I need an app for ADT Pulse and can't find it. It is for my home security remote access. Android and IPhone have it. Shows you the basic features of the ADT Pulse App for iPhone. Shows you how to use your iPhone to check the status of your ADT Pulse Security System, remotely ARM/DISARM, view your home cameras. The Pulse App is not showing up in the list of installable Apps for my Apple Watch. Specifically: — I’m using a series 4 Apple Watch — iOS and Apple Watch and the Pulse App are up to date — The Pulse App is working fine on my iPhone — When I open the Apple Watch App on my iPhone the pulse App is not listed under available Apps. The ADT Pulse app allows you to control your home or business security and automation system from virtually anywhere. ADT Pulse for iPhone. Be the first to know about the hottest apps with. The ADT Pulse® app allows you to control your home or business security and automation system from virtually anywhere. Using your iOS device, you can manage your home or business security system, surveillance cameras, lights, locks, thermostats and more! Subject: RE: Problems With the ADT Pulse App Update You can count the images and create a pin but it does no good to get into the pulse app because everything in the app is totally inaccessible. They really did a great job in breaking VO. The ADT Pulse app allows you to control your home or business security and automation system from virtually anywhere. ADT Pulse for iPhone. I understand that I will receive the iOS and Mac.

• Pros

  Fast and knowledgeable service reps. Many components available. Support for third-party devices. Solid mobile and web apps.

• Cons

  Expensive. Requires three-year contract with hefty termination penalty. Some Pulse peripherals require third-party mobile apps.

• Bottom Line

  ADT Pulse offers just about everything you could want in a full-service home security system, including many component options, support for popular third-party smart home devices, and a solid app experience.

With a founding date of 1874, ADT is probably the most mature player in the smart home security market. While it's still building the home automation portion of its services portfolio, its Pulse system is both secure and sophisticated. But while the company does a great job treating its customers well on a service front, it's important to note that the Pulse system is neither DIY or cheap.

• $39.99
• $229.00
• $349.00
• $229.96
• $882.84
• $599.00
• $149.99
• $41.99
• $249.00

I tested ADT Pulse (starting at $28.99 per month plus components and installation), which combines the company's alarm and security service with home automation and monitored surveillance. ADT easily rivals its top competitors, including Vivint Smart Home, in functionality, though if you opt for the top of its service tiers as I did, you might want to prep yourself for sticker shock. Even so, ADT Pulse earns our Editors' Choice for home security systems.

Getting Started

I contacted ADT twice. The first time simply as a customer, since I'd just moved into a new house and wanted a full home security system. ADT sales recommended its Remote tier, and I agreed, though there are other tiers to be had (see below). I also investigated SimpliSafe, but had a not-great experience with its customer service, and was heading back to ADT when the opportunity arose to review the Pulse system for PCMag.

At that point I went through ADT's PR department and was put in touch with a different representative who was unaware of my initial outreach as just another customer. What impressed me later, however, was that even though I went through the consultation twice, both were equally thorough, professional, and both representatives recommended similar core security capabilities.

The initial consultation is your first visit from ADT, and it involves a service rep essentially touring your property, your home's interior, and questioning you about what you need and expect from your home security and automation system. The rep then makes recommendations on what equipment and service tier makes the most sense and sits down with you to go over every component and arrive at a final installation plan and price.

In my initial consultation, the representative recommended only alarm hardware, but that was because I was still stunned by what I'd paid for the house, so I was trying to save money by avoiding home automation equipment. My second consultation was to review the Pulse system, which meant home automation was part of the assignment. Frankly, knowing what I know now, I would have opted for the home automation equipment even if I was just a regular customer. Yes, there's a price difference as you'll see in the next section, but for my money it's worth it.

Once your service rep has designed a system for you and you've signed off, you'll get your second visit from ADT installation technicians. Installation is a four- to eight-hour affair. In my case, technicians arrived at 8:00 in the morning and left by 3:30 in the afternoon. My sales rep was there to walk me through what was happening, as well as two ADT technicians who did most of the work, but also, at separate intervals, an independent locksmith came to handle the smart lock and an electrician to handle the thermostat controls and other components like cabling for the Z-Wave hub ADT uses for its home automation equipment. Pulse is touted as a wireless system, but various central components, like the hub and the CellGuard backup box require the techs to run some cable and also require one physical port on your home Internet router (lower service tiers with less advanced equipment can make do with a landline or even just a cell connection).

The crew was knowledgeable, professional, and made sure that I understood what was being installed and how to use it. By the time they left, I had everything up and running, had been personally tutored in its use, and had set up basic accounts and access credentials for the main system, the web portal, the remote monitoring software, and the third-party equipment ADT installed for me.

Pricing

The only major downside to Pulse is price and its three-year service contract. When compared with other players, like Vivint or Frontpoint, the pricing structure is similar in that there's an upfront installation cost you can pay all at once or spread across the first three months, and then a monthly cost for maintenance and monitoring. If you compare only prices published on the web, then ADT Pulse looks very competitive. But in practice, if you opt for the higher end of the tiering scale and a modified system with a bunch of devices that aren't included in a basic tier package (and ADT will steer you that way), your price will quickly balloon. In my case, I wound up with an excellent all-around solution, but an eyebrow-arching upfront cost of $3,276.79 and a monthly charge of $63.89, which makes Pulse the most expensive solution we've tested to date.

That said, my installation price is considerably higher than what most people will see, since ADT installed several components simply so I could make them part of my test. ADT claims typical installations in homes similar to mine would be around $1,100. A spokesperson broke down those averages across its core tiers with Tier 1 (Traditional) averaging between $49 and $500 for installation, then $28.99 per month, and Tier 2 (Remote) averaging $500 to $1,000 for installation, then $47.99 per month. Tier 3 (Control) and Tier 4 (Video, which was my tier) generally run $1,000 to $1,500 and above for installation, and then $49.99 per month for Control and $59.99 per month for Video.

All ADT plans feature 24/7 security monitoring from multiple redundant call centers nationwide (which is key for that homeowners insurance discount), on-site consultation, installation by professional technicians, and 24/7 customer service. ADT makes a big deal out of that last one, considering it a competitive differentiator. Smaller monitored security vendors, like Frontpoint, may offer 24/7 monitoring, but its customer service is unavailable after a certain point in the evening. For issues like broken monitoring equipment, faulty alarms, and similar problems, having a human available around the clock can be a very good thing.

The ADT Traditional tier offers only theft and burglary protection hardware, while the Remote tier builds on that to include fire, smoke, and CO2 detection. The Remote tier includes the ability to arm and disarm your alarm via the web, receive email and text alerts, and adds the use of CellGuard backup, which provides a cell-based data and communications link in case your primary internet fails. The Control tier takes everything from the previous tiers and adds the basics of home automation, including climate control, lighting and appliance control, an upgraded touch-screen keypad, and remote (smart) door locks. Finally, the Video tier adds real-time video security and other optional extras like additional keypads if needed.

Again, these lists of basic equipment packages don't mean much when you're working with ADT, as the company's key sales drive is to design a custom solution that'll include whatever you need. Work with your ADT rep, and don't be afraid to go back and redesign a proposed setup if it turns out to be too rich for your blood.

My upfront costs were high compared with the competition, and even if they'd come in at ADT's more average price of $1,100 to $1,500, I still would have choked a bit. But as you'll see below, mine is a fairly decked out example of an ADT installation. While I wasn't thrilled about the very expensive startup charge, the monthly dues seem reasonable considering what was installed. And while my addition of the Quality Service Plan cost me another $11 per month, I felt that was worth it since it covers parts and labor on any devices that need fixing; and besides, I received a $7 and change monthly discount because I'm a State Farm customer, a discount that'll apply to you, too, if you use not just State Farm, but also USAA, MetLife, Chubb, and several other insurance providers. That brought me down to just under $64 per month, which I feel is worth it.

After the pricing ding, there's the service contract. Competitors, like SimpliSafe, have no contract and let you out of your service whenever you want. ADT signs you to a three-year contract. If you were to move during your contract period, but opt to keep the service, ADT would install a basic system at your new home for $249 and let you add components at a 25 percent discount until you hit $750 worth of hardware. After that, you'd pay full price for additional hardware. You could attempt to uninstall some of the components at your old home and move them to your new one and ADT would incorporate those, but whatever is left in the old house after you leave, ADT will simply try to resell to the next owner.

The real gut punch happens if you simply decide to quit the ADT service entirely while still subject to a service contract. In that case, you pay ADT 75 percent of whatever monthly fees you would still owe through the end of your contract period immediately.

What this service contract, termination clause, and pricing structure really tell me is that ADT isn't for apartment dwellers. If you're operating on a lease and your lifestyle means you'll be hopping residences for the foreseeable future, I don't think ADT is your best bet. I'd use Vivint or SimpliSafe, or one of the better DIY security kits, like iSmartAlarm Premium. But if you own your home and your professional life is stable enough to keep you where you are, then the termination clause really isn't an issue, and it's more about service quality as well as security and automation functionality, which are areas where ADT excels.

Pulse Components

ADT installed a wide variety of components in my system, which is a fully customized setup. All packages include next- or even same-day installation (only in some areas, though), a six-month money-back guarantee, and the service provides you with up to $500 theft protection that takes the form of $500 applied to your insurance deductible.

In my time with the system, the big winners so far are ADT's Pulse software, the IP video cameras, and some third-party add-ons, namely the Nest Thermostat and the Ring Video Doorbell. I say big winners because these are the components I use daily—the house hasn't burned, been burgled, or flooded, so I haven't much needed many of the other components, but I'm glad they're there.

With my setup, there are two external IP video cameras, namely the single unit from ADT that came with my system and is mounted above the garage, and the video cam installed in the Ring Video Doorbell, which the ADT technicians deliberately placed in such a way not just to record anyone in front of the door, but also to let it act as a backup viewing angle to the one mounted over the garage, just from the other side of the yard.

The ADT outdoor IP video camera over the garage works well, supports night vision, and is activated automatically via a motion sensor, though you can also log into your Pulse web portal or mobile app and get a live view at any time. However, I experienced several instances where the Pulse software refused to connect to the camera. A technician's visit didn't cure the problem, though he did install a weatherproof sleeve that was overlooked during the initial installation and seemed to reduce the problem somewhat. The ADT Pulse mobile software was updated during my first three months with the system, and since that's happened I've only experienced one outage that was cured by my logging out and back in again.

The camera's auto-record function is based on motion sensors tuned to ignore small animals. The cam will record a 30-second video clip, then pause for four minutes before it records again. Auto-recorded clips are stored in ADT's Pulse cloud and can be accessed via the Pulse app. The camera operates at 720p resolution and you can record either a manual video or a still snapshot using the Pulse mobile app. All video clips, your own or the ones the camera takes automatically, are stored in ADT's cloud for 30 days. If you want to download anything to save long-term, it's doable, but only using the ADT web portal, not the mobile app. All this functionality comes with your Pulse service contract, none of it costs extra. You can check out the night vision image quality in the screenshot below.

Overall, it works great. I tested the camera via the web app, on my Samsung Galaxy S7 running the Android Pulse mobile app, and on my Apple iPad Pro running the iOS Pulse app. Video resolution was excellent across all three views, though it's especially striking on the iPad due to its excellent screen. My only ding is what does and doesn't set off the camera can be a little erratic at times, with cars passing by on the street triggering it, but the garbage man walking down the driveway sometimes not doing the trick. That's only a few feet, however, and anyone traveling all the way down the driveway or walking from the street to the front door has, so far, always been recorded.

ADT supports a range of other security cameras including indoor cameras should you want one, so you can talk to your technician about different options if the base cam doesn't suit you. Overall, it's been fine for my needs and I'm considering installing another external one at the rear of the house. This is something that'll require a call to ADT and an installation and service charge, but after that, the cam will be fully integrated into the Pulse system. You can even install your own hardware, if you like, though your mileage will vary as to how deeply you'll integrate with ADT's software without help from a company technician.

The Safewatch Pro 3000en control panels can act as your system's central nervous system, but if you're anything like me, you'll quickly wind up using the Pulse mobile app for that. Still, the control panel is a sophisticated piece of equipment. It supports a series of arm and disarm codes for Away, Stay, Night-Stay, and Disarmed, with additional modes available if you work with the ADT technician. It has direct Police and Fire buttons, meaning even if there isn't an alarm going off, pressing one of these buttons will connect you to an ADT call center and the operator will immediately dispatch the emergency service. There's a Chime mode that alerts people in the home if external doors are opened. You get one of these at the Control pricing tier and two at the Video pricing tier, but, again, you're not really limited by those numbers. You can add more if your home needs them.

Download Adt Pulse App To Computer

As you can see, the control panel isn't as pretty as Vivint's, but Vivint expects you to do more with its panel than ADT does. The Safewatch has a monochrome touch screen and a somewhat arcane menu structure. You can select zones to be disarmed while leaving other zones armed (though I didn't enable this in my house). Key system functions are performed with a four-digit security code in addition to a menu command so the system isn't vulnerable to just anyone standing in front of it. The panel has a lot of other functionality, including the ability to adjust your lighting and appliances from its menu and even check weather, traffic, or news. But in the end you'll likely use it mainly for getting in and out of your house. The menu system is rich, but the ADT master web portal and the Pulse mobile app are far easier tools to use for working with your system. You won't even need to punch in your alarm code if you opt for one of the Safewatch's bundled fobs.

There are two kinds of fobs that come with the Safewatch, including one that looks like a car's open/lock fob, and two more that are simply flat, gray disc tokens about the size of a quarter intended to fasten to your keychain. The car fob-looking one will arm or disarm the device when you press the appropriate button. The token has no buttons. Just hold it up to the specially marked part of the Safewatch's front panel and you can arm or disarm the system without having to enter an access code. I use these tokens far more than the fob simply because they're faster.

Third-Party Components

You can read about the details of the Ring Video Doorbell in its own review. The only downside to using it is that ADT hasn't integrated its camera or voice feed into the Pulse app. You'll need to not only download the Ring app to use it, but also set up a separate Ring account, especially if you want it to record video clips to the cloud for you to view later—which is separate from ADT's cloud and costs extra. Effectively, all ADT is doing with the Ring is reselling the device along with installation and service. It's not really integrated into the Pulse service.

The Nest Learning Thermostat also requires a separate account with Nest, but unlike the Ring, you can control it with the Pulse mobile app or your web portal even though it's not directly connected to the Z-Wave control. This lets you change temperature and activate or deactivate heat or AC. You can read about the details of the thermostat in our dedicated review, but in brief, it's a slightly expensive but excellent device that not only simplifies your heating and cooling, it also learns your living patterns over time and will adjust your HVAC accordingly for peak efficiency.

The Ring and the Nest thermostats also use my home Verizon Fios-based Wi-Fi network as their primary path to the Internet. All the other devices either don't need my internet or are connected via cabled connections through my Fios router (you'll only need one port open) and their own wireless connectivity tied to the Z-Wave controller ADT installed in my basement. If the primary internet goes down, the CellGuard backup system kicks in, and every device has battery backup in case the power goes out. The Ring and Nest devices, however, are Wi-Fi-only, and this posed a problem for the Ring as my front door proved a pretty effective wireless signal killer. Initially, the Ring only worked about 20 percent of the time. ADT, however, immediately ordered and, a few days later, installed a Ring range extender, that solved the problem. I also could have ordered this myself or simply augmented my Wi-Fi network signal strength (which I've done since), but I wanted to see what ADT would do on its own first.

As stated, ADT supports a wide variety of other devices, including not just lights but also appliances and garage door openers. I didn't install anything on my garage door as it's essentially a large storage unit right now so I simply want to keep it locked. It's important to note that if I had wanted ADT to automate it, the company wouldn't have installed a new garage door opener, but just a Z-Wave controller that would allow me to remotely operate the opener using Pulse. This is a similar procedure for how ADT will automate your home's other appliances, should you opt for it. What's nice is that aside from remote operation, you can schedule events with most automated devices and appliances, so your home can literally perform basic tasks, like turning the heat up and down for your departure and return after a trip, letting the cleaning crew in Tuesdays at noon if you're away, and turning the front porch light on just before you get home from work every night.

Adt Pulse App For Computer

ADT's latest rev of its software also supports its own Amazon Alexa skill. According to ADT, customers with an Alexa-enabled device, like an Amazon Echo, will be able to use it to arm and disarm their alarms and even access their smart devices using Alexa's voice recognition. However, this is not biometric voice security, meaning your individual voice pattern will not be enough to access the system; you'll still need to enter your alarm code or Pulse access pin number verbally.

The Pulse App

Adt Pulse App Download

One of the best aspects of the service is the Pulse mobile app. It supports Android and iOS devices, and where the web portal is used to really control the Pulse system end-to-end, the mobile app is your daily monitor. You can access the mobile app using your primary ADT web portal login or a four-digit pin code.

The app provides remote alerts should an alarm be triggered, and you can even activate or deactivate the alarms via Pulse—handy in case you forget to turn it on when leaving or if you turned it on and forgot someone needed to get access while you're away. You can also set the app to alert you in case you forget to arm it by a certain time.

The Pulse app also lets you access ADT's Home View, though you'll need to initially configure that using the web portal. Home View lets you create a visual blueprint of your house room by room and map where all your smart devices and security nodes are located. Once configured, Home View color-codes these device icons to show their status and summary activity screens, and if one of them is a camera, you can simply click on it to get a live view of what the cam is seeing.

Anything connected to the Z-Wave hub can be controlled via the mobile app. Lights can be turned on and off, smart locks can be activated or unlocked, and thermostats can be set on the fly. You can give as many people as you want access to your Pulse app, each with their own access code, though there will be only one primary user who has total access to all functionality via the Pulse web portal. You can also give different users varying levels of access to which systems they can control and even when they can get into your home.

It's also important to note here that there's no direct connection between ADT Pulse and ADT Canopy. The Pulse service provides security and automation to your home that you can access and control via the web and your Pulse mobile app. Canopy is a personal and mobile service that integrates with other smart home devices or various Samsung wearables and basically gives you threat protection and access to ADT's emergency dispatch services on the go.

ADT made some changes to the Pulse app in early 2018. While the UI seems to have gotten a little friendlier, which is always welcome, it temporarily removed one important feature that I missed: cloud storage for my camera view. The camera doesn't have a great track record of performance (see below), but when it worked, I liked having the 30-second clips of whatever video it took available for viewing through the Pulse app. That's been moved to an easily-missed 'Clips' button, so be careful to examine the UI closely as new features come out or get deprecated. What you miss might not actually be gone.

Ongoing Issues and Support

In the year since I've had the system operating in my home, my overall experience has been great. The sensor system caught a small flood in my basement and never hiccupped when I had a power outage. Customizing the sounds made by the control panel turned out to be a requirement, but wasn't all that hard to do once I dug into the panel's interface.

The only issues I've had were with an errant temperature sensor and the outside camera. The senor decided to send an alarm very early on a Sunday and then threw itself into a noisy loop. Customer service was on the phone as soon as I called, however, and walked me through bypassing that sensor until a repair technician could come to the house. That part was great. The part where the technician didn't know where the sensor was or even why it would have been installed wasn't so great. Still, he simply deleted it from the system and now at least the house is quiet, though somewhere there's the tiny corpse of a sensor rotting away for no good reason.

The outside camera is hit or miss and has been since the system was installed. Overall, I'd say it works about 75 percent of the time. ADT has been out twice to fix it with neither visit making any difference. While it has a nice wow factor, the camera isn't really a lynchpin of the system, so I'm not overly concerned with it. Still, it is a primary component and you're paying for it, so overall it could use improvement.

On the service side, however, ADT has been highly responsive. Support will attempt to fix your problem over the phone, including having you march through the house looking for panels and sensors to tweak, but if they can't help you resolve it within 15 minutes or so, they tend to default to sending someone out. All the technicians they've sent to my house since installation (three of them) have been prompt, courteous, and seemed to know what they were talking about.

Conclusions

Overall, I'm very happy with the ADT Pulse system. I definitely experienced some sticker shock at the initial setup cost, but considering the level of service and all the equipment installed, the price is justified, and on a monthly basis, not that much higher than most of the competition. The three-year service contract definitely lags behind our other Editors' Choice winner, Vivint, but it's not a big heartache if you know you're not going to leave your current residence and completely opt out of the ADT service inside of three years.

While Pulse is certainly much more expensive than a DIY system, like iSmartAlarm Premium or Abode, it offers capabilities those systems simply can't, including 24/7 monitoring and customer support. It's the most complete, full-featured home security system we've tested, and doubles as an automation platform for your other smart home devices. If you can swing the price, ADT definitely lives up to its reputation, and earns our Editors' Choice.

ADT Pulse

Bottom Line: ADT Pulse offers just about everything you could want in a full-service home security system, including many component options, support for popular third-party smart home devices, and a solid app experience.

In 2010, ADT® Security Services, Inc. released the ADT® Pulse, which allows homeowners to monitor and control their security system online or through a smartphone. After having ADT® Pulse installed in your home, you can download the ADT® Pulse app on your phone to control your alarm system. Depending upon the ADT® Pulse package you choose, you can arm or disarm your system and view real-time video of your home. Some packages also allow you to adjust the thermostat and control the lighting in your house.

Step 1

Go to the official ADT® Pulse website and review the various ADT® Pulse packages. The remote monitoring options and monthly fees vary per package. Depending upon your needs, you can select a package that includes real-time video monitoring, as well as thermostat and lighting control.

Step 2

Click on the 'Get Info' link, then click on the 'Click Here' link for existing ADT customers. Complete the online ADT® Pulse form, including your name, address, email address and phone number. After submitting the form, the company will review your request and contact you by phone.

Step 3

Speak with an ADT® Pulse representative and select a package, such as 'Premier,' 'Advantage' or 'Select.' Schedule the installation for your chosen ADT® Pulse package. After the ADT® Pulse system is installed, you can use the ADT® Pulse app on your Web-enabled phone to monitor your home.

Step 4

Access the Apps store on your smart phone and enter 'ADT Pulse' in the search box. When the app appears on your screen, select the app and install it on your phone.

Step 5

Launch the ADT® Pulse app on your phone. You will notice the 'Security,' 'Cameras,' 'Lights' and 'Thermostats' icons at the bottom of the app screen.

Step 6

Tap on 'Security' to view or change the status of your ADT® alarm. The app will inform you whether or not your alarm is armed. If you would like to disarm your alarm system, tap 'Disarm.'

Step 7

Tap on 'Cameras' to view real-time video of the inside of your home.

Step 8

Tap 'Thermostats' to adjust the temperature controls of your home. The current temperature in your house will be displayed on the app screen. Use the arrows to increase or decrease the temperature.

Tap 'Lights' and select the light you want to adjust. You will have the option to turn on a light, turn off a light or dim a light.

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