Enable Touchless Doorbell for an Alarm.com Video Doorbell
Alarm.com's Touchless Doorbell feature allows guests to stand in a designated area to ring the doorbell instead of touching the device.
Important: The Touchless Doorbell feature is only available for the ADC-VDB770 and ADC-VDB775. The ADC-VDB770 only supports Ground Zone rules for Touchless Doorbell, while the ADC-VDB775 supports Ground Zone and Tripwire rules for the feature.
Enable the Touchless Doorbell feature
The Touchless Doorbell feature can be enabled using the Alarm.com app or Alarm.com customer website.
Alarm.com app
- Log in to the Alarm.com app.
- Tap Video.
- Tap
. - Tap Recording Rules.
- Tap
to edit an existing compatible Video Analytics rule, or tap Add New Rule. - Configure the rule as desired. For more information about Video Analytics rule configuration, see Configure a Video Analytics rule for an Alarm.com doorbell camera.
- Tap the Touchless Doorbell toggle switch to enable Touchless Doorbell.
- Tap and drag to create an area where the guest can stand that triggers the Video Doorbell to ring.
Note: For the ADC-VDB775, the Touchless Doorbell feature uses the same ground zone/tripwire and Duration inside area of interest that was created for the recording rule itself. Once the toggle switch has been enabled for the ADC-VDB775, tap Save. - Using the Duration Inside Area of Interest dropdown menu, select how long the guest must stay in the zone to trigger the Video Doorbell.
- Tap Save.
Alarm.com customer website
- Log in to the Alarm.com customer website.
- Click Video.
- Click Recording Rules.
- Click to edit an existing compatible Video Analytics rule, or tap Add New Rule.
- Configure the rule as desired. For more information about Video Analytics rule configuration, see Configure a Video Analytics rule for an Alarm.com doorbell camera.
- Click the Touchless Doorbell toggle switch to enable Touchless Doorbell.
- Click and drag to create an area where the guest can stand that triggers the Video Doorbell to ring.
Note: For the ADC-VDB775, the Touchless Doorbell feature uses the same ground zone/tripwire and Duration inside area of interest that was created for the recording rule itself. Once the toggle switch has been enabled for the ADC-VDB775, click Save. - Using the Duration Inside Area of Interest dropdown menu, select how long the guest must stay in the zone to trigger the Video Doorbell.
- Click Save.
After the Touchless Doorbell feature is enabled, the doorbell will report Detected Motion in the event history when it is activated. The following is an example of how this displays on the Partner Portal.
Touchless Doorbell best practices
- The Ground Zone should be as small as possible to avoid unwanted doorbell triggers. The area should only cover where the guest must step to trigger the doorbell.
- Avoid creating the Ground Zone in areas that have higher foot traffic (e.g., the path the user takes to check the mail).
- It is recommended to offset the trigger area from the front door to avoid situations where a guest might press the doorbell button before the Touchless Doorbell feature is triggered.
Example: Create the Ground Zone on a portion of the bottom step of the porch instead of directly in front of the door.
Touchless Doorbell accessories
Important: The ADC-VDB775 is not compatible with the Video Doorbell Mat or the Video Doorbell Touchless Cover.
| Product | Details |
|---|---|
| Video Doorbell Mat (ADC-VDBA-MAT) |
Indicates to guests where the Touchless Chime is configured to trigger. For more information, see How does the Video Doorbell Mat work?. |
| Video Doorbell Touchless Cover (ADC-VDBA-COVER) |
Blocks the button on the Video Doorbell. For more information, see How does the Video Doorbell Touchless Cover work?. |
Touchless Doorbell frequently asked questions
Is the Touchless Doorbell notification different from a button press notification?
No. The experience is meant to mirror that of a guest pressing the doorbell button, and the notifications are identical.
Can the Touchless Doorbell feature control Z-Wave lights?
Yes. Users can configure the Video Analytics rule, which controls the Touchless Doorbell feature, to automate their lights.
Are there any differences between a button press and a Touchless Doorbell trigger?
No. Triggering the Touchless Doorbell feature activates the same rule as pressing the button.
Does the Touchless Doorbell feature still trigger if the rule it is associated to is disabled?
No. the Recording Rule being turned off encompasses the Touchless Doorbell feature. It is not possible to have a Touchless Doorbell rule without an active Video Analytics rule.
Can a Touchless Doorbell rule be created without a Video Analytics rule?
No. A Video Analytics rule with a Ground Zone selected must be created to be able to create a Touchless Doorbell rule.
Can the button press trigger be disabled so that only the Touchless Doorbell will trigger?
No. Setting the Chime Type to None from the Video Device Settings page turns it off completely.
Can the Outdoor Tone be set to trigger from only a button press or only a Touchless Doorbell trigger?
No. Deselecting the option for Outdoor Tone from the Video Device Settings page turns it off for both types of triggers.
How often can the Touchless Doorbell be triggered in a row?
The Touchless Doorbell feature can only be triggered once every 10 seconds.
If a guest presses the doorbell button after triggering Touchless Doorbell, is a second chime triggered?
Yes. If the guest presses the button after triggering the Touchless Doorbell, the chime will sound again.
Note: If a guest presses the button too many times, the indoor chime will stop ringing temporarily. For more information, see What does the double-blinking blue LED on the ADC-VDB770 mean?.
Troubleshooting
Touchless Doorbell is triggering outside the area of interest
- The Touchless Doorbell feature includes a buffer around the Ground Zone to ensure timely notifications.
- If the user receives notifications when guests are too far away from the Ground Zone, decrease the size of the Ground Zone and test again.