Using WiFi Motion in the Xfinity app

WiFi Motion is an opt-in feature that uses your Xfinity WiFi equipment, including your gateway and WiFi Extenders, and WiFi-connected devices in your home to sense motion based on changes in WiFi signals.

It does not use cameras, capture images or video, or record audio. When enabled, WiFi Motion can send push notifications about activity in your home, giving you added awareness and peace of mind.

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 our Xfinity Privacy Policy. Comcast does not monitor the motion and/or notifications generated by the service.

The placement of your Xfinity Gateway, Xfinity WiFi Extenders, 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 the WiFi Motion and your use of the services. You confirm that you are using WiFi Motion for your own lawful, residential purposes. Like all technology providers, Comcast may be required to disclose information generated by WiFi Motion in response to a valid subpoena, court order, search warrant or other lawful legal process, as required by law. In limited situations permitted by law, information may be disclosed in connection with legal proceedings, dispute resolution, or emergency situations. 

WiFi Motion is included with Xfinity WiFi Shield, where the customer has Xfinity Internet service and compatible leased gateway equipment. WiFi Motion can also be used by Shield Select customers and can work with Home Watch, Away Watch, and Dark Watch settings in the Xfinity app.

If you also use cameras with Shield Select, visit Person Alerts for Shield Select to understand when camera-based Person Alerts may be a better fit for a specific room or mode.

WiFi Motion is not available for Xfinity Internet customers who also subscribe to Xfinity Home Security.

What you'll need

• Xfinity Internet
• A compatible leased Xfinity WiFi Gateway
• The Xfinity app
• Your own WiFi-enabled connected devices that are stationary and usually powered on

Current Xfinity WiFi Gateway models eligible for WiFi Motion support include Technicolor XB7, XB8, XB9, XB10, MXB1, and XER10.

WiFi Motion in the Xfinity app is currently not available for customers with Storm-Ready WiFi, Commscope XB7, Pro Protection or a Pro WiFi Extender. Devices connected to unsupported extenders are not suitable for WiFi Motion.

Activating WiFi Motion

1. Open the Xfinity app and navigate to the Home tab.
2. Locate the awareness card for the feature and select Turn on WiFi Motion.
3. Once you’ve read the additional information on the next screen, select the Get Started button.
4. Review the Xfinity Residential Services Agreement and Xfinity Privacy Policy, check the box to agree, and then select Continue.
   • Select up to five suitable WiFi-connected devices, or use recommended devices if available.
5. If no suitable devices are found, check that the devices are powered on, connected to compatible Xfinity WiFi equipment, and not in a closed-off space or outdoors.
6. Once activation is complete, select Done to return to the Home tab.
7. Review the WiFi Motion FAQs so you understand how your WiFi Motion works.

Only Primary, Manager, and Member Xfinity ID users can access the Home tab in the Xfinity app.

Using WiFi Motion with Home Watch, Away Watch, and Dark Watch

If you opt in to WiFi Motion, once it's activated you can see motion-sensing activity from the Home tab of the Xfinity app. Select the WiFi Motion status to view live activity and the activity feed. WiFi Motion can also be configured through Home Watch, Away Watch, and Dark Watch settings where those modes are available. It does not use cameras, capture images or video, or record audio.

Home Watch is for when people are home and awake. Away Watch is for when nobody is expected to be home. Dark Watch is for overnight use when household members are asleep. WiFi Motion notifications and alerts depend on the active mode and the settings enabled for that mode.

By default, WiFi Motion alerts are disabled in Dark Watch for Xfinity WiFi Shield. Dark Watch will not generate WiFi Motion alerts unless you enable WiFi Motion alerts for that mode. Select specific devices in areas where you don’t expect much movement overnight to send alerts in Dark Watch.

Adjusting settings for WiFi Motion

To adjust settings for this feature, select the gear icon in the top right corner of the WiFi Motion live view page.

You can also configure WiFi Motion through Home Watch, Away Watch, and Dark Watch mode settings. If you also use cameras, avoid configuring WiFi Motion and Person Alerts to monitor the same area unless you have a specific reason to do so.

• Turn WiFi Motion on or off.
• Change selected WiFi-connected devices.
• Adjust Pet sensitivity and Motion sensitivity.
• Configure whether WiFi Motion can generate alerts in Home Watch, Away Watch, or Dark Watch.
• Review activity history and test whether the selected sensing areas match your needs.

Pet sensitivity

If you’d like to prevent your pet’s movement from causing motion notifications, you can exclude pet motion in your WiFi Motion settings by turning on the Exclude Small Pets feature.

Motion is detected based on the amount of signal disruption taking place between the Xfinity Gateway and your selected WiFi-connected devices, so motion from small pets (around 40 pounds or less) can be filtered out while keeping you notified of large movements more likely to be caused by humans.

• You must turn on High motion sensitivity in order to turn on Exclude Small Pets.
• If you’re still receiving unwanted notifications with small pets excluded, try turning off Exclude Small Pets and switching to Medium or Low sensitivity instead.
• Since there's no visual information associated with WiFi Motion, it cannot always differentiate pet motion from human motion, especially for children around 40 pounds or less.

Managing pet sensitivity

1. Select the WiFi Motion status on the Home tab.
2. Select the gear icon in the top right corner of the WiFi Motion Live View page.
   • Placing selected WiFi Motion devices at least four feet off the floor can also help prevent notifications from pet motion.
   • On the WiFi Motion settings page, you can exclude pet motion from your notifications and motion event history by tapping Pet sensitivity, then toggling on Exclude small pets.
   • Even when pet motion is excluded from your notifications and motion event history, it is still detected and can be viewed in real time on the WiFi Motion Live View page.

Motion sensitivity

Motion sensitivity sets the level of motion needed to cause motion detection. As you lower motion sensitivity, it will take more motion to cause motion detection.

Motion sensitivity settings for WiFi Motion are accessible by selecting the WiFi Motion status on the Home tab, then selecting the gear icon in the top-right corner of the WiFi Motion Live View page.

• High sensitivity captures as much motion as possible and may detect small movements. This setting may be best if you live in a house where you don't share any walls with your neighbors, like in a detached/single-family home, or if you want to be notified of all movement while you're away from home.
• Medium sensitivity may help if high sensitivity causes too many or irrelevant notifications. This may be useful if you share a wall with your neighbors, like in a duplex or townhome, especially if your WiFi Motion devices are close to shared walls.
• Low sensitivity requires more motion and may be useful in apartments or homes with shared walls, but it may miss some meaningful motion. This may be useful if you share multiple walls with your neighbors, like in an apartment complex, but you may miss some meaningful motion.

After changing sensitivity, test whether you receive the appropriate notifications and alerts for your needs.

Managing motion sensitivity

1. Select the WiFi Motion status on the Security tab.
2. Select the gear icon in the top-right corner of the WiFi Motion Live View page.
   • On the WiFi Motion Settings page, you can change your motion sensitivity level by selecting Motion Sensitivity, and then toggling High, Medium, or Low.

Deactivating WiFi Motion

1. Open the Xfinity app and select the Home tab.
2. Select the WiFi Motion status tile, then select the gear icon in the top right corner of the WiFi Motion live view page.
3. Locate and select Remove WiFi Motion.

Troubleshooting WiFi Motion

Use this guide to troubleshoot common WiFi Motion issues in the Xfinity app.

Device selected for WiFi Motion is offline

What you may see:

• A selected WiFi Motion device shows as offline.
• WiFi Motion stops detecting activity in an area that was previously monitored.
• A selected device is unavailable when reviewing WiFi Motion settings.

Steps to resolve:

1. Check that the device is powered on and connected to your Xfinity WiFi network.
2. Check the device settings to see if it automatically enters sleep mode to conserve power.
3. If sleep mode is enabled, turn it off, if possible.
4. If the issue continues, select a different stationary WiFi-connected device for WiFi Motion.

If still not working, contact us for assistance. 

Device selected for WiFi Motion is connected to unsupported equipment

What you may see:

• WiFi Motion is setup but motion detection is inconsistent.
• A selected device does not appear to help with motion detection.
• The device is connected through unsupported networking equipment.

Steps to resolve:

1. Confirm the device is connected directly to a compatible Xfinity Gateway or XE2 WiFi Extender.
2. If the device is connected to a Pro WiFi Extender or other unsupported equipment, switch to a different device.
3. Move the device closer to compatible WiFi equipment so it reconnects to the gateway or supported extender.
4. Restart the device and confirm it reconnects to compatible equipment.

If still not working, contact us for assistance. 

Device selected for WiFi Motion does not consistently detect motion

What you may see:

• Motion is detected sometimes but not always.
• Motion events are missing from the activity feed.
• Certain rooms or areas do not reliably generate motion activity.

Steps to resolve:

1. Check whether the device is entering a low-power mode automatically.
2. Disable low-power or sleep settings if available.
3. Make sure the device is not located outdoors or inside a closed cabinet, closet, or other enclosed space.
4. Move the device closer to the gateway or select a different stationary WiFi-connected device.
5. Test WiFi Motion again after making changes.

If still not working, contact us for assistance. 

WiFi Motion is not available in the Xfinity app

What you may see:

• The option to activate WiFi Motion does not appear.
• WiFi Motion is missing from the Home tab.
• You receive a message indicating WiFi Motion is unavailable.

Steps to resolve:

1. Confirm you have Xfinity Internet service.
2. Check you have a compatible leased Xfinity Gateway including Technicolor XB7, XB8, XB9, XB10, XER10, MXB1.
3. Verify you are not using unsupported equipment or services, including:
   • Storm-Ready WiFi, CommScope XB7, Pro Protection, Xfinity Home Security, or unsupported WiFi Extender equipment.
4. Update the Xfinity app and sign in again.

If still not working, contact us for assistance. 

WiFi Motion does not alert in Dark Watch

What you may see:

• Motion is detected but no Dark Watch alert is received.
• Overnight motion occurs without generating a notification.
• Dark Watch appears active, but WiFi Motion alerts are not sent.

Steps to resolve:

1. Open Dark Watch settings in the Xfinity app.
2. Confirm WiFi Motion alerts are turned on for Dark Watch.
3. Verify the devices you want to monitor overnight are selected appropriately.
4. Test WiFi Motion while Dark Watch is active.

If still not working, contact us for assistance.  

WiFi Motion is detecting too much activity

What you may see:

• Too many motion notifications.
• Motion reported when no meaningful activity occurred.
• Frequent alerts from neighboring units or shared walls.

Steps to resolve:

1. Open WiFi Motion settings.
2. Select Motion Sensitivity.
3. Change the sensitivity from High to Medium or Low.
4. Test whether notifications better match your environment.

If still not working, contact us for assistance.  

Small pets are triggering motion notifications

What you may see:

• Motion notifications occur when your pet moves.
• Activity history contains events caused by pets.

Steps to resolve:

1. Open WiFi Motion settings.
2. Enable High Motion Sensitivity if it is not already enabled.
3. Turn on Exclude Small Pets.
4. Place selected WiFi Motion devices at least 4 feet off the floor when possible.
5. Test motion detection again.

If still not working, contact us for assistance.