What Are Partitions and How Do I Set Them Up on IQ Panel 5?

Partitions let you divide the IQ Panel 5 into up to four independent zones that arm and disarm separately. To set them up, enable Partitions in Dealer or Installer Settings, assign sensors to each partition, then assign user codes to control which partitions each person can access.

What Partitions Do

The IQ Panel 5 (available in AT&T LTE and Verizon LTE) supports up to four partitions, each functioning as its own independently armed zone. A partition can represent a physically separate area, like a detached apartment or a rented unit, or simply a section of a larger home you want to control separately, like a main house and a finished basement. Arming one partition doesn't arm the others, so someone can be active in one area while another area is fully armed.

Partitions must be enabled first under Dealer or Installer Settings before any of the partition-specific menus appear. Once enabled, the home screen displays page indicators letting you swipe between partitions, and you can also control partitions remotely from the Alarm.com customer website or mobile app rather than only at the panel itself.

How to Set Up Partitions

1. Enable Partitions under Dealer or Installer Settings. This step must be completed by an installer or dealer, since Partitions is not a setting exposed to the Master or User code by default.

2. Assign sensors to a partition during enrollment. When adding a new sensor, use the Partition Name dropdown to choose which of the up to four partitions that sensor belongs to.

IQ Panel 5 sensor enrollment screen with Partition Name field

3. Review the Partitions overview screen. This screen shows how many partitions are configured and an overview of each partition's current status.

IQ Panel 5 Partitions overview screen showing configured partitions

4. Rename each partition to match its location. Touch a partition and use the edit popup to rename it something meaningful, like Main House or Basement Apartment, instead of leaving it as a generic label.

IQ Panel 5 partitions edit popup for renaming a partition

5. Assign user codes to specific partitions. In User Management, grant each user code access to one partition, multiple partitions, or all partitions, depending on who should be able to arm and disarm which areas.

IQ Panel 5 user code assignment screen for partition access

Accessing and Controlling Partitions

When the panel is locked or the screen times out, you'll be prompted to re-enter your code, and the code you enter determines which partition you access. A code with access to all four partitions unlocks the full panel, while a code limited to one partition only shows and controls that area. The Master Code always has full access to Advanced Settings, so a Master user doesn't need to re-enter a code separately to reach the settings menu.

Partitions can also be armed, disarmed, and reviewed from the Alarm.com customer website or the mobile app, which is useful for managing a multi-partition property remotely, such as checking whether a tenant has armed their unit for the night without needing to be at the panel.

Limitations to Know Before Enabling Partitions

A few things don't split cleanly across partitions. Z-Wave devices and Alarm.com cameras currently can't be assigned to individual partitions, so lights, locks, and cameras remain shared across the whole system regardless of how partitions are configured. Global sounds and sirens can also be turned on from the Sound menu once partitions are enabled, and when that option is active, an alarm in any one partition sounds across all partitions rather than staying isolated to the triggering area, which is worth considering for properties where tenants expect their alarm events to stay private to their unit.

If Partition Access Doesn't Work as Expected

If a user code isn't granting access to the partition you expect, double check the assignment in User Management, since partition access is set per code and doesn't automatically inherit from a similar user. If the Partitions option doesn't appear in the menu at all, confirm that it was actually enabled under Dealer or Installer Settings first, since the entire partition interface stays hidden until that toggle is turned on. For monitoring accounts, also confirm with your provider that partitions are supported and properly configured on the account side, not just the panel side, since both need to agree for reporting to work correctly per partition.

Setting up partitions on the IQ Panel 5 lets you manage multiple independently armed areas from a single system on the IQ Panel 5. For help with partitions or other multi-user configurations or other configurations on your IQ Panel 5, 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.