How Do I Turn Off Keyfob Disarming on the IQ5 NS Panel?

To turn off Keyfob Disarming on the IQ5 NS, open the IQ Installer app, navigate to Installation, Security and Arming, then turn off the Keyfob Disarming toggle. Once disabled, a keyfob can still arm the system, but its disarm button will no longer disarm the panel under any circumstance.

What Keyfob Disarming Controls

The IQ5 NS (available in AT&T LTE and Verizon LTE) allows a paired keyfob to disarm the system by default. Keyfob Disarming is a Security and Arming toggle that controls whether that disarm button actually works, separate from the keyfob's ability to arm the system, which is controlled independently and isn't affected by this setting.

Turning this off is a deliberate security tradeoff. It removes the convenience of disarming from a keyfob, but it also removes a potential entry point for anyone who finds a lost or stolen keyfob, since they'd no longer be able to use it to walk in and disarm your security system. Since the IQ5 NS has no display, this setting is managed entirely through the IQ Installer app.

How to Turn Off Keyfob Disarming

1. Open the IQ Installer app. This is the mobile app used to configure the IQ5 NS, since the panel has no display of its own.

2. Connect to the panel. The app communicates with the IQ5 NS over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to load its configuration menus.

3. Enter the Installer Code when prompted. The default Installer Code is 1111, though your account admin may have changed it to something else, like 2222.

4. Touch Installation. This opens the Installation menu, which lists Devices, Dealer Settings, System Logs, Sirens and Alarms, and Security and Arming.

5. Touch Security and Arming. This menu holds all the arming behavior toggles, including Keyfob Disarming, Keyfob Instant Arming, Keyfob Alarm Disarm, and Arm Stay - No Delay.

IQ5 NS Security and Arming option in the Installation menu

6. Find Keyfob Disarming in the list. This setting is enabled by default, meaning a keyfob's disarm button currently works.

7. Turn off the Keyfob Disarming toggle. Once off, a keyfob's disarm button no longer disarms the panel, regardless of which keyfob is used.

Related Keyfob Settings Worth Knowing

Two other settings live right next to Keyfob Disarming and are easy to confuse with it. Keyfob Instant Arming, enabled by default, turns off the exit delay when a keyfob is used to arm the system, which is about arming speed, not disarming access, and stays active even after you turn off Keyfob Disarming. Keyfob Alarm Disarm, disabled by default, controls something more specific: whether a keyfob can disarm the system during an active alarm event, as opposed to disarming a system that's simply armed and quiet. Turning off Keyfob Disarming overrides both of these, since a keyfob that can't disarm the panel at all obviously can't disarm it during an alarm either.

If You Still Want Some Keyfob Convenience

If losing keyfob disarming entirely feels like too much of a tradeoff, consider whether the real issue is a specific lost or misplaced keyfob rather than the feature itself. Deleting just that one keyfob from the system through the IQ Installer app, rather than disabling disarming for every keyfob on the account, keeps the convenience for keyfobs you still have while cutting off the one you're worried about. Keyfob Disarming as a global toggle is really meant for situations where you'd rather remove the capability entirely, such as a property where a code-based disarm is preferred for accountability, or a household that's decided keyfobs should only be used for quick arming on the way out.

Weighing the Tradeoff Before Turning It Off

It's worth thinking through who actually uses keyfobs in your household before disabling this setting for everyone. A keyfob is often handed to a family member who doesn't want to remember a code, a pet sitter, or a contractor who needs occasional access, and disarming is usually the more convenient half of that relationship, since fumbling with a code at a keypad while carrying groceries or a dog leash is exactly the situation a keyfob is meant to solve. Removing disarm capability shifts those users back to entering a code at a paired keypad every time, which may be an acceptable cost for the added security, but is worth confirming with everyone who relies on a keyfob before you flip the switch in the IQ Installer app.

A Quick Way to Test the Change

After turning off Keyfob Disarming, it's worth testing the change right away rather than assuming it took effect. Arm the system using a keyfob to confirm arming still works as expected, then try disarming with the same keyfob to confirm the disarm button no longer responds. If the keyfob still disarms the panel after this test, double check that the toggle actually saved in the IQ Installer app, since backing out of the Security and Arming menu before the change registers can occasionally leave a setting unchanged. Testing takes less than a minute and confirms the setting is actually protecting your system the way you intended, rather than assuming it worked based on the app's displayed state alone.

Turning off Keyfob Disarming on the IQ5 NS gives you a way to keep keyfob arming convenient while removing disarm access entirely on the IQ5 NS. For help with Keyfob Disarming or other arming behavior settings 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.