Home Alarm with Text Notifications

You’ve probably seen all sorts of ads showing homeowners accessing their new security system with their smartphone. Getting texts when your alarm is triggered isn’t just convenient, it can also help you expedite contacting emergency services. Here are a few tips on how you can interact with your home alarm with enabled text notifications.

Why Do I Want Texts?

With the right wireless security system, you can be notified instantly (anywhere you have cell phone service) when your front door is opened, the smoke detector goes off, or when a motion sensor is triggered. While your professional monitoring station is calling the police department, with your phone alarm you can contact your neighbors or log into your wireless camera to provide an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

Your smartphone is the key

First off, you need a smartphone that will work with the app provided by your home security company like Brinks Home™.  In general, if you have an iPhone or one that runs on an Android operating system, you are probably good to go.  You will want to check with your security company for a list of compatible phones for their phone alarm service.

An updated wireless system is required to receive text notifications with your home alarm

To get the most out of text alerts and smart home capabilities, you need a newer system, so if you’re your home security system hasn’t been updated in a few years, now is a good time to consider some upgrades. Your keypad needs to be able to send and receive signals from your smartphone app. Your new system will also provide more flexible access to live cameras, help you to monitor your home while on vacation, and even contact your security monitoring service with a touch of a button.

Set up your notifications to choose which alarm events will text you

Once your wireless security system is installed and you have verified that it is speaking to the remote monitoring center, it’s time to get it to text you.

• Install the app on your phone

• Make sure that the app has permission to send you an SMS, and standard data and texting may apply

• Sync your account on the phone with your online account from your security company’s website

• Under ‘Notification,’ select ‘ON’ for each type of notification you want to receive

You can even adjust the system from your phone to set up the alarm when you are away on vacation. Add an extra password for your cleaning service or the dog walker. You can be alerted when those special passwords are used on your keypad, allowing you to check on your service vendors through your remote camera.

If your phone is texting you all day long, shut off the notifications that you don’t want to use and reassess when the house is quiet to not have interference when setting up your notifications. To make the most out of your smart wireless security system, talk to the security experts at Brinks Home™. They can walk you through every step of installation and set-up so that you are able to make the most of your system.

Lauren Slade is a Dallas-based writer and editor.