Alarm.com Places - Frequently Asked Questions
Alarm.com Places is a free add-on benefit included in all Alarm.com service packages. This service allows users to create rules and reminders based on the geographical location of a Geo-Device, such as a smartphone.
What is a Geo-Device?
A Geo-Device is any smartphone running Android, iOS, or Windows OS with the Location Services function enabled in the Alarm.com app.
Can I know the exact position of a smartphone using this system?
No. This functionality only allows the system to activate different functions depending on whether the smartphone is inside or outside a certain radius (or Geo-Fence). It does not actually provide any information about the exact position of the Geo-Device.
This feature does not actively or persistently track the location of mobile devices. When users create fences and rules and/or triggers based on fence crossings, Alarm.com asks the operating system of the mobile device to tell us whenever the device crosses into our out of a Geo-Fence. How the device is tracked by the operating system is dependent on user-configured location settings, which are general configurations within the settings of the operating system and not independently controlled by Alarm.com.
What is a Geo-Fence?
A Geo-Fence is a circular area defined by the user via the Alarm.com customer website or Alarm.com app. This area is taken as a reference to determine if the Geo-Device is inside or outside this area. Based on this, it is possible to create automation rules and reminders.
What are the minimum and maximum size of a Geo-Fence?
The size of a Geo-Fence refers to its radius. The minimum radius is 1.6 kilometers (or one mile), and the maximum is 160 kilometers (or 100 miles). However, it is not recommended to have a very wide radius.
Note: If the customer account is in Canada, the minimum distance is 1.5 kilometers for a Geo-Fence.
What are the minimum requirements my smartphone (Geo-Device) must have?
To use Alarm.com Places on a smartphone, the user must have a mobile phone running Android, iOS, or Windows OS and the latest version of the Alarm.com app.
The following are the phone requirements to use Alarm.com Places:
- Android requires Android OS 4.2+. Alarm.com Places is incompatible with Android tablets.
- iPhone requires iOS 9.0+. Alarm.com Places is incompatible with the iPad and iPod Touch.
- Windows Phone requires Windows Phone OS 8.1+.
Are there login permission requirements?
The following login permissions are able to configure the Alarm.com Places feature:
- Master Control
- Full Control
- Custom with Notification Settings enabled
For more information about how to configure login permissions, see Manage login permissions for secondary logins.
Is there any additional cost for Alarm.com Places?
No. Alarm.com Places is already included in Alarm.com service packages.
Which service package includes Alarm.com Places?
All service packages include Alarm.com Places.
Does this service use the phone's GPS service to locate it?
No. This service uses mobile phone and Wi-Fi networks to locate the Geo-Device and not the GPS due to its high battery usage.
Do Location Services consume mobile data?
Mobile devices only check for location and use data when a Geo-Fence is crossed. An average of consumption of 100 bytes or less is estimated per Geo-Fence crossed.
How accurate is the location of the device?
Since the device is located by triangulation of the mobile phone signal and not by the integrated GPS, the location may vary by 1 to 3 kilometers from the actual position.
How can Alarm.com Places be enabled?
To set up Alarm.com Places, enable Location Services on the phone to become a Geo-Device, adjust the Geo-Fence as desired, and then create Geo Service rules and notifications. For more information, see Configure Alarm.com Places.
How can Location Services be used?
Location Services lets users create location-based alerts and rules based on the location of one or more phones.
Arming reminders
These notifications intend to alert users when the alarm has not been armed after they leave their location. Reminders can be configured for locks, sensors, and garage doors.
Thermostat override
This allows users to save energy by automatically setting the desired temperature when they return or leave their location. This works with both thermostats and mini-splits controllers.
Pause video recordings
Users can configure their system to automatically pause video recordings triggered by motion detection depending on whether one or more Geo-Devices are within a certain Geo-Fence. This helps users avoid unnecessary recordings, as many users do not want to spend their video quota on recordings of themselves moving around their homes or business.
Automate light rules
Users can configure an event-triggered rule to automate their lights when a Geo-Fence is crossed.
What happens if an area has low data coverage?
If users are in an area with lower cell coverage (where the cell phone may be only able to connect to one cell tower), the Geo-location reading may be 1.5-3 kilometers (1-2 miles) off or more. In that case, users could get a false crossing if they go through an area of dead coverage.
In most cases, reference the cell coverage on the user's phone. If users set the radius for a Geo-Fence and the user drives through an area with poor coverage or dead cell area, it might take some time for towers to pick up the user's location and report it.
If users, for instance, work fairly close to their home, they may get to the office and never receive an alert that they left their home Geo-Fence. Even if they are technically outside of the Geo-Fence on the map, if they are somewhat close to the perimeter, and their phone isn't able to get a good reading, it's possible they won't ever get an alert.
What are the best practices when using Alarm.com Places?
- Verify the proper Alarm.com Places notifications and features are set up properly on the account.
- Ensure location services are turned on for the device and the Alarm.com app.
Important: iPhones and Android phones require it to be turned on specifically for the app through phone settings, as well. - Verify the correct device is enabled for Alarm.com Places.
- This can be verified by turning Location Services off and checking that the device was paused on the website. Remember to re-enable the device after this test.
- Increase the fence size to a minimum of 3-6 kilometer (2 to 4 mile) radius.
- If it is already that size, increase the fence even more.
- Enable the phone's Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. This may help with triangulation if there are not many towers in that area.
Note: It does not need to be connected to a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth network. - For Android phones:
- Location / Location Services should be ON.
- Locating Method should be HIGH.
- Wi-Fi Scanning and Bluetooth Scanning should be both ON.
- Battery optimization (or Optimize battery usage) should be OFF for the Alarm.com app, Google Play Services, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
- Power saving mode and ultra power saving mode should both should be OFF.
- For iPhones:
- Location Services in Phone Settings for the Alarm.com app should be ON, (not just Location Services from inside the Alarm.com app).
- Background App Refresh should be ON.
- The user must have iOS 9.0+ for proper Location Services functionality.
For more information, see Alarm.com Places - Troubleshooting Guide.