When Halloween starts winding down, don’t forget to mischief-proof your home with these steps.
Tyler Lacoma Editor / Home Security
For more than 10 years Tyler has used his experience in smart home tech to craft how-to guides, explainers, and recommendations for technology of all kinds. From using his home in beautiful Bend, OR as a testing zone for the latest security products to digging into the nuts and bolts of the best data privacy guidelines, Tyler has experience in all aspects of protecting your home and belongings. With a BA in Writing from George Fox and certification in Technical Writing from Oregon State University, he’s ready to get you the details you need to make the best decisions for your home. On off hours, you can find Tyler exploring the Cascade trails, finding the latest brew in town with some friends, or trying a new recipe in the kitchen!
Expertise Smart home | Smart security | Home tech | Energy savings | A/V
While I’ve covered tech tricks to keep your children safe during Halloween and other ways to prep your home for a spooky good time, I wanted to tackle a somewhat trickier issue: What to do if you’re worried about Halloween safety once the trick-or-treating ends.
Luckily, Halloween is generally harmless and can even be safer than a random night because more of the community is out on the streets to keep an eye on things. But if you’re concerned about vandalism, burglary and other incidents, try these security-approved tricks to safeguard your house.
Bring in any tech you were using for Halloween
Take your Halloween tech inside before heading to bed.
CasarsaGuru via GettyMany homes use little devices to help their home hauntings, from outdoor smart plugs and hidden speakers to smart lights, fog machines, air blowers and more. If you’ve put some tech outside for Halloween greetings, remember to bring it in before bed. Those devices will fare better indoors and you can remove any potential temptations for thieves.
Set your smart lock to automatically lock
Automatic locking on locks like Schlage’s helps when life gets busy.
Tyler Lacoma/CNETSmart locks are one of my favorite devices for simple home protection that anyone can appreciate. But they’re often a distraction on Halloween when you have to open the door so often, so many users turn off notifications and other settings.
Remember to take a few seconds once visitors stop showing up and enable settings you’ve disabled. One of the most important is automatic locking, which locks the door by itself after a certain amount of time (five minutes, for example) has passed. That way, with all the other Halloween activity you don’t have to worry about remembering if the door is locked.
Turn on motion-detecting lights and cameras
Security cameras with floodlights can help keep an eye on your yard.
BlinkIf you have any motion-activated floodlights or motion-detecting cameras, make sure they are on and ready to work for Halloween night. These cameras can provide warnings if it looks like someone is trespassing in your backyard, etc. You can also typically set motion and privacy zones so smart devices only focus on a particular area.
Review your driveway and car protection
Ring’s new alerts are gaining AI features for Premium users, like describing what’s happening in your driveway.
RingNot everyone has room in their garage for all their vehicles. If you’re leaving your car out overnight on Halloween, consider moving it as close to your house as possible. Driveway motion sensors, motion-sensing LED and even car security systems can help. Check out my complete guide on driveway safety here. The latest security cameras even come with AI event captions to let you know what’s going on — like people walking by your car vs. alerts when someone stops and tries to open a car door, etc.
Check your pet’s location
Pet trackers can help you locate your pets at any time to make sure they’re safe.
Images By Tang Ming Tung via GettyAs you finish your Halloween fun, ensure you know where your pets are. If you have one, this is an excellent time to check in with a pet tracker with your app. If you don’t use a tracker or smart collar, focus on getting your pet indoors for the night if necessary and give them a treat — all the coming and going of costumers may have made them anxious.
Re-arm any home security systems
Re-arm security systems when the night quiets down.
Tyler Lacoma/CNETIt’s common to disarm home security systems specifically for Halloween and other holidays with lots of coming and going. You don’t want any kids or partygoers setting off your alarm by accident, after all. But when the evening winds down, remember to re-arm your system to its usual nighttime settings before you head to bed.
For more ways to enhance your home, look at our guides to the best smart speakers and plugs that anyone can use.
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