Hack Your Home Security to Scare Trick-or-Treaters for Halloween 2024

CNET

After planning out your decorations and grabbing the candy, there's another part of your home you can use to get extra spooky in October -- your security system. Recruit your home security system to have extra fun this Halloween season using the settings and devices you already have, without spending any extra money.

Security devices like video doorbells and home security cameras come with ghastly settings and neat tricks you can use to prep for Halloween with minimum fuss. If you're lucky, you may even win a prize! Here are our favorite security changes to make ahead of Halloween.

Set your video doorbells to maximum spook

Nest doorbells make it easy to change themes and active a Halloween theme for all of October.

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Video doorbells have two settings ripe for Halloween upgrades, chimes and Quick Replies. Both are designed to respond when someone (or something) rings the doorbell, so it's a perfect way to prep your porch to receive guests.

To begin, you'll have to find the chime or Quick Reply options in your settings. Systems may vary in how you enable Halloween tricks, so look up your personal security system for more information To help, here's a quick rundown of popular brands:

Ring: Choose your doorbell, select Smart Responses, and turn on Quick Replies. Use the Quick Reply Message feature to find Halloween-theme Quick Replies and choose one like a Dracula or Witch greeting. Vivint: Starting Oct. 16, use the Vivint app to set both Doorbell chimes and Approach chimes, the latter of which plays early as trick-or-treaters draw near to the front door. Doorbell effects include Spooky Laugh, How at the Moon, Creepy Bells and several other options. Approach chimes include extras like a spooky Welcome, Haunted Forest, In the Dark theme and more. Select the Halloween chimes banner from the app when the service becomes available. Eufy: Keep your app updated and view the Voice Response list during Halloween to add effects like a ghostly greeting. Google Nest: Visit the doorbell Settings, choose Doorbell, then Doorbell Theme, then choose the Halloween theme. Nest used to give specific chime options but now does only a general Halloween chime.

Remember, these features typically require a video doorbell, not just your standard security camera.

Catch a ghost on your Ring camera for a chance to win $100,000

Ring's ghost search is for artists, practical jokers and very silly people alike.

Ring

Ring has a new gambit for this year's Halloween festivities and it could net you serious prizes if you want to play along. The game is called the Great Ghost Search, and to play, you need to catch a "ghost" on your Ring camera or doorbell, then share the video clip with Ring and the Ring community for a chance to win.

Ring will be considering all kinds of video for the contest, from creating a realistic, truly frightening glimpse into the paranormal world to an absolutely hilarious video of your dad in a sheet. Videos must be 30 seconds or less, and you'll want to act fast because Ring is cutting off the contest once it receives 5,000 authentic entries or Nov. 1 arrives. The grand prize is a whopping $100,000 in cash. (Ring suggests using it as a down payment on a house, which is lamentably reasonable.)

Move a security camera to your front porch and test two-way audio

The Ring Battery Doorbell Pro on a porch.

CNET/Tyler Lacoma

If you don't have a video doorbell or any front porch cameras, we suggest taking one of your home security cameras and giving it a temporary post at your door so it can keep an eye on things.

This isn't just about safety, either: Today's wireless security cameras have two-way audio and motion detection so you'll know when people arrive and can use the audio feature to mimic a spooky greeting, like "I want to play a game?" or "We all float down here!" Get creative and practice your favorite voice! 

Adhesive mounts make relocating a security cam easier, but you can also simply pop the camera off the mount and set it on porch railing or steps for the night. And if you happen to hide it in shadows or bushes so a creepy voice can emanate from the dark…well we won't stop you.

Lower doorbell motion sensitivity for trick-or-treaters

Blink's app is easy to use and filled with quick settings adjustments.

CNET/Tyler Lacoma

This is the perfect time to dive into your doorbell and camera motion detection settings and lower the sensitivity. Ideally, you want your sensors to trigger when trick-or-treaters approach your door, but not trigger for every gaggle of kids running down the sidewalk.

Experiment with sensitivity settings and motions a day or two before Halloween so your system is ready. Along the way, you may figure out how to keep your camera from triggering at every dog walker or delivery person that walks by as well!

Add a Halloween faceplate to your doorbell

Ring is especially generous with Halloween-style faceplates, you can find them for other brands as well.

Ring

To really get in the Halloween mood, you can upgrade certain doorbells with a new faceplate to celebrate the season. Ring is especially good at providing these options to users, with $15 Halloween plates you can switch out as needed but you can find DIY options available on Etsy too. Just make sure you match the faceplate to the video doorbell model you have.

Set up a smart display for a constant look from your cams

Use live view settings so you can see when people are approaching on Halloween. 

Tyler Lacoma/CNET

Motion alerts can help, but if you really want to give visitors an experience (or healthy scare), you should keep watch with a smart display like an Echo Show. When connected to your security cameras or video doorbells with compatible apps, these smart displays can show you live views while the parties are outside, so you can glance over to get an idea of when people are approaching your home -- and the best time to jump out at them.

Make sure your doorbell or cam works with your smart display for this trick. Some doorbells, like Ring or Blink models, will work only with Alexa screens like Echo Shows. If you don't have a smart display, you can prop up a tablet connected to the Alexa or Google Home app for the same result. Also, some cams may have limits on how long you can look through live views, but many are unlimited as long as you keep the live view up.

Read more: Best Smart Displays of 2024

Disarm your security system for the big night

ADT touchpad showing arming options.

David Priest/CNET

If you have your security system on an automatic schedule, it's a good idea to give it a break for Halloween night, or at least until the candy runs out. You'll be monitoring your doors quite closely anyway, and you don't want an unexpectedly armed security system to sound sirens or lights and scare trick-or-treaters (or yourself).

Disarm your system early in the day to prepare for the youngest visitors, and rearm before you go to bed or in the morning. Don't worry, you can still keep watching with smart cameras and motion detection to spot any tricks in lieu of treats.

Complete your home security prep with our best tips on how to deter burglars, the worst spots to put a security camera and the top security myths homeowners should stop believing.