Switching from Bell or API Alarm? Get a free alarm takeover

1. 01 Tell us what you have Your provider, panel brand and a photo of the keypad.
2. 02 Free evaluation We confirm compatibility and anything that needs replacing.
3. 03 Free takeover Panel reprogrammed, every zone tested — no contract.

What happened to Bell home security?

On October 1, 2025, Bell’s parent company BCE completed the sale of substantially all of its home security and monitored alarm assets to a.p.i. ALARM Inc. (BCE Q3 2025 report). Bell Smart Home customers’ alarm monitoring and service moved to API as part of that sale, and Bell no longer supports its Smart Home security service. Many of those systems originally started out as AlarmForce accounts, a company Bell had acquired earlier.

For a lot of households that means a provider they didn’t choose. Some are happy to stay. Others use the change as a chance to compare options — that’s what this page is for.

Keep your alarm equipment. Upgrade your service.

Switching from Bell or API Alarm doesn’t mean starting over. In most cases we use your existing alarm equipment, often a DSC or Qolsys (IQ) system. Your keypad, sensors and wiring stay where they are; we reprogram the panel to report to Knightwatch.

What changes is the service. You get responsive people who attend to your needs and inquiries: a local Toronto office that picks up the phone, technicians who come out when something needs attention, and straight answers about your account. You’re not handed off to a call centre. See which keypads we take over.

Do I have to stay with API?

That depends on your agreement, not on us. Look for your term or end date, any automatic renewal, the notice period for cancelling, and whether your equipment is owned or rented. If you’re unsure, ask your current provider for those details in writing. Once you know them, we’ll time your switch so there’s no gap in monitoring and no overlap in billing.

Can Knightwatch take over a Bell or API alarm system?

Often, yes. Many installed systems use standard panels, keypads and sensors that can be reprogrammed to report to Knightwatch’s monitoring department. Whether yours can depends on the exact equipment:

• Compatible, unlocked panels are reprogrammed and every zone is tested — free under our takeover offer.
• Locked or proprietary panels may not be reprogrammable. We’ll tell you during the free evaluation and quote only the minimum replacement needed, often keeping your existing door, window and motion sensors where they’re compatible.
• Rented equipment that still belongs to your current provider can’t be taken over and may need to be returned under your agreement.

Read more about how home alarm takeovers work or business alarm takeovers.

Why switch to Knightwatch?

Knightwatch is a family-owned Toronto security company that has focused only on security since 1988. When you switch you get:

• No contracts — we earn your business every month.
• Unlimited guard dispatch and 24/7 monitoring from our ULC monitoring department.
• Our own full-time technicians for installation and service.
• A local team that answers — the office, after-hours line and monitoring station are all listed on our contact page.
• Upgrades only when you need them — cameras, cellular communicators, smoke/CO/flood sensors, phone arming.

Before you switch: a quick checklist

• Find your agreement’s end date, renewal terms and notice period.
• Check whether your panel and sensors are owned or rented.
• Take a photo of your keypad or touchscreen and the panel box (if you know where it is).
• Note any extra devices — smoke/CO detectors, cameras, flood sensors.
• Book the free evaluation; give notice to your current provider only once your Knightwatch switch date is set.