ADT Control App Not Working

When ADT began phasing out Pulse and sweeping in the new Command and Control panels, the app software design was placed in the hands of alarm.com, and they did a pretty fine job. But even the best software can run into problems, so what do you do if your ADT Control app is not working?

In most cases, if the ADT Control app is not working, it will be internet-related. To troubleshoot, start small and work your way up; connection, firmware, and settings are the first places to check.

The ADT Control app doesn’t have a bad reputation. In fact, iOS reviewers rate the app an average of 4.8/5, with over 153k users. Android has far fewer downloads, but the results are similar at 4.5/5. That doesn’t mean things can’t go wrong, however, so we’ve added some troubleshooting tips below you can try if you’re suddenly having problems with the ADT Control app.

Check Your Settings

This is especially true for iPhone users, as Apple often defaults to off on a new app’s access to certain iPhone features.

• With either Android or iPhone, scroll into your apps and find ADT Control. Check to make sure it has the proper access that it needs to function, such as local network, notifications, and cellular data.
• Also, at the very bottom, the most recent firmware update should be listed. Check that against the website to make sure the ADT Control app is up to date.

Sometimes it’s the simple things that will throw an app off, especially one that needs certain access to your phone or connections.

Check Your Internet Connections

This one’s obvious, but sometimes it’s so obvious it’s easy to miss. If you’re standing in a spot where your phone should have switched from cellular to Wi-Fi, there’s a problem. If you happen to be on a data plan where your internet is choked during high-traffic hours, accessing the ADT Control app will be difficult.

If there’s a problem with the Wi-Fi, the simplest solution is always to reboot it. It solves the problem 90% of the time. Nothing fancy; just a soft reboot will generally do the trick.

Uninstall and Reinstall the ADT App

Quirky apps will often straighten out when you delete them and reinstall. Unfortunately, it also means re-entering all of your credentials once it’s up and running again.

Also, any late firmware upgrades will generally trigger once an app is installed. If a firmware upgrade was the problem, uninstalling and reinstalling the app will likely update it.

If you’re still having problems with the app after reinstalling and logging in—or attempting to—contact ADT Customer service and see why they advise on their end.

Reboot Your Phone

A smartphone with a lot of programs running in the background is problematic for other apps and functions. Rebooting the phone will clear a lot of that up. You can also get rid of any cache history and swipe away a bunch of screens if you have multiple ones running simultaneously.

It’s also worth considering your phone. How old is it, and is the ADT Control app compatible with the current version? For iOS users, the ADT Control app work on anything later than iOS 12.0. For Android, it needs to be 6.0 or up. If it’s not, you need to make sure your phone is updated.

If you have an older smartphone, it’s something ADT probably should have caught during the installation process. Contact customer service to make sure your phone is capable of running the Control app software.

How to Control ADT Command System When the App Isn’t Working

When your ADT Command system is professionally installed, you’ll have access to two apps and the website version. The second app, MyADT, is for monitoring and/or modifying account features. It’s available for Android and iOS.

The website version gives you all of the access to the ADT Control app with the addition of several features. You have far more control over your ADT system through the web version than the app.

The Command Panel is a resource as well, so long as you’re the primary user or an approved secondary user, you will still have control over your home security if the Control app is on a brief hiatus.

Final Thoughts

If the ADT Control app isn’t working, nine times out of ten, it’s going to be a simple fix, or something overlooked. Wireless technology is great and convenient until it’s not.

Overall, the ADT Control app isn’t known for having any significant issues on either Android or Apple iPhones, so it’s always a good idea to start simple and work your way up until a solution presents itself.

Worst-case scenarios involve contacting ADT; however, if you follow the tips in this article, you’ll probably resolve the issue on your own.