ADT Door/Window Sensor notifications are late, missing or excessive

The checks in more detail

If the sensor reports open when the door is closed, the gap between sensor and magnet is probably too wide, or the sensor is misaligned; SafeWise's guide says to keep it under about a quarter of an inch. Alerts that arrive late may be due to a slow internet or cellular link, or to the app's background limits on the phone. Alerts you do not expect may come from a sensor that is flapping because of a weak battery or a loose mount, so check those. A window left slightly open, a door that rattles in wind or a sensor on a loose frame triggers repeated open events.

Pets do not trigger door and window sensors, but they can push a loose window. If you are away and get an open alert, check the camera and call the monitoring company or a neighbor. Keep your contact list current, adding family members who should hear the alerts, and removing people who have left. Test notifications after changing phone or number by opening a sensor while the system is in test mode, with the monitoring company told. Do not turn off the alerts permanently because of false ones; fix the sensor or the alignment instead.

Distinguish the three kinds of message you can receive. An open or close alert reports the door itself. A trouble alert reports a sensor that is low on battery, tampered with or not heard from. A system alert reports arming, disarming or an alarm. Setting the alerts you want for each, and leaving the others off, stops the flood that makes people mute the app. For a back door that children use, you might want the open alert only when the system is armed away. Review the choices after any change of household, such as a new tenant or a teenager coming home late.