ADT\u2019s long-rumored new security system<\/a> is now live on ADT.com<\/a>. Featuring entirely new ADT hardware and integrations with Google Nest cameras, smart speakers, and more<\/a>, the new ADT Plus system has a distinctly Google Nest Secure<\/a> look and feel (RIP<\/a>). But how it will work in your home remains to be seen. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The company also announced that the Yale Assure Lock 2<\/a> will be the first smart lock compatible with Trusted Neighbor<\/a>, its new feature that leverages technologies such as\u00a0smart locks<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0facial recognition<\/a>\u00a0to make it easier for people you trust to get into your home in an emergency \u2014 or just to feed the dog.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you have the smart lock as part of the system, you\u2019ll be able to set it so that when your \u201ctrusted neighbor\u201d comes to the house to help you out, the door can unlock automatically and the system disarm, then re-lock and re-arm when they leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The new ADT Plus system is a significant shift for the company as it brings its professionally installed system and DIY system to parity. Now, you get the same hardware no matter which installation route you go. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n ADT Plus replaces\u00a0ADT\u2019s Self Setup system<\/a>, which launched in 2023 following Google\u2019s investment<\/a> in the company. It was offered for free to Nest Secure users when that service shut down and will continue to be supported.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n According to ADT\u2019s chief business officer, Wayne Thorsen, the technology behind the new system \u2014 which uses DECT Ultra Low Energy<\/a>, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, and BLE protocols \u2014 is able to integrate more deeply with hardware from smart home partners like Yale and Google, allowing for more advanced automation. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n In an interview with The Verge, <\/em>Thorsen said this is just the start of more intelligent integrations that will be coming to the new platform. The Z-Wave Yale lock is the first lock to be compatible, but Thorsen says there will be more options in the future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The access feature allows someone you trust to disarm your system and unlock the door using the app or a key code based on parameters you set. These parameters can be time-based or \u2014 uniquely \u2014 event-based. So, you can set it to let Suzy in if a package shows up at your door and to let the plumber in if a leak detector is triggered. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n It can also leverage the Familiar Face feature of Google\u2019s Nest cameras<\/a> and the Yale lock\u2019s connection to the ADT system to have the home \u201cmagically\u201d disarm itself and unlock the door when it recognizes a trusted neighbor.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Yale Assure Lock 2 is being offered in a bundled starter kit for the new system<\/a>, which regularly costs $658.98 but is launching with a 30 percent discount for $461.29. The Front Door Protection bundle includes the new base station, two door\/window sensors, a Yale Assure Lock 2, and a Google Nest Doorbell (battery). Professional monitoring is $45 a month and includes a subscription to Nest Aware<\/a> for event-based video recording (if you want 24\/7 video recording, it\u2019s an extra $7).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The premium Total Safety package<\/a> adds a third door\/window sensor, a motion sensor, three Google Nest Cams (Nest Cam indoor<\/a>, Nest Cam indoor\/outdoor, and Nest Cam floodlight<\/a>), and three water temp sensors for $1,101.76 (reg $1,573.95). You can also build a package that starts at $269 for the base station and one door\/window sensor. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The ADT Plus system can be self-installed and self-monitored. However, you have to pay for one month of monitoring to purchase the system \u2014 after that, you can self-monitor for free, according to the company. For professional installation, a 36-month monitoring plan is required.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The new ADT Plus system borrows heavily from the much-missed Google Secure system<\/a>. It has a similar-looking base station that features a backlit touch-button keypad with proximity sensing and the option of\u00a0premium door and window sensors<\/a>, similar to the Nest Detects that were part of Nest Secure. The sensor can be disabled with a button press \u2014 so you can let the dog out to pee without waking up the whole house \u2014 although it doesn\u2019t double as a motion sensor like the Detect did.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Since Google\u2019s investment in ADT in 2020<\/a>,\u00a0there have been several changes at the top of the company, with many Nest employees moving over from Google to ADT \u2014including Thorsen<\/a>\u00a0and new\u00a0CTO Gilles Drieu,<\/a>\u00a0who was director of engineering at Google Nest. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n This all means the new hardware has Nest\u2019s fingerprint all over it. I\u2019m looking forward to testing it out to see if it\u2019s a worthy Nest Secure successor<\/a>. However, while ADT Plus works with Google Nest hardware, the company tells me it’s not compatible with the Google Home app \u2014 app control is only through the ADT Plus app.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As someone who has covered the smart home and home security for over a decade, I\u2019m excited to see better integration and innovation between the two areas, which have been largely segmented to date. At the same time, it\u2019s frustrating that this is all still locked within a closed ecosystem. It will be interesting to see where ADT, Google, and Yale take this.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nShades of Nest Secure<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n