How Do I Assign a Prox Tag to a User on the IQ5 NS Panel?

To assign a Prox Tag on the IQ5 NS, open the IQ Installer app, navigate to User Management, add the Prox Tag by presenting it to a paired keypad's built-in reader, then assign the tag to an existing user code, or create a brand new one, and save the assignment right there in the app.

What a Prox Tag Does

The IQ5 NS (available in AT&T LTE and Verizon LTE) supports Proximity Tags, small key fob or card style tags that let someone disarm the system by holding the tag near a reader instead of entering a code. Since the IQ5 NS has no display of its own, Prox Tags always require a secondary keypad with a built-in Prox reader, such as the IQ Keypad Prox-PG, which provides both the reader hardware and a way to see disarm confirmation.

Prox Tags are tied to user codes rather than existing as their own independent credential. This means a tag inherits the access level and partition permissions of whatever user code it's assigned to, so a tag assigned to a Guest code only arms and disarms, while one assigned to a Master code carries all the access that code has. It's a convenient option for household members, employees, or anyone who finds tapping a tag easier than entering a code on a keypad connected to the security system.

How to Assign a Prox Tag to a User

1. Open the IQ Installer app and connect to the panel. The app communicates directly with the IQ5 NS over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to load its configuration menus.

2. Navigate to User Management within the Configuration menu. This is where user codes are created, edited, and where Prox Tags get added and assigned.

IQ5 NS navigation path to User Management in the IQ Installer app

3. Touch Add Prox Tag, then present the tag to the reader on the paired secondary keypad. The system scans for the tag through the keypad's reader hardware, since the panel itself has no reader built in.

4. Assign the tag to an existing user code, or create a new one, and save. Select the user this tag belongs to from the list, or create a brand new user code specifically for this tag, then save the assignment in the app.

Managing Prox Tags After They're Assigned

A Prox Tag can be reassigned to a different user code later, or removed entirely, from the same User Management screen in the IQ Installer app. If a tag is lost, removing its assignment immediately revokes its ability to disarm the system, without needing to touch any other user codes. Since a tag is tied to the access level of whatever code it's linked to, changing that user's permissions, such as restricting them to a single partition, automatically applies the same restriction to their Prox Tag without any separate configuration.

If a Prox Tag Isn't Being Detected

If the system doesn't detect a tag during the Add Prox Tag process, confirm the secondary keypad is properly paired to the IQ5 NS and powered, since the entire process depends on that accessory's reader rather than anything on the main panel. Try holding the tag flat against the reader and slightly closer than usual, since some tags need to be nearly touching the reader surface to register. If a previously working tag stops disarming the system, check that its assigned user code hasn't been deleted or disabled in the app, since removing the underlying user code effectively disables every tag tied to it as well.

Why Prox Tags Are Worth Considering

Prox Tags are especially useful for households or businesses where remembering a numeric code isn't practical for everyone, such as young children, elderly family members, or employees who move through an entry point frequently throughout the day carrying groceries, tools, or equipment. A tag on a keychain or lanyard removes the friction of stopping to enter a code every time, while still tying that access back to a specific, named user for accountability. Because each tag is linked to its own user code rather than sharing a single generic credential, you can still tell exactly who disarmed the system and when, the same way you would with a typed code, just without anyone needing to remember or enter one at the paired keypad.

Assigning Prox Tags to user codes on the IQ5 NS gives your household a fast, code-free way to disarm the system through a paired keypad on the IQ5 NS. For help with Prox Tags or other user code configurations or other configurations on your IQ5 NS, contact the Alarm Grid support team. We are here Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time. Email us at support@alarmgrid.com, call us at 888-818-7728, or visit our website and chat with a live support agent.