Short answer
The Abode key fob has four buttons. Away arms everything, door and window sensors plus interior motion. Home arms the doors and windows but leaves interior motion off, so you can move around inside. Standby disarms. The panic button, held for 5 seconds, sets off a panic alarm, but it is off by default; Abode support has to turn it on. Hold any button until the red light goes out so the signal gets through.
On this page
The buttons
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Away | Arms in Away mode: perimeter door/window sensors and interior motion sensors are active. Use it when everyone has left. |
| Home | Arms in Home mode: perimeter sensors active, interior motion sensors off. Use it at night or when people are home. |
| Standby (disarm) | Disarms the system. Fire and water sensors stay active all the time, even in Standby. |
| Panic | Hold for 5 seconds to trigger a panic alarm. Not enabled by default; contact Abode support to switch it on. |
No PIN is needed. That is the point of the fob, but it also means anyone holding it can disarm your system. If one is lost, delete it in the app straight away.
The red light
The light flashes red while the fob is transmitting. Hold the button until the light goes out to be sure the hub received the signal. A quick tap can be too short, especially at the edge of range.
Range
Abode rates the fob for up to 100 ft from the hub. Walls, floors and metal cut that down, so if it works inside but not from the driveway, you are probably out of range.
Pairing a new fob
- In the Abode app, go to Devices and add a new device, choosing the key fob.
- When the app asks, press any button on the fob.
- The hub beeps twice when it receives the pairing signal.
Battery
The fob takes one CR2032 3 V lithium coin cell, which you can replace yourself. A weak battery shows up as a shrinking range or buttons that work only sometimes, so try a fresh battery first.
Fob stopped working
- Replace the CR2032 battery.
- Hold the button until the red light goes out, close to the hub.
- If it still doesn't respond, do the reset Abode recommends:
- delete the fob in the app
- take the battery out
- press the buttons about 10 times to drain it
- put the battery back and pair it again
If the hub itself is offline, nothing will respond; check the hub first. The Abode Smart Security Hub page covers the hub.
Home vs Away: which to use
Use Home at night or whenever anyone, including pets that set off motion sensors, is inside. Use Away when the house is empty. See stay vs away arming for how this works on other alarm systems too.