00:00Check this out. You walk up to your front door hands-free, phone still in your
00:05pocket, your doorbell recognizes your face and determines that your phone is
00:09within range. And without lifting a finger, the door automatically unlocks.
00:13While this may sound futuristic, you can actually do this right now with ADT's
00:17new ADT Plus home security system, which combines traditional security with the
00:22best smart home devices from Google and Yale. However, its standout feature is
00:27the new trusted neighbor service. Your network of neighbors, family or friends
00:32can help you take care of your home while you're away, even while you're
00:35completely offline. With their new trusted neighbor feature, ADT is aiming to do more
00:39than just traditional home security like protecting your home from theft, fires or
00:43leaks. With the new system, they're creating a smarter, more connected home
00:47that helps you automate routines or address smaller issues that don't
00:51necessarily require emergency services. ADT Plus combines Google Nest doorbells,
00:56cameras and smart displays like this one with its safety and monitoring sensors.
01:00The system provides real time alerts for video monitoring and automation
01:04through Google smart devices, along with ADT's own suite of sensors for motion
01:09detection, door and window movement, water leaks and smoke and CO2 alerts.
01:13Beyond its security features, integration with Google Home allows you to
01:16control a wide range of other compatible smart devices like lights, locks and room and
01:21temperature, all from the same app. This integration with Google Home has
01:24existed for several years now, but new for this year. ADT is introducing its
01:28trusted neighbor feature, which lets you assign specific roles to people that you
01:31trust, giving them access to your home in predefined situations. The idea is you
01:37want or need someone to enter your house, but only at certain times under certain
01:41circumstances. But how does it all work? The trusted neighbor feature uses Google
01:45Nest's doorbell facial recognition to offer hands-free entry, automatically
01:49unlocking its paired Yale smart lock. For example, you might want to grant access to
01:54your dog walker for an hour every Monday morning or allow your neighbor to enter
01:57your home to put away a package once it's recognized on the doorbell. This access
02:02can be time restricted in increments of one hour up to 24 hours with the option to
02:05set notifications for both you and the trusted contact. It'd be great though, in my
02:10opinion, if ADT added shorter time increments, say, for example, five minutes or 30
02:14minutes for simpler tasks like bringing the package through or watering your plants. They don't need that much
02:19time. Now, one of the key benefits with this system is that it eliminates the need for
02:23physical keys or shared passcodes, which can be easily duplicated or misused.
02:27Speaking from past experiences, I've had packages pile up while I've been out of town and the ability
02:32to just let a trusted neighbor in to quickly handle it would have been great. Testing this out,
02:37I received an alert when a package was sighted by the doorbell and thanks to the flexibility of the
02:41system, my trusted neighbor could safely enter and bring everything inside. ADT's total safety
02:47package is modular. So if you want to add more devices or features later, it's easy to do so
02:51without a complete overhaul. Right away. And its integration with devices like the Google Nest
03:03Hub allows you to monitor your system through voice commands or touch controls. You can ask
03:07Google to show you the front door camera, lock the back door. But of course, if you're already using
03:12Alexa or Apple HomeKit and you're heavily invested in those systems, the Google-centric nature of ADT Plus
03:16may not be for you as it lacks compatibility with those ecosystems. Now, let me show you the hardware
03:20I've got set up. Front and center is the Google Nest doorbell. It's the first line of monitoring,
03:26detecting strangers, packages, deliveries, and even recognizing those familiar faces. Inside, there's a
03:31door sensor that detects when the front door opens or closes. And on the left side of that door is the
03:36ADT touchscreen. This display gives me a quick view of the system status and lets me arm or disarm it in
03:42seconds. It's clean, modern, and it blends in with the rest of the setup. Above the door,
03:47there's a motion detector that covers the living room and kitchen area. On my living room bookshelf
03:52is the Nest indoor camera. It's small and discreet, but gives me full visibility of the key areas in
03:57my home, even in low light. Underneath that, we've got the massive Google Nest Max display,
04:02which ties everything together. It lets me check on my cameras, control my smart devices,
04:06and see and respond to alerts. And in the kitchen, I've added another Nest Max, mostly for music and
04:11following along with the recipes while I cook. And while it's not directly tied in with the
04:15security system, extras like the Google Nest thermostat can be bundled together with your
04:19ADT package since it's so well integrated with that Google ecosystem.
04:23In the hallway is the main ADT plus hub. This acts as the brain for the whole system,
04:28and it's got a couple of unique features. Aside from having the keypad and function buttons for
04:32arming and disarming the system or calling emergency services like the police, fire or paramedics,
04:37the idea with this is that it can be moved to any central location in your home. So it can reach and
04:43communicate with your other ADT sensors without having dead spots. The hub's other main function,
04:47which you'll never really notice unless you're checking your notifications in the app,
04:51is that it's responsible for updating the other hardware remotely. Now, here's one of my favorite
04:56parts. Everything communicates wirelessly. And aside from the ADT display, which just needs a few
05:01screws to install, the whole system is very renter friendly and modular. For someone like me who
05:06likes to move around a lot, having a security system that is this flexible is a huge plus.
05:11Finally, there's the ADT smoke and carbon monoxide detector, which will automatically notify emergency
05:16services if triggered, and the water and temperature sensors to warn you about frozen pipes and leaks
05:21before they turn into disasters. One thing to keep in mind is that ADT plus isn't the cheapest home
05:26security option out there, but you're paying for a full service package that's deeply integrated with
05:31Google's ecosystem. For most people, the front door protection package can be a great entry point.
05:36It's usually priced at $718, but it's currently available for $359. This covers the basics and
05:41includes the ADC base, motion detector, door and window sensors, the Yale smart lock, and of course,
05:46the Google Nest doorbell. The total safety package bumps things up with additional sensors,
05:51an indoor and two outdoor cameras. That one is currently listed for about $823, which is a decent
05:57deal considering all the additional hardware you're getting. Beyond the upfront cost for hardware,
06:00though, you'll need to factor in the price for professional monitoring, which starts at $44.99 per
06:05month with a minimum one month commitment. This plan also includes access to Google Nest to wear,
06:10which would typically cost $8 a month on its own. So if you already use Google Nest products,
06:15this might feel like a win-win. That said, before deciding if ADT plus is right for securing your home,
06:20there are a couple of things you should keep in mind. First, just like with a lot of other home
06:24security companies, ADT's hardware is proprietary. And so with their sensors, their base, you won't
06:29be able to move it to a new service if you decide to switch. That said, if you do want to switch,
06:33you can continue to use all the Nest hardware, including the cameras, the displays, and the
06:38doorbell. And if you want, you can subscribe to Nest Aware if you want to have that extended video
06:42playback. But maybe even a bigger point than that is even though the system can be completely hands-free
06:47to reenter your home, you might not want to keep it that way. By default and recommended by ADT,
06:53the system will actually send a notification to your phone asking for confirmation before unlocking
06:57the door. And while that does kind of take away from some of the magic of this system,
07:01it does give me extra peace of mind knowing that it's not going to misidentify someone or get spoofed.
07:06And because this feature is still in beta, there's of course going to be room to improve,
07:09but also I'd imagine over time, potential vulnerabilities that could be found.
07:14So keeping that extra layer of security is probably the way to go, at least for right now.
07:19On a positive note though, the core functionality of your ADT Plus trusted neighbor system continues
07:24to work just as well, even without facial recognition. You'll still be able to grant control
07:29and secure access to your home. Your neighbors will just have to use the app in order to auto
07:33unlock your door when they're ready to enter, which again, I think is a smarter choice.
07:38But let's ask the real question here, is a system that depends on other people, no matter how much
07:43you trust them, worth potential risks. You're essentially handing over control, albeit selectively
07:49and securely to others. If you have a solid network of people that you can rely on, ADT Plus offers
07:53incredible convenience and peace of mind, which could justify the additional costs. But it's also
07:58important to ask yourself if you're comfortable with the idea of external help having access to your
08:02home. The balance between convenience and security is delicate, and in the end, it's all about how much
08:08trust you're willing to invest both in your neighbors and your technology. But let me know
08:13what you think about the brand new ADT Plus trusted neighbor home security system with facial
08:17recognition being such a core feature. Is this something you'd add to your home today?
08:22Thanks for watching. Till the next one. Catch you later.
Comments