How to Make XBMC/Kodi Pause When Your Phone Rings

Do you ever miss phone calls because you couldn’t hear it ring over the sound of your favorite TV show?  Or, have you found yourself frantically searching for the remote to pause the TV so you can answer a phone call?

Well, if you use XBMC/Kodi to watch TV (like I do), there’s an easy way to make your show automatically pause when you phone starts ringing.

Yatse App

This is just one of the many features possible with the Yatse XBMC/Kodi Remote app for Android.  I’ve talked before about how Yatse is my favorite XBMC/Kodi remote app, so if you’re wondering about it, check out my review.

Yatse Call Plugin

So the feature that pauses XBMC/Kodi when receiving a call is not actually part of the main app, but it comes in a plugin app called Yatse Call Plugin.

Just install that plugin app, and it has some settings related to this feature.  Once you turn it on, and make sure the Yatse app is successfully connected to your XBMC/Kodi HTPC, then turn on a show, movie, or song, and then have someone call you.  It will pause when your phone starts ringing, and it will resume after you hang up from the call.

Voila!

You now have an awesome bit of home automation to save you missed calls and missed parts of your shows, not to mention impress your family and friends!