How Do I Use the Entry Delay Feature on the IQ5 NS Panel?

To adjust Entry Delay on the IQ5 NS, open the IQ Installer app on your mobile device, enter the Installer Code (1111 by default), then navigate to Security and Arming to set the Entry Delay 1 and Entry Delay 2 timers for each individual door or window sensor across the whole system.

What Entry Delay Does

Entry Delay gives you time to reach a keypad or use the Alarm.com app to disarm the IQ5 NS (available in AT&T LTE and Verizon LTE) before an armed door sensor triggers an alarm. Without a delay, opening a monitored entry point while the system is armed would sound the siren immediately. Most households use two delay tiers, a shorter one for a secondary entrance and a longer one for the main door, so everyone has enough time to disarm without giving an intruder extra room to work.

The panel supports two separate Entry Delay timers, Entry Delay 1 and Entry Delay 2, each assignable per sensor. A family with kids who come in through a side door might set a longer delay there, while keeping the front door on a tighter window. Entry Delay only applies while the system is armed in Away or Stay mode. It has no effect while the panel is disarmed, and it works alongside Exit Delay, which gives you time to leave after arming. Since the IQ5 NS has no built-in display, every setting is managed remotely.

How to Change Entry Delay Settings

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

IQ Installer app connecting to the IQ5 NS panel

2. Enter the Installer Code when prompted. The default Installer Code is 1111 unless it has been changed. This unlocks system-level configuration options that aren't available to regular users.

3. Navigate to Security and Arming from the main configuration menu. This menu lists Entry Delay 1, Entry Delay 2, Exit Delay, and other arming-related timers for the whole system.

Security and Arming menu in the IQ Installer app

4. Adjust the Entry Delay 1 and Entry Delay 2 values to the number of seconds you want. Most installers set Entry Delay 1 between 30 and 45 seconds for main entrances, and use Entry Delay 2 for secondary doors that need a different timing window.

5. Assign each door or window sensor to Entry Delay 1 or Entry Delay 2 from the sensor's edit fields in the app. This determines which timer applies when that specific sensor is triggered while the system is armed.

Sensor edit fields in the IQ Installer app

What to Expect After Setting Entry Delay

Once configured, opening a sensor assigned to Entry Delay while the system is armed starts a countdown that you can track through the Alarm.com app or a paired wireless keypad. Since the IQ5 NS has no built-in display, audible beeping from a paired keypad or the panel's own sounder is the main cue that time is running out. You can disarm from a paired keypad, a key fob, or the Alarm.com app before the timer expires. If the timer runs out without a valid disarm, the alarm triggers and the monitoring center is notified. Shorter delays improve security by giving intruders less time to move through the home, while longer delays reduce false alarms from family members who need extra time to disarm.

Setting up Entry Delay correctly on the Qolsys IQ5 NS balances convenience with security for every entry point in your home. on the IQ5 NS. For help with Entry Delay 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.