Kazoo
FAQ
Apple's Walkie-Talkie, which watches work, adding friends, and how messages are kept.
What is Kazoo?
Kazoo is an Apple Watch app for sending short voice messages to friends. Hold a button, talk, let go — they hear it on their wrist with a chirp.
What happened to Apple's Walkie-Talkie?
Apple removed its own Walkie-Talkie app in watchOS 27, with no replacement and no explanation. It still works on watchOS 26.6 and earlier. Kazoo is an independent app in the same category — not Apple's app, and not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple. It rebuilds the experience people liked, and answers the question Apple's version never could: did they actually hear you?
Do I need an iPhone?
You need one to install, since watch apps are delivered through it. After that, Kazoo works on the watch on its own, over Wi-Fi or cellular.
Which watches work?
Series 6, SE 2nd generation, Ultra, and anything newer, on watchOS 11 or later.
How do I add a friend?
Both of you open Kazoo. One shares their six-character code, the other types it in. No phone numbers, no searching for people.
How do I know if they heard it?
Every message shows Delivered, then Heard, so you're not left guessing. If a friend is unavailable, the message waits and plays when they return — nothing is lost.
Does it work if my friend is asleep or in a Focus?
Yes. Your message waits and plays when they come back, and you can see that it's waiting rather than lost. Kazoo also tells you why someone is unreachable — "Focus is on," "In a workout" — instead of leaving you with silence, and turns itself off during your own Focus instead of letting messages vanish.
Can I use it in real time, like a call?
Not in this version. Messages arrive in a couple of seconds. Live, two-way talk is planned.
How long are messages kept?
Deleted 24 hours after being heard. A message nobody hears is deleted after 7 days. The only exception is a message attached to a report, which is held until it's reviewed.
What if someone is bothering me?
Open their screen and tap Report. They're removed at once and aren't told who reported them. You can also just Remove them.
Is it safe for my kid?
Yes. Kazoo is rated 4+. There is no discovery, no public channels, no strangers, and no text chat. Nobody can contact a user who has not first accepted their invite code, and removing a friend instantly revokes their access to everything previously sent.
Does it need to be on my watch face?
No. Apple's version required its icon to be on your watch face to work at all. Kazoo doesn't need that.
How do I report a bug?
Email hello@oceanwithinstudio.com with your device model, watchOS version, what happened, and what you expected.