WiFi Motion uses your Xfinity Gateway and existing WiFi-connected devices in your home to sense motion between the gateway and your selected WiFi-connected devices. When the feature is enabled, you can receive push notificatoins about activity in your home and enjoy added peace of mind.
Note: WiFi Motion is not a home security service and is not professionally monitored. WiFi Motion is provided to you as part of your Xfinity Internet services and subject to the Xfinity residential services agreement and xfinity.com/privacy/policy.
Comcast does not monitor the motion and/or notifications generated by the service. The placement of your Xfinity Gateway and WiFi connected devices, along with your home size, layout and building materials, can impact the way WiFi signals connect and may limit the ability of the service to detect motion.
WiFi Motion will function only in areas of your home where you have strong WiFi signals traveling between your gateway and your WiFi connected devices, and Comcast does not guarantee or warrant performance. You are responsible for periodically testing your WiFi signal to determine if it notifies you of motion in the locations within your home where you desire motion detection.
You are solely responsible for complying with any laws applicable to your use of WiFi Motion and your use of the services. You confirm that you are using WiFi Motion for your own lawful, residential purposes. Subject to applicable law, Comcast may disclose information generated by your WiFi Motion to third parties without further notice to you in connection with any law enforcement investigation or proceeding, any dispute to which Comcast is a party, or pursuant to a court order or subpoena.
Note: This feature is not available to Xfinity Home Pro Protection customers.
FAQs
Check out these FAQs about the WiFi-based motion sensing feature in the Xfinity app.
What is WiFi Motion?
WiFi Motion allows you to receive push notifications from the Xfinity App when motion is detected in select areas within your home. In addition to real-time push notifications, you can see seven days of past motion events in your Xfinity App. WiFi Motion uses your Xfinity Gateway and existing WiFi-connected devices in your home to detect movement occurring between the gateway and your devices. Xfinity Internet customers can enable WiFi Motion in the Xfinity App for greater peace of mind.
With WiFi Motion, motion may be detected between the gateway and a connected device across rooms and floors, but an exact location of the movement within your home is not provided. Instead, push notifications will tell you which connected device sensed the activity within your home.
WiFi Motion provides you with information about activity within your home. It is not a security system and not professionally monitored. You can use up to three WiFi-connected devices, plus your Xfinity Gateway, to create motion sensing areas in your home.
How is motion sensed using WiFi?
Motion sensing areas are formed between the Xfinity Gateway and up to three WiFi connected devices. To visualize your motion sensing area, picture an oval connecting your Xfinity Gateway and the selected WiFi-connected device (see oval in diagram below). That oval is your motion-sensing area.
Motion is detected within the sensing area when movement disrupts the wireless signals that travel between your Xfinity Gateway and selected WiFi-connected devices within the sensing area. Notifications will be sent only when motion disrupts the wireless signals in the sensing area between the gateway and your connected devices.
How should I set up my devices?
There are several things to consider when setting up WiFi Motion so it works with your home’s layout and to suits your preferences. First, maximize the WiFi coverage in your home by placing your gateway in the most central location of your home. Make sure it is at least a couple of feet off the floor and in an open space.
Next, think of areas in your home where you would want to be aware of activity, like entryways or common living areas. Select WiFi-connected devices in those areas to provide the best coverage for your floorplan. Imagine an oval sensing area formed between your Xfinity Gateway and each of your selected WiFi-connected devices (see the oval in the diagram above). In the diagram below, notifications would be sent if motion is sensed in any one of the three ovals.
Make sure the oval sensing area crosses the area where you would like to detect movement. Once set up, test that you receive notifications of activity in the locations within your home where you desire motion detection.
If you live in a multistory home, avoid devices that are directly above or below the gateway on another floor.
You have a few options to adjust your motion sensing areas to better suit your preferences:
- Relocate your selected WiFi-connected devices to adjust your coverage areas.
- Connect additional WiFi-enabled devices that are not yet connected to your gateway in areas you want to get coverage.
- Remember — you should periodically test the motion sensing areas to determine if you receive notifications in the locations within your home where you desire motion detection.
- Remember — you should periodically test the motion sensing areas to determine if you receive notifications in the locations within your home where you desire motion detection.
How can I manage the type or amount of motion I'm notified about?
By default, WiFi Motion is set to detect even small amounts of movement in the motion-sensing areas, including motion caused by small pets. If you're receiving too many or irrelevant push notifications, you can adjust your pet and motion sensitivity settings. Pet and motion sensitivity work together to help you manage your notification frequency.
How can I manage Notifications for WiFi Motion to suit my preferences?
- Notification settings for WiFi Motion are accessible by selecting the WiFi Motion status on the Security tab, then selecting the gear icon in the top right corner of the WiFi Motion Live View page.
- On the WiFi Motion settings page, you can enable or disable notifications or create schedules to receive notifications only during certain times of the day (e.g., you may only want to be notified of motion at night or times you are typically away from home).
- Notifications in Home mode are off by default.
- You won’t receive multiple push notifications for continuous motion. You’ll receive one notification when the movement begins. Once the motion stops, there is a two-minute delay before further push notifications are sent. You can always view motion detection events in the Xfinity App, even if a push notification is not triggered.
- WiFi Motion works with Home and Away modes. See Home and Away Modes in the Xfinity App for additional details.
How many WiFi connected devices can be used WiFi Motion?
Currently, you can select up to three WiFi-connected devices, in addition to the required Xfinity Gateway, to be used with WiFi Motion.
What WiFi-connected devices work best with WiFi Motion? Why don’t I see all my WiFi-connected devices when selecting ones for motion sensing?
The WiFi connected devices that work best with WiFi Motion are always powered on (i.e., do not go to sleep) and are stationary. They must be connected to your primary Xfinity Gateway.
Devices that aren't eligible to be used with WiFi-based motion sensing at this time include:
- Devices that are typically not stationary (e.g., mobile devices, tablets, computers, wearable devices).
- Devices connected through Ethernet cable.
- Devices connected through WiFi extenders.
One or more of my WiFi-connected devices are showing up as an incorrect device type when selecting devices for WiFi motion sensing. How do I edit the device type?
On the WiFi tab of the Xfinity app, locate the device from the list of devices connected to your gateway. Select the device, then select Device Details. On this page, you can edit the Device Type field to accurately reflect your device.
Once updated, your device types should be accurately reflected when selecting WiFi-connected devices to use for WiFi-based motion sensing.
Why isn't motion being detected?
Imagine an oval sensing area that is formed between the Xfinity Gateway and the selected WiFi-connected device. If motion is not taking place in the motion sensing area, it will not be reported. Please make sure the area where you want to detect movement is between the gateway and WiFi device and within the oval sensing area created between the two devices.
Below are some additional reasons that motion may not be sensed:
- Device is not suitable to be used with WiFi-based motion sensing (e.g., device is not stationary, device is not always powered on, device has gone to sleep).
- Device is online but may not have strong connection.
- Device is offline.
- Device is no longer connected to the primary Xfinity Gateway.
- Xfinity Gateway is offline.
If you continue to experience issues with WiFi-based motion sensing, you can share feedback by selecting Provide Feedback on the Motion sensing settings page in the Xfinity app.