Using Urgent Response in the Xfinity app

Urgent Response is not professionally monitored home security. This feature is available at no additional cost to Xfinity Smart Home and Shield Select members.

Urgent Response allows a member to initiate a call from within their Xfinity app to an Urgent Response Certified Professional after a member verifies an event in their home and needs assistance.

Xfinity Smart Home and Xfinity Shield Select by Xfinity Home includes Urgent Response. Urgent Response may be used after a device configured for alerts sends a notification while the service is in Away Watch or Dark Watch mode, depending on the member’s settings.

Use of the Urgent Response feature is subject to the Xfinity Residential Services Agreement, Xfinity Privacy Policy, and Shield Select by Xfinity Home and Xfinity Smart Home Services Addendum.

Urgent Response is off by default and only available if it is customer-activated in the Xfinity app .

Important information

While Urgent Response is not an alarm security system, some municipalities require an alarm registration/permit. It's your responsibility to check directly with your municipality to see if a registration/permit is required. 

Urgent Response Certified Professionals can only assist with calls made by authorized users from the phone numbers registered in the Xfinity app.

Certified Professionals are not monitoring the alerts from your equipment and  will not call unless you initiate a call from within the Xfinity app, even if your service detects motion or is in Away Watch mode. If there is an emergency and you are not connected with a Certified Professional, hang up the phone and dial 911 immediately!

What you’ll need:

• Xfinity Internet
• An eligible Xfinity WiFi Gateway (Technicolor XB7 or newer)
• Xfinity Smart Home or Shield Select
• Activated WiFi Motion, compatible sensors, or a camera configured for Person Alerts, depending on the service and mode settings
• The latest version of the Xfinity app
  • The Home tab in the Xfinity app is only available to Primary, Manager, and Member Xfinity ID users.
  • For more information about the Xfinity app, see Using the Xfinity app.

Add Alarm Permit to Xfinity app

If your municipality requires a registration/permit, you must update your permit information, both permit number and expiration date, in the manage your permit settings in the Xfinity app.

1. Open the Xfinity app and go to the Home tab.
   • Select the gear icon near your Home Watch, Away Watch, or Modes Status.
   • Select Away Watch or Dark Watch settings page.
2. Scroll to the Urgent Response section and select Alarm Permit to enter or manage your permit information.
   • If your permit has an expiration date, add it so the Xfinity app can provide a renewal reminder when supported.

For more information, visit How to obtain a permit for your Xfinity Home system or Smart Home Urgent Response feature through your local municipality.

Activating the feature

Urgent Response is off by default. To activate the feature, you must perform the following steps:

1. Open the Xfinity app and navigate to the Home tab or the Urgent Response setup card when available.
2. Select Learn about Urgent Response, then select Get Started.
3. Confirm your name, service address, and mobile phone number. Select Next to continue.
   
   • Ensure you are entering your personal mobile phone number to use Urgent Response. You can select Edit phone number to update the mobile phone number. Urgent Response Certified Professionals can only assist with calls made from the phone number(s) entered.
   • Your service address is where emergency services will be sent should you request a notification to authorities. If this address is incorrect, please contact Xfinity support to update.
4. The next screen will ask if you want to extend access to Urgent Response to others in the household. You can authorize up to three others in your household who have the Xfinity app on their mobile device. Select Next to continue.
   • Select Add household member to authorize another user in your household to use Urgent Response.
   • You can update an authorized user and their mobile phone number by selecting Edit. You can also remove an already added authorized user by selecting Remove this person.
   • These authorized users can use secondary accounts that have a manager role enabled.
   • Urgent Response Certified Professionals can only assist with calls made from authorized users on the phone numbers registered in the Xfinity app.
5. The app will inform you that a permit and/or registration may be required in your area. By selecting Enable Urgent Response, you acknowledge that it is your responsibility to check with your local municipality.
   Note: Urgent Response is not available in all jurisdictions.
6. Review the Xfinity Smart Home Services Addendum. Check the box to agree, and then select Agree and continue button.
7. Once Urgent Response has been enabled, you’ll be presented with a three-screen tutorial explaining how the feature works. You can access this tutorial anytime from the Away mode settings menu. Select Review how it works to begin. Show any other authorized users how to use the service.
8. Select Done to exit the tutorial and return to the Home tab.

Using Urgent Response

Once the feature is activated, Urgent Response is available when a device configured for alerts sends a notification while the service is in Away Watch or Dark Watch in the Xfinity app.

• Set the home to Away Watch when nobody is expected to be home, or Dark Watch at night when people are sleeping.
• You must configure WiFi Motion or Person Alerts to provide adequate coverage. Door/window sensors are active by default.
• If an alert is triggered and assistance is needed, tap Call Urgent Response or the Certified Professional icon.
• To request assistance from local responders, clearly ask the Certified Professional to notify local authorities.
• If an alert is expected and assistance is not needed, clear the alert or change the mode as appropriate in the Xfinity app.

Person Alerts and Urgent Response

• For Shield Select members, a camera configured for Person Alerts in Away Watch or Dark Watch can trigger an alert.
• After receiving the alert, open the Xfinity app and review Live View and Activity before deciding what action to take.
  
• If the event is unexpected, tap the Certified Professional icon to call for assistance.  The Urgent Response feature must be enabled.
• Certified Professionals are not monitoring alerts and will not contact you. You must initiate the call from the Xfinity app if assistance is needed.

To learn more, see Person Alerts in the Xfinity app. 

Adjusting settings for Urgent Response

To adjust settings for this feature:

1. Select the gear icon near your Modes status located on the Home tab.
2. Select Away Watch or Dark Watch on the Mode settings page.
3. Scroll down to the Urgent Response section.
4. Manage authorized people, alarm permit information, tutorial content, or feature removal options where available.
   

Testing Urgent Response 

Members should test upon initial activation of Urgent Response and periodically to confirm that alerts and authorized phone numbers work as expected.

To perform a test:

1. While at home, open the Xfinity app and navigate to the Home tab.
2. Advise other household members you’ll be testing Urgent Response.
3. Select the gear icon near your Modes status located on the Home tab.
4. Select Away Watch or Dark Watch on the Mode settings page. We recommend you test each in each mode and adjust alerts to your preference.
5. Test each device that you have configured to send alerts:
   • WiFi Motion
     
     • Approach WiFi Motion enabled device and make exaggerated movements for several seconds.
     • Check for an Alert notification and that the Urgent Response button appears.
     • Check that a motion detected event appears in activity.
     • Note: You may need to close and re-open the Recent Activity section to see the event.
     • Clear alert and remain in Away Watch or Dark Watch mode.
   • Door/Window sensor
     • Open or close a door or window that has a Door/Window sensor.
     • Check for Alert notification, confirm Xfinity app mode widget is in Alert State.
     • Check that Opened/Closed event appears in activity.
     • Note: You may need to close and re-open the Recent Activity section to see the event.
     • Clear alert and remain in Away Watch or Dark Watch mode.
   • Motion Sensor
     • Approach Motion Sensor and make exaggerated movements for several seconds.
     • Check for Alert notification, confirm Xfinity app mode widget is in Alert State.
     • Check that Motion Detected event appears in activity.
     • Note: You may need to close and re-open the Recent activity section to see the event.
     • Clear alert and remain in Away Watch or Dark Watch mode.
   • Person Alert
     • Approach Camera and ensure you can clearly see the camera lens.
     • Check for Alert notification, confirm Xfinity app mode widget is in Alert State.
     • Check that Motion Detected event appears in activity.
     • Note: You may need to close and re-open the Recent activity section to see the event.
     • Clear alert and remain in Away Watch or Dark Watch mode.
   • If a device does not trigger an Alert, you can manage your settings in the Xfinity app by:
     • Selecting the gear icon near your Modes status located on the Home tab
     • Selecting Away Watch or Dark Watch mode on the Mode settings page. 
     • Configuring Person Alerts and which devices you wish to send an alert.
6. Test calling a Certified Professional using the Urgent Response Feature to ensure your mobile phone is authorized and can connect to Urgent Response Certified Professionals.
   • Select the gear icon near near your Modes status located on the Home tab.
   • Select Away Watch or Dark Watch mode on the Mode settings page.
   • Trigger an alert on one of the devices that you have configured to send alerts that you just tested above and confirmed is in working order.
   • Select the Certified Professional icon.
   • Inform the Certified Professional you are conducting a test of the Urgent Response feature.
   • Confirm with a Certified Professional that you are calling on an authorized mobile phone number.
7. Advise other household members you’ve completed testing your Urgent Response feature.

Deactivating Urgent Response

To deactivate Urgent Response:

1. Open the Xfinity app and select the Home tab.
2. Select the gear icon near your Modes status.
3. Select Away Watch or Dark Watch mode on the Mode settings page.
4. Locate and select Remove Urgent Response.
5. Confirm you wish to remove Urgent Response and will inform household members of the change and its impact.

Note: Remember, even if Urgent Response is on, you will only see the option to contact Certified Professionals when your system is in Away Watch or Dark Watch mode. 

Troubleshooting Urgent Response

Issue	Troubleshooting steps
How can I confirm the feature is activated?	Open the Xfinity app and select the Home tab. Select the gear icon near your Modes status. Select Away Watch or Dark Watch Scroll down and look for a section for Urgent Response. If it is present, it means the feature has been activated.
Urgent Response Certified Professional told the caller they are not an authorized household member.	When setting up the feature, the activation flow will allow you to extend access to Urgent Response to others in the household. Only household members you have authorized and whose phone number you have registered will be able to request assistance from Certified Professionals.  Authorized users must be using a mobile device to access the Xfinity app and use the Urgent Response Feature. Ensure that the authorized user’s device is not a tablet. Confirm that the household member’s phone number is accurate in the list of authorized people. Update list of authorized people. Confirm that the household member has the correct role enabled when accessing the Xfinity app. Authorized users can use secondary accounts that have a manager role enabled. In case of emergency, if a user is not able to connect with a Certified Professional, they should hang up and dial 911.
Urgent Response Certified Professional told a user they are unable to notify authorities without a valid permit.	You must have obtained a valid alarm permit from your municipality and entered the information in the Xfinity app. Check that you have a valid permit entered in the Xfinity app. If you have a permit entered, contact local municipality regarding the status of your permit. In case of emergency, if a Certified Professional is not able to connect you to local authorities, you should hang up and dial 911.