FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about MyWatchtower and our intelligent access control solutions.
General
MyWatchtower is a modern, cloud-based access control and visitor management platform. It provides a single system for managing gate entry, viewing camera feeds, keeping event records, and maintaining a complete activity history across one or more sites.
MyWatchtower is designed for residential communities, multifamily homes, and commercial facilities. It is well suited for agencies, vendors, and third-party operators that manage access on behalf of multiple clients or properties.
Yes. MyWatchtower is 100% cloud-based. There are no local servers to install or maintain, no software to download, and no hardware dependencies. The platform is continuously updated, automatically backed up, and accessible from any device with an internet connection. MyWatchtower supports a local, read-only backup option to maintain visitor management and access control operations in the event of a loss of internet connection.
Yes. MyWatchtower was built from the ground up for multi-site and multi-community operations. Each site has its own configuration, user roles, camera feeds, and logs.
Access Control & Gate Operations
MyWatchtower supports two primary configurations: staffed gates operated by on-site personnel using the Mission Control Center, and unstaffed gates where visitors and residents interact with a self-service touch-screen kiosk.
Mission Control Center is the centralized interface used by gate operators at staffed sites. It allows operators to process visitors in real time, capture visitor details, vehicle information, the resident or unit being visited, reason for access, notes, and timestamps.
Visitors interact with a touch-screen kiosk at the gate and can gain access using one of three methods: entering a PIN code, scanning a QR code from their mobile device, or searching the directory to initiate a call. When a call is placed, the recipient can authorize access remotely by pressing a designated key on their phone.
- PIN Code Entry: visitors enter a unique PIN that can be single-use, time-limited, or recurring.
- QR Code Scan: visitors present a QR code on their phone to the kiosk scanner for instant verification.
- Directory Search and Calling: visitors search for a user and the system places a call, allowing the user to grant access from their phone.
Yes. All entries are logged and the users assigned to the property or unit will receive a notification.
License Plate Recognition
Yes. MyWatchtower integrates with LPR cameras to automatically recognize pre-registered vehicle plates at the gate. Recognized vehicles can be verified and granted access without manual lookups or kiosk interaction.
When an unregistered plate is read, the system captures the plate number automatically and attaches it to the visitor's entry record, ensuring a complete vehicle log is maintained without any additional effort from operators or visitors.
Yes. LPR is available in both configurations and can operate alongside Mission Control Center or the self-service kiosk.
Credential Management
MyWatchtower supports a wide range of legacy and modern credentials including 26 bit barcode formats, proxmox cards, QR codes, PIN codes, and mobile credentials. Some credential types can be configured as single-use, time-limited, or recurring depending on the use case.
Credentials are issued, managed, and revoked from a central dashboard. Administrators can create new credentials, set expiration rules, and revoke access instantly when needed. All credential activity is logged and auditable.
No. While MyWatchtower supports legacy physical access cards, it also uses fully digital credentials. Visitors and residents access the property using QR codes on their mobile device, PIN codes, or directory calling.
Camera Hub
Yes. MyWatchtower provides a consolidated camera hub that displays live feeds from all cameras across all sites in a single dashboard. There is no need to switch between separate systems or applications.
Yes. Camera feeds can be viewed alongside visitor processing records and incident reports, giving operators and administrators a complete visual and data-driven picture of events at any entry point.
Incident Reporting
Yes. MyWatchtower includes a full incident reporting module for creating, tracking, and resolving incidents directly within the platform.
Reports can include a narrative description, location, time, category, severity level, involved parties, notes, and image uploads. Each report supports ownership assignment, status tracking, and follow-up notes as an investigation progresses.
Every incident follows a full lifecycle from creation to resolution. Reports can be assigned to individuals, escalated, and updated with status changes and notes. A centralized dashboard allows filtering by date, category, severity, site, or status.
Yes. The moment an incident is created or updated, relevant personnel are notified via email and push notifications in real time.
Mobile App
Yes. MyWatchtower includes a full-featured mobile app for iOS and Android. The app allows users to create incident reports, manage credentials, approve access, review visitor logs, and receive real-time push notifications from anywhere.
Yes. Reports can be created and submitted directly from the app, including image uploads taken on scene. This allows field teams to document incidents the moment they occur.
User Management & Permissions
MyWatchtower uses granular, role-based permissions. Administrators can define exactly who can process visitors, view logs, manage credentials, create or resolve incident reports, and administer the system. Roles can be configured per site.
MyWatchtower supports multiple role levels including operators, supervisors, administrators, and property managers. Each role can be scoped to specific sites and given access only to the features and data they need.
Users can self-enroll to a specific community, complex, or organization. The users request access to their respective community, and the property or unit within that community. That request is then sent to the property manager or administrator, who can approve or reject the request. They can also be directly added to a property by an administrator or manager with their email address which sends them an invite to create their account.
Audit & Compliance
Yes. Every action in MyWatchtower is recorded with an immutable, tamper-evident audit trail. This includes gate activations, credential changes, user logins, visitor processing, incident updates, LPR reads, PIN entries, QR scans, and directory calls, all with timestamps.
Yes. The audit trail is designed to support internal reviews, client reporting, and regulatory compliance. All data is centrally stored and accessible from the platform.
Notifications
MyWatchtower sends real-time email and push notifications for visitor arrivals, access requests, directory calls, new and updated incident reports, and system events.
Yes. Notifications are configurable so that the right people receive the right alerts based on their role and the type of event.
Unstaffed Gate Entry Kiosk
It is a weather-ready touchscreen kiosk for unstaffed gates. It stands on a pedestal at the entry lane in a hooded, key-locked enclosure. It processes visitor entry around the clock and logs every entry to the MyWatchtower cloud.
- PIN code: the visitor enters a PIN. A PIN can be single-use, time-limited, or recurring.
- QR code: the visitor holds a QR code pass on their phone to the kiosk scanner.
- Directory call: the visitor searches the directory and the system calls the resident. The resident authorizes access with one key press on their phone.
The kiosk camera captures a photo of the visitor at the moment of entry. The photo goes on the time-stamped entry record. PIN entries, QR scans, and directory calls all go into the MyWatchtower audit trail, which your board and manager can read from the cloud dashboard.
The kiosk has up to 4 hours of battery backup, which keeps it operational during a power outage. Cellular failover keeps the kiosk connected when your primary internet goes down.
Residents issue PINs and QR passes from the MyWatchtower mobile app for iOS and Android. A guest with a pass enters at the kiosk without a call. A visitor with no pass can search the directory and call the resident.
The kiosk connects to the MyWatchtower cloud by cellular, WiFi, or Ethernet. It works with compatible Brivo or HID gate controllers. There are no local servers to install. For an unstaffed gate, the only on-site requirement is the kiosk hardware and power.
Yes. A visitor can search the directory and call the resident. A community can also add the Live Agent. The Live Agent is an optional service with additional fees: a live person, working remotely, who processes visitor-initiated entries under your community's configured rules.
Yes. License plate recognition is available at staffed and unstaffed gates. It recognizes the plates of pre-registered vehicles and operates alongside the kiosk.
Yes. MyWatchtower supports staffed gates with Mission Control and unstaffed gates with the kiosk. A community can change modes without changing hardware or losing historical data. Both modes use the same cloud dashboard, entry records, and resident app. See staffed and unstaffed gate software.
A kiosk can run a main gate, or a secondary entrance such as an amenity gate, a pedestrian gate, or a service entrance. Some communities staff the gate in the day and use the kiosk overnight. Our guide to staffed and unstaffed gates shows where each mode fits.
Pool and Amenity Gate Access
A shared key or a shared code is the same for every person. You cannot turn it off for one person, and it leaves no record of who entered. An individual credential belongs to one resident. An administrator can revoke it without a change for the other residents, and each use goes into the entry record.
Yes. MyWatchtower supports mobile credentials on compatible Brivo and HID hardware, and QR codes on a resident's phone. It also supports PIN codes, proximity cards, and fobs, so a community can keep its physical credentials. Read how mobile credentials replace key fobs.
Administrators issue, manage, and revoke credentials from a central dashboard. They can set expiration rules. Some credential types can be single-use, time-limited, or recurring.
Yes. Residents send guest passes from the MyWatchtower mobile app. For a recurring vendor, such as a pool service or a landscape crew, the community can issue a credential with an expiration date and zone restrictions. See HOA visitor management.
An administrator revokes the credential from the dashboard, and the change is instant. The administrator can then issue a new one. All credential activity is logged and auditable.
Yes. The same cloud platform manages every door, gate, and amenity access point. Your main gate, the pool, and the clubhouse share one dashboard, one resident app, and one audit trail. A manager with more than one community can see each site from the same login. See MyWatchtower for property managers.
Every entry and every credential change goes into the MyWatchtower audit trail with a timestamp. The board and the manager read the records from the cloud dashboard.
MyWatchtower works with compatible Brivo or HID controllers. The software is cloud-based, so there is no local server at the pool or the clubhouse. Tell us about your gates when you book a demo. Our guide to Brivo access control for HOAs gives more detail on the hardware.
Gate Call Box Replacement
A gate telephone entry system, often named a call box, is a panel at the gate. A visitor finds a resident on the panel and the system calls the resident. The resident presses a key on their phone to open the gate. MyWatchtower keeps that call and adds PIN and QR passes from a resident app, plus a photo and a time-stamped record for each entry.
The MyWatchtower kiosk: a weather-ready touchscreen at the entry lane. It keeps directory calling and adds PIN code entry and QR code scan. It also captures a photo on every entry. See the unstaffed gate entry kiosk page for the full description.
The visitor searches the directory on the kiosk and the system places a call. The resident authorizes access with one key press on their phone. For an expected guest, the resident can issue a PIN or a QR pass from the mobile app before the visit, and the guest enters without a call.
Yes. MyWatchtower includes a mobile app for iOS and Android. Residents issue PINs and QR passes, approve access, and get a notification when a visitor arrives.
The kiosk captures a photo of the visitor at the moment of entry and attaches it to the time-stamped entry record. PIN entries, QR scans, and directory calls all go into the MyWatchtower audit trail.
For an unstaffed gate, the only on-site requirement is the kiosk hardware and power. The kiosk connects by cellular, WiFi, or Ethernet, with cellular failover, and it has up to 4 hours of battery backup. There are no local servers to install.
The kiosk works with compatible Brivo or HID gate controllers. Your current gate hardware must be checked before an install. Tell us what you have when you book a demo.
One cloud dashboard covers every entrance. A community can run Mission Control at a staffed gate and a kiosk at an unstaffed entrance, and both use the same entry records and resident app.
Residents can self-enroll and request access to their community and their property or unit. The property manager or an administrator approves or rejects each request. An administrator or manager can also add a resident by email address, which sends an invite to create an account.
Getting Started
Because MyWatchtower is fully cloud-based, deployment is fast. New sites can be added in minutes with pre-defined user roles and configurations. For unstaffed gates, the only on-site requirement is the kiosk hardware and power.
Book a demo to see MyWatchtower with our team.
Still have questions?
Book a demo to see MyWatchtower with our team, or talk to sales about your community.