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us Personal safety & immediate danger

What to do if…
your smart lock, entry system, or spare key shows unexpected access or repeated attempts

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy USA guide

Short answer

Treat unexplained access or repeated attempts as a possible immediate safety issue. Move to a safer place and call 911 if someone may be entering, may already be inside, or you need immediate police assistance.

Do not do these things

  • Do not approach the entrance, go outside to investigate, or enter the property alone if someone may be there.
  • Do not open or unlock the door in response to an unexplained alert.
  • Do not confront anyone you suspect.
  • Do not share door codes, digital keys, verification codes, or account recovery details.
  • Do not repeatedly test the lock by opening and closing the door.
  • Do not delete alerts, access logs, or account notifications before saving what you can.
  • Do not factory-reset the system immediately if a partner, former partner, household member, or stalker may be involved, because sudden changes may alert them or remove useful records.
  • Do not make account changes from a device you believe may be monitored when using another device is safely possible.

What to do now

  1. Reach the earliest safe pause. If you are inside, move away from the entrance and use an ordinary interior lock already available if you can do so while keeping a safe exit route open. If you are outside, go to a nearby occupied or well-lit place rather than entering alone.
  2. Call 911 if you see or hear someone attempting entry, believe someone is inside, notice signs of a break-in, or otherwise need immediate police assistance. Give the location, describe what you observed, and follow the call-taker’s instructions.
  3. From a safe place, save screenshots or photographs of the alert, access log, date, time, user or code label, device name, and any unfamiliar account changes. Write down what you heard or saw without approaching the entrance or disturbing anything.
  4. When there is no immediate danger, check the system through its official app or website. Look for unfamiliar users, guest codes, digital keys, linked devices, scheduled access, automations, and third-party integrations.
  5. If a partner, former partner, household member, or stalker may control the system, consider using a device they have never accessed and contact a specialist advocate before changing passwords, revoking access, rekeying, or making other changes that could alert them or remove useful records.
  6. When it is safe to make account changes, use a device you reasonably believe is safe to secure the email account linked to the system and the lock or entry-system account. Use new, unique passwords, review recovery details, sign out unfamiliar sessions where available, and enable multi-factor authentication.
  7. When it is safe to change access, revoke unfamiliar users, codes, digital keys, devices, and integrations through the manufacturer’s official controls. Make sure anyone who should still have access can safely enter and leave.
  8. If a spare key is missing, was used unexpectedly, or may have been copied, consider the safety issue in step 5 before changing the physical lock. When it is safe to do so, contact the property manager, landlord, building security, or a qualified locksmith about rekeying or replacing the physical lock.
  9. Contact the manufacturer or installer through its official support route. Ask it to help check account access, device status, batteries, firmware, connectivity, and whether the recorded activity could reflect a technical problem.
  10. If there is no immediate danger but you believe someone entered or repeatedly attempted entry, use your local law-enforcement agency’s official website to find its non-emergency contact and ask how to report the incident.

What can wait

You do not need to decide now whether the activity was a technical fault, an account compromise, a copied key, or an attempted entry. Confronting anyone, replacing the entire system, moving, making long-term legal decisions, and rebuilding every smart-home account can wait until you are safe and the immediate access problem is contained.

Important reassurance

An alert or log entry does not by itself prove who was at the door or whether anyone entered. Unexplained unlocks, repeated attempts, missing keys, or unfamiliar users are still reasonable reasons to pause, protect yourself, preserve the available information, and have both the physical lock and the account checked.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate safety and access-containment steps only. Later decisions about repairs, tenancy, insurance, reporting, evidence, protective measures, or replacement systems may require help from the manufacturer, property manager, locksmith, law enforcement, advocate, attorney, or another appropriate specialist.

Important note

This is general safety and cybersecurity information, not legal, emergency, security, or other professional advice. Follow instructions from 911 responders and use official support information for your specific lock or entry system.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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