Comcast turns millions of Xfinity routers into motion detectors with free Wi-Fi sensing

Xfinity Shield combines home, family and cybersecurity protection in one app, and is free for all Xfinity Internet customers. Its Wi-Fi Motion feature, which is opt-in, detects movement inside the home by picking up changes in the radio frequency signal between the Xfinity Gateway and a connected device. If the system detects unexpected changes, users receive an immediate notification through the Xfinity app. The company says Wi-Fi Motion provides an added layer of awareness without recording video, capturing images or identifying individuals.

According to The Verge, Xfinity’s motion sensing pairs with new modes in the Xfinity app — Home Watch, Away Watch and Dark Watch — allowing users to turn sensing on or off based on their activities. The feature requires an advanced gateway, XB7 or newer. Engadget reports that Wi-Fi Shield also includes cybersecurity protections against malware, phishing and other threats, along with Family Settings for managing household member profiles, screen time and device limits.

Kohposh Kuda, Xfinity’s senior vice president of consumer products, told The Verge that the company spent three years advancing the algorithms for Wi-Fi Motion and tightening up irregularities from early versions of Wi-Fi sensing. “We’re at a point where we feel confident in the WiFi Motion capability that customers can use this for motion detection in their home and for a basic level of security,” he said, adding that for the average household this provides an adequate level of security protection.

Wi-Fi motion sensing is not a new technology, but it has only recently become accurate enough for mainstream use. Linksys launched a similar service in 2021 but discontinued it a few years later. Lighting company Wiz introduced Wi-Fi-sensing smart bulbs in 2023, and Philips Hue has deployed radio-frequency sensing using Zigbee.

Comcast also offers a paid tier called Xfinity Shield Select, priced at $15 per month. It adds an indoor camera, a door or window sensor, cloud video storage and around-the-clock emergency response, as well as AI-powered identification of people, pets, packages and vehicles. The company says it plans to add more features and services to the platform next year. Xfinity currently offers security cameras under Shield Select, and Kuda said Comcast does not yet see Wi-Fi sensing as replacing traditional camera-based security systems.