Overview

The Settings Module allows community administrators and managers to configure fundamental aspects of their Watchtower deployment. From this section you can set your community’s name and address, control hardware gateways, and compose announcements for residents. Access is typically limited to high‑level users, as changes here affect the entire community.

You can open the Settings Module by selecting the key icon in the left‑hand navigation bar. Within the module there are three tabs: Community Settings, Hardware Settings, and Announcements.

Community Settings

Use Community Settings to maintain general information about your community and customize the resident experience:

• Basic Information: Enter or update your community’s name, a short description, and a billing email address. This information may be displayed on invitations and internal communications.

• Address Information: Provide the street address, city, state, and ZIP code of the community. This ensures correspondence and logistics reference the correct location.

• Invite Settings: Define an Invite Name, a short identifier (minimum 5 characters) used to generate your unique community sign‑up link. This link allows new residents to register themselves. A sample link is shown below the field for reference.

• Message of the Day: Enable or disable a community‑wide message that appears at the top of each resident’s dashboard. When enabled, enter a message (up to 200 characters) to share reminders or important information.

• Save Settings: After making changes, click Save Settings to apply them. Leaving the page without saving will discard your edits.

Hardware Settings

The Hardware Settings tab lets you manage gate hardware and verify the status of the devices that control entry. This section is divided into two views:

• Control Panels: A list of installed gate control panels, each showing its name (e.g., “Main Gate”), status (Connected/Disconnected), device type, serial number, firmware version, and the time it last communicated with Watchtower. Use the arrow on a panel’s row to view additional details. A Refresh button at the top allows you to manually poll the panels for their current status.

• Access Points: Each lane or gate (such as “Guest Lane” or “Resident Lane”) is listed here. Entries display the lane name, activation state (Active/Inactive), associated site and control panel, and may indicate whether additional security measures like 2‑Factor Authentication (2FA) are required. You can click an access point to view or modify its configuration.

Keep an eye on hardware statuses and last contact times to ensure your gates are operating correctly. If a panel shows as disconnected, verify its network connection or power supply. The Refresh button can be used to update statuses if you suspect they may be out of date.

Announcements

The Announcements tab enables you to send mass communications to all residents in your community. This tool supports email and push notifications; SMS messages are not available due to carrier‑imposed limitations introduced in 2025. (If your community wishes to enable SMS announcements, it may require a separate subscription.)

When composing an announcement:

1. Select the delivery methods. You can send announcements via Email (recommended) and/or Push Notification. Push notifications require that residents have installed the MyWatchtower mobile app and allowed notifications.

2. Write your message. For email, provide a subject line (5–50 characters) and a message body (20–1,000 characters). For push notifications, enter a title (5–50 characters) and a short message (10–150 characters). Character limits ensure messages are concise and readable.

3. Review the preview. A live preview on the right shows how your announcement will appear in residents’ inboxes and on their devices.

4. Check estimated recipients. At the bottom of the form you’ll see the number of users who will receive the announcement. If the count seems incorrect, verify that your community membership list is up to date.

5. Send Announcement. Once satisfied, click Send Announcement. Announcements cannot be recalled once sent, so double‑check your content and recipients before finalizing.

Best Practices

• Restrict access: Only trusted administrators should have the ability to change settings or send announcements. Grant permissions judiciously to minimize the risk of accidental changes.

• Keep information current: Ensure your community name, address, and invite link are accurate. Out‑of‑date information can confuse residents and visitors.

• Monitor hardware regularly: Use the Hardware Settings to check gate status and firmware versions. Schedule routine maintenance to prevent unexpected outages.

• Craft clear messages: For announcements, keep subject lines and messages brief and informative. If enabling the message of the day, rotate it regularly to keep residents informed.

• Plan ahead for push notifications: Make sure residents know to download the MyWatchtower app and enable notifications so they don’t miss important announcements.