> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bowerlabs.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Talk to Bird hands-free

> Wake-word standby in Live Mode — open Live, set the phone down, and call Bird by voice when you need it.

**Shipped 2026-03-22 · Live Mode**

Live Mode is for working alongside Bird at the bench. But you don't always
want Bird actively listening — sometimes you're focused, and a passive ear
is enough. Standby mode gives you that.

## What's new

In Live Mode, you can now switch into **standby**: Bird stops actively
listening, and the screen stays awake but quiet. Say the wake word, and
Bird wakes up, listens, and responds. Say nothing, and it stays silent.

## Why this matters

Standby lets you keep Live Mode running through a long protocol — a couple
of hours of cell work, a slow incubation, a wash sequence — without filling
the transcript with ambient lab noise. Bird's there when you call; not in
the way when you don't.

## Related docs

* [Live agent mode](/ai-and-search/live-agent-mode)