July 2026 Archives

If your alarm goes off, your monitoring station calls you right away to confirm it's real before dispatching help. Call screening apps and phone features are more common than ever, and they can't always tell that dispatch call apart from spam, so it might get silenced or blocked completely.

These tools are great at stopping robocalls and telemarketers, which is exactly the point of using them. The trouble is, your monitoring station's number may be unfamiliar to your phone too, so it can get caught in that same net. If the call is about a break-in or a fire, missing it could delay the help you need.

The good news is there's an easy fix. Whitelist your monitoring station's phone numbers (add them to your contacts or an "allowed" list) so they always get through, no matter what call screening tool you use.

How Call Screening Can Block Your Monitoring Station

Call screening comes in a few common forms, and most people use more than one at a time without realizing it.

• Phone-based screening apps. Google's Call Screen feature (built into Pixel phones) can automatically answer unknown calls with an AI assistant, ask who's calling, and hang up on anything it flags as spam. Apple's Silence Unknown Callers feature works differently. It sends any call from a number that isn't already in your contacts, recent calls, or Siri suggestions straight to voicemail without ever ringing your phone.
• Phone carrier services. Carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all offer built-in spam protection, such as Verizon's Call Filter or T-Mobile's Scam Shield. These services label suspicious calls and can automatically send anything flagged as "spam" or "junk" to voicemail.
• Third-party call-blocking apps. Apps like Truecaller, Hiya, and RoboKiller work similarly. They compare incoming numbers against huge spam databases and block or silence calls that they deem suspicious.

Every one of these tools works the same basic way. Numbers that aren't already saved to your contacts (or added to the app's own allow list) get treated with suspicion. Since your monitoring station's number probably isn't saved anywhere on your phone, it can easily get caught in the same net as spam calls.

How to Whitelist a Number

Whitelisting is simple, and it works across almost every call screening tool. Save the monitoring station's phone number (or numbers in the case of stations like CMS) as a contact on your phone. Most call screening apps and phone features automatically let contacts through without screening them.

If a carrier or third-party app has its own separate "allow" or "safe" list (Verizon's Call Filter does, for example), add the number or numbers there too. Check the settings menu of whatever call screening app or feature you use to see if this option is available.

Alarm Grid's Monitoring Station Numbers

If you're an Alarm Grid customer based in the United States, you're monitored by Criticom, aka CMS, save all five of these numbers as contacts. A CMS call could come from any of them, so no single number is enough on its own:

• (800) 432-1429
• (800) 631-2299
• (714) 373-7000
• (800) 468-4640
• (800) 482-9800

If you're monitored by Rapid Response (Canadian customers), save this number:

• (800) 932-3822

CMS sends all text message and automated notifications from the short code 60281. If your phone or messaging app filters unknown senders, add this short code to your contacts or allow list as well, so you don't miss those alerts either.

Saving these numbers only takes a minute, but it makes sure a screening app never stands between you and help. If you're an Alarm Grid customer and aren't sure which monitoring numbers apply to your account, contact our support team at support@alarmgrid.com and we'll help you sort it out. we're here Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM Eastern Time. You can also call us at 888-818-7728 or visit our website to chat with a live agent (9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Eastern Time).

Not signed up for monitoring yet? Alarm Grid offers central station monitoring with no contracts, no activation fees, and no termination fees. Check out our monitoring plans and protect your home or business today.

This Fourth of July marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That's a pretty incredible milestone. From the whole Alarm Grid team, we want to wish you a happy Independence Day, and however you're spending the holiday, we hope you safelt enjoy every moment of it.

A quarter millennium of freedom, independence, and everything this country has built along the way. Whether you're watching fireworks, gathering with family, or just taking a well-earned day to relax, July 4th is a day to appreciate how far we've come and the people who made it possible. Happy 250th, America!

We're Observing Regular Business Hours

With July 4th falling on a Saturday this year, Alarm Grid is observing regular business hours today, Friday, July 3. Our team is available from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern, so if you need help with your system, have a question about your account, or anything else, give us a call at (888) 818-7728 or email us at support@alarmgrid.com. We're happy to help.

Your Monitoring Never Takes a Holiday

As always, our 24/7 central station partners at Criticom Monitoring Services (CMS) and Rapid Response will remain fully staffed throughout the holiday weekend. Your system is monitored and signals are processed around the clock, so you can enjoy the long weekend knowing your home or business is protected.

If you need to contact the monitoring station to cancel a false alarm or put your system on test:

US customers: Call CMS at (888) 818-7728 and press Option 9. Have your name, address, and false alarm password ready.

Canadian customers: Call Rapid Response at (800) 932-3822 with your name, address, and false alarm password ready.

Please make sure to provide your correct false alarm password when you call. Giving the wrong password or your duress password will result in a dispatch of emergency services, as designed.

If You Need Technical Support Over the Weekend, Email Us

The monitoring station can only help with alarm related events and system tests. For technical support, programming questions, or account changes like zone names and contact lists, shoot us an email at support@alarmgrid.com. Our office will be closed Saturday and Sunday, but we'll be back Monday morning at 9:00 AM Eastern and will get to your request as quickly as we can. If it's urgent and you're an Alarm Grid customer, you can also reach us at (888) 818-7728 during regular business hours.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

UPDATE: This issue has been resolved as of 07/02/26. Once resolved, information about the issue was removed from Alarm.com notices, so we don't have an exact time of resolution.

Alarm.com has confirmed a technical issue affecting remote commands sent to LiftMaster and Chamberlain smart garage door devices. The issue began at midday on July 1, 2026. It may cause a delay when you try to open, close, or check the status of your garage door through Alarm.com. Some installers may also have trouble adding new LiftMaster or Chamberlain devices to a system until the issue is fixed.

If you didn't know, you can add a compatible LiftMaster or Chamberlain garage door to your Alarm.com account. We have an FAQ that walks through the integration on a Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus, but the setup is nearly the same for any panel that supports the feature.

Alarm.com is actively working on a fix and has not yet given an end time for the issue. No action is needed on your part. If you use a LiftMaster or Chamberlain garage door opener with your system, you may notice a delay before your commands go through until the issue is resolved.

We will update this post as soon as Alarm.com resolves the issue. In the meantime, if you have any questions, contact the Alarm Grid support team at support@alarmgrid.com or call us at 888-818-7728.