You are looking to install a home security system. Nearly every brand you have looked at offers full app control. But what does that mean? How much control do you actually have over every device in your system? And more importantly, do you still need a control panel and keypad to make the system work?
Modern wireless technology makes full app control possible. With nothing more than a smartphone and an internet connection, you can control every aspect of your home security system, as long as the provider’s platform supports your phone’s OS.
The HomeProtect system from Vivint Home Security is the perfect example. This flexible, affordable system comes with a mobile app offering remote access anywhere in the world. If your phone can get online, the app can help you manage your system.
No Hub Is Necessary
From a purely technical aspect, no hub is necessary for full app control. Having full control with an app means just that. At the same time, there are benefits to having a hub.
For starters, a hub is what ties everything together. It is the central point through which all your devices interact. Without it, your phone is left to act as a hub. That can slow down your phone, jack your data consumption, and make some of your other apps virtually unusable.
Also note that programming via a hub can be a little bit easier thanks to the larger screen and more finger-friendly controls. So while a hub isn’t technically necessary, it is still not bad to have one even with full app control.
The Keypad Question
Hand-in-hand with the hub is the keypad. In the old days, every home security system had a keypad mounted by the front door. The keypad was what a homeowner would use to arm and disarm his system as he came and went. Is a keypad absolutely necessary for full app control? No.
With full app control, you can arm and disarm your system with your phone. However, a keypad acts as a backup system. If your phone battery dies or your device is inadvertently hacked, you can still use the keypad to arm and disarm your system.
What You Can Control With a Phone
Moving on to what you can actually control with your phone, the possibilities are endless. Today’s home security systems are smart systems, and one of the markers of smart technology is remote access. Any home security system that offers full app control allows you to access and control every device in your system as long as it is compatible with the app.
Check it out:
- Cameras – With your phone, you can view all your cameras in real time. You can also adjust cameras that your system fully supports. Change the view, but just the focus color or play with the pan and tilt.
- Lighting – If your home security system includes lighting features, those features should be accessible remotely. Turn lights on and off with the tap of your phone. Create automated lighting routines. You can even set up the system to send you an alert when lights turn on or off unexpectedly.
- Locks – Homeowners are quickly embracing the idea of smart locks to enhance their home security systems. Smart locks can be activated and deactivated with a phone. You can also monitor who is coming and going by assigning different PINs to each member of the family.
If you have integrated smart home devices with your security system, they should be accessible from your app as well. Think of things like adjusting the thermostat and opening or closing your smart blinds. Pretty much any device on your network is accessible through the app as long as the app supports it.
Support Is the Big Question
Your system supporting full app control is heavily dependent on the system itself. Let’s go back to Vivint and its HomeProtect system. Everything in a HomeProtect package is fully supported by the app. You won’t have any trouble controlling each of the devices, regardless of whether they are security or automation devices.
Let’s say you go with another brand, like SimpliSafe. Every piece of hardware in one of their systems is also fully supported. No worries about full app control. You don’t start running into problems until you go outside a particular brand.
You might choose to build a home security and automation system based on Amazon’s Alexa ecosystem. Alexa supports a fairly large number of third-party devices. However, not every feature of every device may be supported by the Alexa app. That’s the tricky part.
I have a wireless interior camera that Alexa recognizes. I can turn the camera on or off with the Alexa app. But the app does not support the camera’s advanced features, features like:
- View profiles
- Tilt and pan
- Object tracking
- Facial recognition
For all intents and purposes, I can only use the Alexa app to turn the camera on and off. If I want access to any of the advanced features, I need to use the manufacturer’s app.
Full Control With a Single Brand
The issues I have with my off-brand camera highlight one advantage of going with a single brand. A brand like Vivint Home Security only sells devices it can support directly. So investing in a Vivint system would guarantee I have full app control over every device.
If that is important to you, seriously consider choosing a brand and sticking with it. I still prefer the freedom of building and maintaining my security and home automation system with devices from lesser-known brands. I can work around not having full app control of some of my devices.
Full app control does have its perks. Being able to access and control every device in a system from virtually anywhere in the world means never being disconnected from home. Given the mobile nature of modern culture, I am not surprised that so many people appreciate home security with full app control.
