The beauty of trivia is that all you really need is some fun questions and a few people to play with. You can organize a game of trivia at home, plan a pub quiz, run a quiz in your classroom, or throw a huge trivia night with a host and professionally written questions. The only thing separating you from having the most authentic trivia experience at all times is a buzzer.
Television game shows like Jeopardy! and Family Feud use buzzers to make sure the game is fair. Each player gets their own buzzer that they will use to buzz in their answer. You’ll hear many game show players say that buzzing in at the right time is half of the challenge. Yes, you need to have the right answer. But if you are not the first one to buzz it in, what good is it to you?
Buying physical buzzers can be quite expensive and using them might become inconvenient. Besides, you don’t really need a real buzzer if you have a smartphone! Download one of the buzzer apps mentioned below and you can play a game of trivia just like you’ve seen on TV!
Trivia Bowl Buzzer
Trivia Bowl Buzzer is only available on iOS devices. The app works just like a real buzzer on a game show. Each player and the host needs their own device to access the app. When a question is asked, all players get the chance to buzz in. When they do, their device will vibrate, thus indicating that they have used the buzzer. To avoid any confusion, the host’s device will show whose device buzzed in first.
One of the main problems with this app is that it connects all the devices via Bluetooth. Because of that, the connection is not always great. The fewer devices are connected, the better the connection among them. In addition to that, you need to purchase the host version of the app to gain access to all the main features. That version costs $2.99.
Friend Game Buzzer
Friend Game Buzzer is another app that is only available on iOS devices. This app allows 64 people to play at the same time while one host records all the answers. There are no ads in this app and it is free to use. The app has a user-friendly interface and is overall very easy to use.
Unfortunately, this quiz show buzzer app is reliant on a good internet connection. That means that all the devices that are connected to the buzzing network need to have an equally good connection to the internet. In the opposite case, those who have a stronger connection to the internet will inevitably buzz in first, while the players that actually buzzed in first will lag behind because of problems with the internet.
Buzzer
Buzzer is an app that is only available on Android devices. Unlike the apps mentioned above, this one has two buttons that you can press. The red button sounds a buzzer and the green one sounds a bell. The app is very straightforward. To determine the first person that buzzed in, you just have to listen out for the buzzer (or bell) sound. The app does not offer a special host account that would receive all the buzz ins. Instead, the host just has to hear the first phone that buzzes.
One thing to keep in mind is that the buzzer sound is much louder than the bell. If you’d rather use the bell, that’s fine, but then you’ve got to make sure that everyone else uses the bell too. In the opposite case, you simply won’t hear the people that used the bell sound over the buzzer.
An interesting feature the app has is that you can keep holding the button for it to keep buzzing. While the sound may become quite annoying over time, that is one sure way to establish dominance. Besides, the buzzer is so loud that everyone will easily hear it in a room full of people.
Sync Buzzer
Sync Buzzer is a very advanced app with possibly the highest number of features out of all the apps on this list. To start off, the host has to create a game and invite all the players. Each player will use their own device to buzz in and the host will use their device to see who buzzed in first. In order to play, all the phones have to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. In the opposite case, they won’t be able to join the game.
During the game, the host has four buttons available to them. Reset will lock all the buzzers, so nobody can buzz in. Unlock will reverse that and unlock all the buzzers. Right will lock all the buzzers except for the one that just buzzed in. Wrong will lock only the buzzer that just buzzed in.
The players have their own view. The buzzer can appear as one of two colors. Red can either mean that your buzzer has been locked and you can’t buzz or that your buzzer is unlocked and you can buzz. The buzzer will turn green if you buzz in first.
One of the main issues with this app is that it is quite heavy on the ads. Some users have also mentioned that it took them a while to connect to the server. It’s not clear why some people have this problem, while others don’t.
The Ultimate Buzzer
The Ultimate Buzzer is exactly what it claims to be, the ultimate buzzer app! That title is related to the large number of sounds offered by the app. You are not limited to buzzing, but can choose from over 60 different sounds for your game. Plus, there is a flashlight feature. The app is pretty straightforward. You cannot create a game and invite players to join. All you can do is listen up to see who was the first one to buzz in their answer.
The app is free, which almost always comes at a cost. You will come across ads rather frequently and there is no way to remove or skip them. That can make your games a little bit longer, but it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Buzzer Said It
Buzzer Said It is not just a simple app with a big button that buzzes when you press it. There are so many things you can do with this app! For starters, you can prank your friends and colleagues by recording a voice message and changing your pitch. They’ll never know it was you! You can also type in silly phrases and sentences, and make Siri read them out loud for you.
Naturally, you can also use the app as a buzzer for trivia games. Turn the buzzer on in settings and use it to buzz in your answers. This app is not an automated solution for trivia games though, so the host has to really listen to know which phone buzzed in first. The app is free. You can purchase the premium version for $0.99.
Game Buzzer Free
Game Buzzer Free is a simple app that allows two players or teams to go head to head using one iPhone or iPad. The screen features two buttons, one for each team. It is perfect for family game night and smaller trivia quizzes. There is an answer timer for those who need clear guidance. The game can keep score, so you don’t have to. With an app like this, you don’t even need a host.
The app is free, but it has an overwhelming amount of ads. Many players find that quite annoying. You can splurge on the paid version if you like the app; that will remove all the ads. Overall, it is a great app if you want to play trivia one on one with your opponent. You can use it for your tiebreaker or final round.
Final Words
If you’re looking for a buzzer app for quiz night, you’ve got some to choose from! Some of these allow you to play remotely via Zoom, while others require all the players to be in the same room and connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Some offer more automation, while others simply let you sound a buzzer through the speaker of your phone. Choose the one you like most based on your requirements and let us know how good it actually is!
Have you tried any of these apps? If so, which one is the best buzzer system for quiz bowl, family trivia night, or one-on-one trivia? Are there any great buzzer apps we missed? If you’re looking for an all-in-one trivia/buzzer online experience, be sure to check out BuzzIn.Live. And if you’re looking for more apps or equipment to upgrade your trivia experience, check out this list of trivia apps/software for DJs. Please let us know in the comments!
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