ADT Announces Yet Another DIY Home Security Line, Now With AI Features

ADT is rolling out a new line of security products targeted toward DIYers, without its infamous professional installation fees and contracts. The system, announced Wednesday, is called ADT Blu and will work with the latest version of ADT’s app, ADT Plus. 

ADT Blu will offer a selection of packages, including the Security Starter Kit ($249) and the $389 Outdoor Video Kit, among others, depending on your needs. While these kits offer professional home monitoring plans, a subscription isn’t required to use the system or to receive alerts on your phone with the ADT Plus app. 

Blu devices include access sensors, motion sensors, indoor and outdoor cameras, fire and carbon monoxide detectors and more. It looks like many Blu purchases require a $10 one-month monitoring plan, but you should be able to drop the plan after that.

While I’m in favor of fewer fees and more self-install options, there’s a problem here. ADT has released several DIY lines in the past, and they’re all jumbled together, making it a nightmare to find the right ADT product unless you go to the exact right page. 

For example, several years ago, there was the almost-identically named Blue by ADT, which still has support pages up on ADT’s website that will confuse new visitors. ADT canceled that line and started calling its new DIY offerings self-install and Self Setup instead. This new rebranding comes with different packages, device options and the Blu name, making it difficult to tell exactly what’s available. 

What’s different from ADT’s older self-install security?

ADT’s Blu devices look very similar to the self-install models that I tested a couple of years ago, but have notable upgrades since the Blue by ADT era. New users will sign in and set up using the ADT Plus app, a more advanced version of ADT’s older app that allows customization of arm/disarm settings, the alerts you receive when sensors go off, geofencing and more. 

ADT is also adding a couple of new products to Blu, notably a doorbell camera and an outdoor camera. These will be replacing ADT’s previous partnership with Google Nest, which ended earlier this year. That means Blu users won’t be able to sign up for AI features like Face Recognition that automatically disarm security systems when recognized people approach. 

However, ADT does say that ADT Blu users will be able to “take advantage of AI video features.” I’m not sure what this means, because ADT is light on details, but its doorbell product page says the model will detect people, animals, vehicles and packages. Those detection capabilities have been around for a long time before today’s AI craze, but it looks like ADT is offering them for free rather than as a subscription.

An ADT representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.