Can Your Ajax Installer Arm or Disarm Your Alarm Remotely?

This guide is for Melbourne owners of an Ajax alarm. It helps if you bought a home with Ajax already fitted, changed security companies, or let a technician in for maintenance. It explains what an installer account can do, where to check it, and what to review before you remove one. If you cannot reach the administrator account at all, start with our guide to taking over an existing Ajax alarm.

Three separate rights, not one master key

Ajax keeps three things apart. An installer account might have one of them, two of them or all three. Each is switched on or off on its own.

The rights start with the company. Ajax says an installer’s rights cannot go beyond the rights of their company. The administrator of your system, or a professional account that is allowed to configure it, decides what the company gets. The list you see also depends on the devices in your system.

How to check what your installer can do

You can look at this yourself in the Ajax app. Menu names can change a little between app versions, so use these steps as a guide.

1. Sign in to the Ajax app with the administrator account for your system.
2. Open the system, then go to Control and tap the settings (gear) icon.
3. Open Installers/Companies and select the company.
4. Read the list of rights. Look for Change security modes.
5. Switch off any right the company no longer needs.

If the company can change security modes, it can arm and disarm without using your personal password. If that right is off, being listed as the installer does not give it that ability.

What temporary settings access means

When a technician needs to change settings, they can ask for access for 1, 2, 4 or 8 hours, or for permanent access. When the time ends, that settings access ends too. Other rights that were granted separately do not change.

So do not stop at the timer. Check the rights themselves. A finished two hour visit does not prove the company has lost its right to change security modes.

Here is an example, not a SIPKO customer case. A technician visits to find out why a garage detector sets off the alarm soon after arming. They ask for two hours of settings access, check the detector’s position and sensitivity, make one change and test it. They do not need permanent control of every function to do that job.

Cameras are managed separately

For Ajax cameras, access is set in the Privacy menu, not in the security modes list. The administrator, or someone allowed to manage privacy, can set what each user, installer and company may do. Depending on the camera, that can include live view, playback, downloads, sound and moving the camera.

Ajax also gives installers and companies eight hours of temporary access automatically when a video device is added to a system. That access ends unless someone with privacy rights grants more. A company can be set to After alarm only access, for 5, 10, 15 or 30 minutes after an alarm. That option is for companies, not individual installers.

Changing installers: what to check first

Many owners move to a new installer for good reasons. Do it in an order that keeps your alarm protected. A company may do your installation, repairs, monitoring or all three, and each one needs its own decision.

1. Find out what the company does for you. Ask whether it also provides monitoring. Monitoring is a separate arrangement from installer rights.
2. Confirm the replacement first. If monitoring runs through the old company, set up the new arrangement before you cut anything off. Our guide on what to do when an alarm company closes covers the order of calls.
3. Switch off the rights you no longer want. That means changing security modes, settings access and camera access.
4. Remove the company if you are sure. Ajax describes a Delete company button in the installation companies list.
5. Test everything. Check that the Hub is online, arming and disarming work, notifications reach the right people, and any monitoring test signal arrives.

Remember that keypad codes, user accounts and fobs are separate. Removing a company does not change them, so review those too. Our guide on removing access when an employee leaves shows how to work through each type, and what can be reset and by whom explains codes.

Can you tell who disarmed your alarm?

The event feed in the Ajax app is the first place to look. Open the system and read the recent events. Note the time of each arming and disarming, and anything else that happened around it.

The feed may show which user or device made a change, but do not treat it as a full record of everyone’s actions. A disarm event does not prove an installer did it. It could be a family member, a keypad, a fob or a scheduled setting. If an event cannot be explained, write down the details and ask a technician to review it.

The alarm event feed is also not a record of who watched your cameras. Camera access is checked in the Privacy menu.

Can an installer switch off one detector without disarming?

Yes, Ajax devices have settings that exclude a detector. The Ajax manuals describe two. One-time deactivation excludes the device or its events until the system is next disarmed. Permanent deactivation keeps them excluded until someone changes the setting. Each can ignore the device completely, or only its tamper alarm. The exact wording differs between Ajax manuals, so ask your installer which applies to your devices.

This matters because armed on your phone does not prove every detector is working. After any visit, ask the technician to confirm that every device is back to its normal setting, and to run a walk test.

When to ask for an access review

Consider a professional review if any of these apply:

• You are not sure who the administrator is.
• A former installer is still listed under Installers/Companies.
• You see disarm events you cannot explain.
• A detector was switched off during earlier work and you are not sure it was turned back on.
• You are moving to a new installer or a new monitoring company.

A working Hub and detectors do not need replacing just because you change installers. A review can find out whether you need a change of permissions, a setting fixed, a device serviced or a closer look. SIPKO offers Ajax alarm repair and troubleshooting in Melbourne for existing systems. If you are still choosing a company, our guide to choosing a security alarm installer lists the questions to ask.

FAQ

Sources and further reading

• Ajax: PRO Desktop user manual (company and installer rights, security modes, temporary settings access)
• Ajax: How to configure a space (Installers/Companies menu, space deletion)
• Ajax: New Ajax system logic with space (deleting a company, not removing the Hub)
• Ajax: Privacy settings, managing access to video devices
• Ajax: KeyPad Plus user manual (one-time and permanent deactivation, as an example)

The Ajax details above come from Ajax’s own pages and can change with app updates. The order of steps and the advice on what to check are our own guidance from working on Ajax systems. Last checked 30 October 2026 by Sergi Sipko, licensed security installer, Security Adviser and Equipment Installer Licence Z47-808-30S.

Serhii Sipko – Melbourne Security Installer

Serhii Sipko is the founder of SIPKO Security and a Melbourne-based security installer specialising in high-quality CCTV systems, security alarm systems, intercoms and integrated electronic security solutions for residential and commercial properties. Based in Melbourne, Victoria, Serhii works with homeowners, businesses, property managers, builders and commercial clients to design, install, upgrade and maintain professional security systems. His work focuses on reliable equipment, careful system design, professional installation and long-term performance rather than simply installing the cheapest available security products. Through SIPKO Security, Serhii provides security system solutions including CCTV camera installation, IP security cameras, network video recorders (NVR), security alarm systems, Ajax alarm systems, access control, video intercoms, security system upgrades, repairs, troubleshooting and ongoing maintenance. Serhii has particular experience with professional security technologies and regularly works with leading security brands and platforms used in residential and commercial security installations. He takes a practical approach to selecting security equipment, considering factors such as property layout, camera coverage, image quality, night-time performance, network infrastructure, alarm detection, remote access and the specific security requirements of each property. As a Melbourne security installer, Serhii provides services across Melbourne and surrounding suburbs, including premium residential areas and commercial locations throughout metropolitan Melbourne. His approach is focused on delivering discreet, professionally designed security systems that integrate effectively with the property and provide reliable protection. Serhii also shares practical security advice and technical knowledge through the SIPKO Security website and blog. His articles cover topics such as CCTV installation in Melbourne, choosing security cameras, security alarm systems, Ajax security systems, commercial security, residential security, intercom systems, security system maintenance and improving the overall security of a property. The SIPKO Security blog is written to provide practical information based on real-world security installation experience. Serhii's goal is to help Melbourne homeowners and businesses make informed decisions when selecting security equipment, planning CCTV coverage, upgrading existing alarm systems or choosing a professional security installer. Serhii Sipko is associated with SIPKO Security, a Melbourne security company providing professional security installation and electronic security services. His professional focus is on quality, reliability, technical knowledge and delivering security solutions that are appropriate for the individual property and client requirements. For clients looking for a professional security installer in Melbourne, Serhii Sipko and SIPKO Security provide CCTV installation, alarm systems, intercoms and integrated security solutions for residential and commercial properties across Melbourne, Victoria.

See Full Bio