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Intercoms

ButterflyMX Shows No Answer or the Call Does Not Reach the Tenant

A visitor taps a name on the ButterflyMX intercom. The screen says "No Answer," or the tenant says no call ever came. The tenant is home. The visitor is stuck outside.

PAX Security9 min readNovember 11, 2026
Quick Answer

ButterflyMX names one cause for "No Answer": Do Not Disturb turned on in the ButterflyMX app. ButterflyMX says that setting blocks incoming intercom calls on purpose, which can make the intercom show No Answer to visitors. It applies to every device on that account, not just the phone where it was switched on.

ButterflyMX lists other reasons a call may not arrive, such as a contact preference set to Phone Call, a phone number that is wrong, phone notification settings, and a tenant who was never added in the ButterflyMX OS.

Key Takeaways

  • 1Visitor sees No Answer: check Do Not Disturb in the tenant's app first.
  • 2Tenant gets no video call or push notification: check the Contact Preference. Phone Call means no video calls or push notifications.
  • 3Tenant's phone rings but nothing opens: the tenant has to press 9 after answering.
  • 4Tenant has the app but never gets a call: the tenant may not be added in the ButterflyMX OS, or the app's notifications are blocked on the phone.
  • 5Many units or every unit affected: this is a property-level problem. Skip the tenant checks and go to the manager section and the "Stop and call" list below.

The cause is often a setting on the tenant's phone or account, or a gap in how the tenant was set up. This guide lists the checks ButterflyMX publishes, split into what a tenant can look at and what a property manager can look at.

If you manage the building and the tenant was added recently or just moved, start with our guide to adding, moving out and editing a tenant in ButterflyMX. If the problem is a guest who has no tenant to call, our guide to ButterflyMX visitor passes for contractors may be the better fit.

If you are the tenant: what to look at

Use only the ButterflyMX app and your own phone. Do not touch the intercom.

  1. Do Not Disturb. Open the ButterflyMX app, tap Account, select Calls, and make sure Do Not Disturb is off. ButterflyMX says it applies to all devices linked to the same account.
  2. Contact Preference. In the same Account > Calls screen, look at Call Contact Preference. ButterflyMX says that if it is set to Phone Call, you will not receive video calls or push notifications, and it calls that expected behavior. Switch it to Video Call if you want the app to ring.
  3. Your phone number. If you use phone calls, ButterflyMX calls the number you entered when you first registered. ButterflyMX says you can update that number in the app. Check the area code and the digits.
  4. The caller number. ButterflyMX says phone calls come from a region-specific ButterflyMX number, not the building's number, and that tenants may dismiss them as spam. It suggests saving the number as a contact labeled "ButterflyMX."
  5. Press 9. After you answer a phone call from the intercom, ButterflyMX says you must press 9 on your dial pad to let the visitor in. If the call rings and drops, ButterflyMX says to confirm you are pressing 9 and not another key, and to check whether voicemail or call screening is picking up before you can answer.
  6. Phone notification settings. ButterflyMX's app guides say the phone must allow ButterflyMX notifications. On an iPhone, that means Settings, ButterflyMX, Notifications, Allow Notifications, with Lock Screen, Notification Center, Banners, Sounds and Badges enabled. On Android, it means Settings, Apps, ButterflyMX, Notifications, with notifications on, including Incoming Calls.
  7. Other iPhone settings. ButterflyMX lists Background App Refresh, Low Power Mode, Focus modes and Scheduled Summary as settings that can block or delay notifications.
  8. Sign out and sign back in. ButterflyMX says refreshing your login can restore calls. In the app, tap Account, scroll to the bottom, and select Sign Out. Then log back in.
  9. Your connection. Calls need a stable internet connection. ButterflyMX says to switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data, or the other way, and test again. If it still fails, ButterflyMX lists uninstalling and reinstalling the app as a last step.

If none of that helps, write down the date and time of the most recent call you expected but did not get, and your phone model and its iOS or Android version. ButterflyMX asks for those details when you contact support.

If you manage the building: what to look at

ButterflyMX's property admin guide is written for people who log in to the ButterflyMX OS on a computer. Use the OS and nothing else. Do not open, unplug or restart the intercom yourself.

  • Scope first: ButterflyMX says to find out whether one tenant, several, or every tenant is affected. A single tenant points to that person's phone, account or setup. Many tenants points to the property.
  • The tenant record: in the OS, choose Tenants from the left-hand menu, search for the tenant, and confirm the profile is active and assigned to the correct unit. ButterflyMX says to look at Active Devices and Contact Preference there.
  • Setup: ButterflyMX says that having the app installed does not connect a tenant to a unit. The tenant has to be added in the OS, and the email address has to be accurate because it is what the tenant uses to register. The tenant also needs at least one call method, the app or a phone number.
  • The Calls log: choose Calls from the left-hand menu. ButterflyMX says each call is date and time stamped and shows which tenant was called, the unit, which intercom, the visitor type and a photo. Look for a pattern. Are calls logged but marked unanswered, or are they missing from the log altogether?
  • A test call: ButterflyMX describes having a test visitor choose the tenant at the intercom and tap Call. Watch whether the touchscreen responds, whether it shows a "Calling..." status, whether the call shows up in the Calls log, and whether the tenant's phone rings or gets a notification. Write down the results.
  • The service status page: ButterflyMX points property admins to its status page to check for ongoing service issues.
  • The intercom's connection: ButterflyMX says the intercom needs internet for both app calls and phone calls. If no tenants are getting calls, ButterflyMX lists checking that the intercom is online, and restarting it as a step. Leave the restart to your installer or whoever services the intercom.
  • Roommates: ButterflyMX says that when several people share a unit, only the person the visitor selects is called. If you want all the phones to ring, ButterflyMX says one shared account can be set up on multiple phones, with a single directory name. Your property manager or building administrator makes that change.
  • Ringing a front desk or security team: ButterflyMX says ringing a team at once is not a built-in feature. It describes using Talkroute, a separate third-party service that the property sets up and manages. Confirm the details with Talkroute before you plan around it.

What these pages do not say

  • Ring time: how long the intercom rings before it shows No Answer.
  • Other causes: whether No Answer has causes beyond Do Not Disturb. ButterflyMX's No Answer page names only that one.
  • One phone: why a push call fails on a particular phone beyond the settings listed above.

If your case is not on ButterflyMX's list, that does not mean it is something you did wrong. It means the published steps are done and it is time to bring in someone who can see more.

Stop and call

Call ButterflyMX support or us if:

  • Many units: several tenants or every tenant is affected. ButterflyMX lists this as a reason to contact its support.
  • Logged but not received: calls appear in the Calls log but tenants say they never arrived. ButterflyMX lists this too.
  • Hardware: you suspect a problem with the intercom or its connection.
  • Checks done: the tenant checks are finished and the problem continues.
  • No administrator: nobody at the property knows who the ButterflyMX administrator is. Our guide to what to do when you have no admin login covers that.

When you contact ButterflyMX support, ButterflyMX asks you to have the property name and address, the tenant name and unit, whether the tenant gets app or phone calls, screenshots of the tenant's setup in the OS, and the results of the checks you ran.

If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 911 first.

If you would rather not chase it

Call PAX at (855) 440-5353 or email info@paxsecurity.com. You can also reach us at https://paxsecurity.com/contact-us. Tell us the building address, how many tenants are affected, whether tenants get app calls or phone calls, and what the intercom screen shows. We will talk through your options with you, whether or not PAX installed your system. You can read more about the platform on our ButterflyMX page.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the intercom say No Answer when my tenant is home?

ButterflyMX names Do Not Disturb in the app as a cause. When it is on, the app blocks incoming intercom calls on purpose, and visitors can see No Answer.

I turned Do Not Disturb off on my phone. Does that fix my partner's phone too?

ButterflyMX says Do Not Disturb applies to all devices linked to the same account. If you share one account, it is one setting. We did not find ButterflyMX wording on people who each have their own account, so check each person's app.

Why does my phone ring from a number I do not know?

For phone calls, ButterflyMX says the call comes from a region-specific ButterflyMX number, not the building's. ButterflyMX suggests saving it as a contact named "ButterflyMX."

Why did the door not open after I answered?

ButterflyMX says you must press 9 on your dial pad after answering a phone call from the intercom.

Can the intercom ring the whole front desk team?

Not as a built-in ButterflyMX feature. ButterflyMX describes a third-party service, Talkroute, that the property sets up and manages.

Can PAX see my building's ButterflyMX call log?

The call log lives in the ButterflyMX OS, so what anyone can see depends on the admin access they have. Call us and we will talk through your options.

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