ADT Frequently Asked Questions

American District Telegraph started back in 1874. Its original line of business involved telegraph delivery and was an affiliation between 57 telegraph delivery companies. Once the telegraph started fading into obscurity, ADT expanded and eventually ended up as the home security powerhouse that it is today.

ADT’s pricing is two-part: the equipment cost and the monitoring cost. Now, there are three home security system bundles available to meet your needs.

The Basic package (Build Your Own) includes a touchscreen control panel, three entry sensors, and one motion sensor for $7.99 a month. This package requires a $45.99 monthly professional monitoring fee.

Next on the ladder is the Smart Home package, which costs $11.32 a month. It includes the same pieces of equipment as the Basic package plus a smart door lock. The monthly monitoring fee for this package is $49.99.

Lastly, the Video and Smart Home package costs $15.19 a month. Besides everything in the Smart Home package, the Video and Smart Home package includes an outdoor camera and a Nest Video Doorbell. Professional monitoring for this package costs $59.99.

ADT requires a three-year contract, except in California where ADT contracts can only be up to two years. If you’re unhappy with the service you’re receiving and ADT is unable to fix the problem for you, you can get a refund in the first six months. This refund covers monitoring fees and installation fees. You also get up to $500 of your home insurance or renters insurance deductible paid for if you get robbed while your ADT system is armed.

ADT does require you to keep a monitoring package to get full usage out of your equipment. Without the package, many features are unavailable and you don’t get complete protection.

ADT checks your credit score when you first sign up for the home security package. If your credit score is low, ADT may charge a higher monthly fee or be unable to offer you service.

ADT offers the ADT Pulse App, which empowers you with mobile remote control over your home security system and the home automation tools you added to it. You receive notifications in the event of alarms and other detected situations, can control your lights, thermostat, lights, and smart switches remotely, and can check-in on the video doorbell camera without being at home. You only get access to this app on the higher tier plans.

The Smart Home and Video and Smart Home packages both include home automation. Besides controlling ADT home automation products, both packages work with Alexa and Google Assistant for seamless and hands-free voice control.

The top tier plan supports indoor video cameras that you can watch via your mobile device. These cameras help the monitoring center verify a crime in progress and allow you to keep an eye on your home even when you’re on vacation or at work.

ADT does offer a $19.99 per month basic security plan if you have a pre-existing home security system in your home. They can take over that equipment to make it work with their monitoring service.

If you have a compatible third-party home automation device, such as Google Home or Alexa, you can send commands via the device.

ADT supports some third-party equipment, such as sensors from an old home security system or certain home automation devices. If you need to check whether a specific piece of equipment would integrate with your ADT system, call customer support to ensure that it is supported.

ADT has a Safe Move program that gives you up to $349 off any new equipment you add to your future home, and 25 percent off any add-on devices that you pick up. In many cases, ADT has you leave the original system at your former home. If you use this relocation choice, you must be at least two years into your contract period. You’ll get a new three-year contract at your new address.

The equipment that ADT uses reduces the chances that your pets will cause alarms. That way, you don’t have to deal with false alarms.

If you have a package that includes the ADT Pulse app, you can change the settings on your home security system through your mobile device. It’s a simple process to select a different mode or arm and disarm the system.

Your ADT cameras always have live streaming available, but your device settings may not allow you to check on them if you’re on mobile data. This helps prevent you from paying high data costs, as you must specifically turn on 3G/LTE streaming.

You can choose an ADT home security package that includes a cellular connection, cutting the requirement for a landline.

Yes, you can add-on new devices as you discover new needs or want to expand your home security capabilities. Just contact ADT whenever you want to order new products.

You get a keychain remote that can arm and disarm your ADT system with the push of a button. You don’t have to worry about rushing to the keypad to disarm the system with this handy device.

ADT provides professional monitoring services in-house, so you’re never interacting with anyone outside of your home security company. They put a lot of resources into offering fast response times and quality emergency response services.

You have multiple options to connect your ADT system to the monitoring service. Lower tier plans require you to have a landline, but higher tier plans include a cellular connection instead. You also need a high-speed Internet connection if you’re adding home automation equipment to your home.

You must have an active monitoring subscription with ADT to use the equipment that it provides. Otherwise, you miss out on most of the functionality.

The professional monitoring center will determine the proper authority to notify, based on your information and the type of emergency that’s happening. This process helps speed up the response time.

Your ADT system is equipped with a backup battery that keeps it running even if the power goes out. Both landline and cellular connections function in the event of an outage.

ADT technicians come to your home and handle the complete installation process. If you buy added equipment, such as more sensors, video cameras, or smart home devices, they may come back for that process or provide you with instructions.