What Does Bypassing a Zone Do on the IQ Panel 5 System?

Bypassing a zone on the IQ Panel 5 removes a sensor from the system's protection for one arming cycle. When a zone is bypassed, opening or faulting that sensor does not trigger an alarm. This allows you to arm the system even when a sensor is open, damaged, or temporarily out of service.

Before You Begin

The IQ Panel 5 (available in AT&T LTE and Verizon LTE) supports manual sensor bypassing from the arming screen. The Bypass setting for each sensor must be set to Enabled in the sensor's configuration for it to appear in the bypass list. Sensors with Bypass set to Disabled cannot be bypassed by the user. The default Master Code is 1234 and the default Installer Code is 1111. Both should be changed from defaults during installation.

Note that certain sensor types, such as smoke detectors and CO detectors, are configured by the installer to be non-bypassable. Bypassing is intended for burglary sensors, such as door and window contacts and motion detectors. For UL/cUL listed installations, zones can only be bypassed manually.

What Bypassing a Zone Does

When you bypass a zone on the IQ Panel 5, that sensor is excluded from the armed system for the current arming cycle only. The bypassed sensor will not generate an alarm signal if it is opened, triggered, or faulted while the system is armed. The panel treats the sensor as if it does not exist for that session. The bypass is automatically cleared the next time the system is disarmed, so the sensor returns to full protection on the following arm.

Bypassing is commonly used when a window or door needs to remain open while the rest of the system is armed, or when a sensor is temporarily malfunctioning and you still need the rest of the system active. It is also used to arm around a sensor that is awaiting repair or replacement.

How to Bypass a Zone on the IQ Panel 5

To bypass a zone during arming on the IQ Panel 5, touch the arming icon on the home screen. On the arming screen, touch the '>>' icon on the right side to expand the additional arming options. Touch the circle next to any sensor in the Bypass list to select it for bypass. Sensors showing a filled circle are selected and will be bypassed. After selecting all zones to bypass, choose Arm Stay or Arm Away to complete arming.

How Bypassed Zones Are Indicated

A bypassed sensor on the IQ Panel 5 displays with a special status icon on the sensor list. Sensors show as either "Open Bypassed" or "Closed Bypassed" depending on their current physical state. Both states indicate the sensor is excluded from alarm triggering for this arming cycle. You can view all sensor statuses on the arming screen by toggling between the ACTIVE and ALL views.

Auto Bypass Setting

The IQ Panel 5 also has an Auto Bypass setting under Security and Arming in the Installer menu (Installer Code: 1111). When Auto Bypass is enabled (the default), the panel automatically bypasses any open or tampered security sensors when you initiate arming, allowing the system to arm without requiring manual bypass selection. When Auto Bypass is disabled, the panel will not arm if any sensor is open, and you must manually bypass sensors through the additional arming options. Note: Auto Bypass must be disabled for UL/cUL listed commercial burglary installations.

Removing a Bypass

Bypass is automatically removed when the system is disarmed. The IQ Panel 5 clears all manual and auto-bypassed zones at the end of each arming cycle. If you want to remove a bypass before disarming, return to the arming screen, open the additional options, and deselect the bypassed sensor. You can also use the Alarm.com app to manage arming and view current bypass status with an active monitoring plan. Alarm.com will send bypass notifications to confirm which zones are excluded each time arming occurs.

Bypassing a zone on the IQ Panel 5 gives you the flexibility to arm your system even when a sensor needs to be temporarily excluded. For help with zone bypass settings or other configurations on your IQ Panel 5, contact the Alarm Grid support team. We're here Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM Eastern Time. Email us at support@alarmgrid.com.