple Support: Adjust the volume, sounds and haptics on Apple Watch; Apple Support: Pair and set up Apple Watch with iPhone
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