Base Station

Set Up Your System

First, you will either need to create a SimpliSafe® account or sign into your existing account. If you purchased your system through SimpliSafe.com, you likely created an account during checkout. Log into this account rather than creating a new one. 

If You Already Created a SimpliSafe® Account

1. Open the SimpliSafe® App on your phone or tablet

2. Log into the app using the email and password associated with your account (the email address you used to order your system)

3. Tap the “My system arrived, let’s set it up” button

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If You Have Not Created a SimpliSafe® Account Yet

1. Open the SimpliSafe® App on your phone or tablet

2. Tap the “Create Account” button and follow the on-screen instructions to set up your SimpliSafe® account

3. Once you have created your account, select the “Set up System” button

Where to Place the Base Station

The Base Station should be placed in a centrally-located area of your home or business, and in an open space. It should also be elevated at least 3 feet from the ground on a non-dense surface (ideally glass or wood). 

Avoid placing the Base Station inside a cabinet, closet, or around dense materials like granite, concrete, or metal, as this can weaken its signal to other SimpliSafe® devices. 

Installing the Base Station next to devices that output a wireless signal, such as a router, television, or cable box is also not recommended. This can cause wireless interference and decrease the overall signal strength of the Base Station.

Connect the Base Station to Wi-Fi

1. When prompted, scan the QR code on the bottom of the Base Station

   1. To scan the QR code, you’ll need to provide the SimpliSafe® App access to your camera by choosing Always Allow or Allow Once

   2. If the QR code did not scan, tap the “Enter Serial Number” button and input the serial number manually

2. The app will take up to a minute to connect to the Base Station, so keep your phone within 3 feet of it to ensure it connects properly 

3. Choose a Wi-Fi network from the list of available networks, or select Other Network and manually enter in your network name

4. Once you’ve selected your network, enter its password and then tap Connect to proceed

Base Station Didn’t Connect to Wi-Fi?

If the Base Station did not connect to Wi-Fi, please refer to the Can’t Connect Base Station to Wi-Fi During Setup article for more information.

Create Your Master PIN

Next, you will be prompted to set up your Master PIN. This is a four-digit sequence used to arm and disarm your system, lock and unlock the Smart Lock, and access the Keypad’s menu.

1. Enter the four-digit sequence you would like to use to control your system

2. Tap “Set,” and then type in the same code again to confirm the PIN

3. Once the PIN has been validated, tap “Continue”
   After creating your Master PIN, the Base Station is now ready to use! 

Activate Professional Monitoring

Professional monitoring adds an extra layer to your system, allowing your Base Station to relay alarm events to the monitoring center for our team of specialists to request dispatch in the event of an emergency. 

If you purchased your SimpliSafe® system from our website, you may have already opted in for a monitoring plan. If you did not select a monitoring plan during checkout, the SimpliSafe® app will highlight some monitoring plans to choose from before finalizing the setup. 

If you wish to decline a monitoring plan, the Base Station will update and you can begin setting up your SimpliSafe® devices. You may always activate monitoring at a later time.

Already Selected a Monitoring Plan During Checkout

1. On the “Base Station setup is complete” screen, tap the “Continue” button

2. Confirm all of your monitoring information like your address and Primary Contact(s) are correct

3. After confirming your monitoring information, tap the “Continue” button to complete the Base Station’s setup

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If You Have Not Selected a Monitoring Plan Yet

1. On the “Base Station setup is complete” screen, tap the “Continue” button

2. Scroll through the list of monitoring plans and select the option that fits your needs

3. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the required monitoring information, like entering your address and adding a Primary Contact

4. After inputting your monitoring information, tap the “Continue” button to complete the Base Station’s setup

Ensure that your system is set to OFF, if functioning properly, by pressing OFF on the SimpliSafe® Mobile App or Keypad. 

Then, power down your Base Station. To do this, remove the power cable from the bottom of the Base Station, then use your own Phillips head screwdriver to remove the screw from the base. Twist the bottom of the Base Station off to reveal the battery compartment and remove a single battery from the device. This will now power down the old Base Station.

Optional: Take note of how many devices and cameras you have associated with your system by going to My System on the SimpliSafe® Mobile App and seeing them listed under Device Settings and Camera Settings. You’ll need to add these back later.

Pick a Keypad from your system (if you have multiple) and slide off the backing plate to reveal the battery compartment. Remove a single battery to power down the Keypad.

Before proceeding to step 4, you’ll need to reset these specific devices (if you have any associated with your current system):

• Motion Sensor Gen 2: Remove the battery to reset

• Smart Locks (Original and Series 2): Remove the battery plate on the Smart Lock, then press and hold down the pairing button on the lock until all three lights begin to flash at the same time.

• Outdoor Cameras: Hold the pairing button on the back of the camera for 30 seconds. The camera should chime and begin to blink white. The chime indicates a successful reset. 

• Smart Alarm Indoor Camera: Press and hold the pairing button (the larger button) on the top of the camera for about 30 seconds. The camera should chime and begin to blink white.

Unbox your new Base Station and power it on by plugging it into a working power outlet. Specifically, one that receives continuous power and is not linked to a light switch. Your Base Station will announce “Welcome to SimpliSafe®” which means you can proceed to step 5.

Replace the battery in the Keypad that you took the battery out of in step 2. The Base Station should announce “Keypad, Added” if it automatically connects.

If your Keypad does not automatically connect, you’ll need to use an alternative pairing method to get connected again.

If your Keypad Does Not Automatically Connect, use this Alternate Method for Pairing:

1. Unplug your Base Station’s power cord from the bottom of the Base Station. Then, use a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the screw.

2. Untwist the cover from the Base Station, but leave the batteries in place to keep it powered on.

3. Locate the “Emergency Pairing Button” on the bottom of the Base Station, opposite of the power cord port. You’ll press this in step 5.

4. Power cycle the Keypad by fully removing a single battery and reinserting it.

5. As soon as the Keypad screen says “Searching for Base Station”, press and release the “Emergency Pairing Button” on the bottom of the Base Station.

6. The Base Station will announce, “Keypad, added” if successful.

When prompted by the Keypad, input a Master PIN. This can be the same PIN you used before, or a new one. Then, use the Keypad to connect your Base Station to your location’s Wi-Fi network. The Keypad uses ABC mode for typing on it, which is similar to how you may have typed on an older cellphone using T9.

Once you have connected the Base Station to Wi-Fi, you’ll need to complete the transfer within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App.

To Replace Your Base Station Using the SimpliSafe® Mobile App:

1. Open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your phone or tablet

2. If you have multiple locations, ensure you are on the correct one before proceeding

3. Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar

4. Tap on Base Station Settings

5. Scroll down to the bottom and choose Replace Base Station

6. Follow the in-app prompts to complete the process

If you receive an “Invalid Base Station Serial Number” error message during this process, it could mean that you’re missing account information. You will need to confirm your monitoring address in the Online Account first, then try again.

Once the new Base Station is connected to your SimpliSafe® account, you can proceed with setting up the rest of your products. You will need to add back all products from your previous system, including the ones you reset in earlier steps.

To add a Product to your System:

1. Open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your phone or tablet.

2. Tap on the three-bar menu (hamburger menu) in the upper left corner of the screen.

3. Choose “Add Device or Camera” from the list of menu options.

4. Select Get Started, then follow the in-app prompts to choose your product and add it to your system.

When your Base Station was replaced, its system and device settings were reset. You’ll want to go through your menus under the My System tab for Base Station Settings, Device Settings, and/or Camera Settings and make sure that each device is set back up to your specifications.

When your system is set up again, you’ll want to test it to make sure your system is ready to protect your home or business again. 

First, you can arm your system into Home Mode by using the SimpliSafe® Mobile App or Keypad by pressing HOME. Once armed, go ahead and disarm the system by pressing OFF. 

Once your system is disarmed, use your Keypad to place your system into Test Mode and test each of your devices to confirm that they are working properly. When a system with monitoring enters Test Mode, it prompts a courtesy call from the Monitoring Center and generates “User Initiated Test” on your activity timeline within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App. Don’t worry, if you do not answer the call we won’t request dispatch. From there you can test devices by pressing their pairing button and listening for the Base Station to respond.

When you’re done, you can exit by using the Keypad.

Ensure that your Base Station is powered on and connected to a known working power outlet. Using an outlet connected to a light switch is not recommended and can cause frequent “Power Outage” error messages to be reported if the back up batteries are engaged when power is shut off to the Base Station.

A “No Link to Dispatcher” can also occur if your Wi-Fi network is experiencing an outage, or has recently changed. You’ll want to reconnect your Base Station to Wi-Fi using the steps below.

Please note that these steps are only if you have a monitoring plan that supports built-in network backup. If you do not have a professionally monitored plan, please utilize the Keypad steps versus the in-app steps below.

Connecting your Base Station to Wi-Fi using the SimpliSafe® Mobile App

1. Open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your phone or tablet

2. Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar, followed by Base Station Settings

3. Tap on ‘WiFi Network’ and follow the in-app prompts to connect to your new network

4. Your app will state “Yay! Your Base Station is connected” if the credentials are correct.

5. Tap Done to exit the Wi-Fi setup mode.

   1. If this step fails, please use the Keypad steps below.

Connecting the Base Station to Wi-Fi using the Keypad

1. Using your Keypad, press the Menu button

2. Then, enter your Master PIN

3. Select System Settings

4. Then press the right side of the screen to choose Wi-Fi, followed by Edit

5. Next, choose your network from the list of available options by tapping “Use”

6. Enter your password by using the Keypad’s buttons to type in ABC mode (this is similar to T9 or ABC mode which was used for texting with older cell phones)

Once your Wi-Fi Connection has been re-established

When your Base Station has connected to Wi-Fi again, you’ll need to place your system into Test Mode to re-establish a signal using the Keypad.

1. Using your Keypad, press the Menu button

2. Enter your Master PIN

3. Use the arrows and scroll until Test Mode is highlighted, then press the screen to the right to select it

You will know you are in Test Mode when you see a circle appear on your screen with the text, "Test each device by pressing its button".

NOTE: If you have monitoring, you will also receive an automated call from the monitoring center asking you to confirm you placed your system into Test Mode. If you do not answer this call, no worries! A voicemail will be left for you notifying you of the system test.

You can exit Test Mode right away by pressing the Keypad screen to the left. Once you have exited Test Mode, open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App and choose Timeline from the bottom navigation bar. You should see “User Initiated Test” in the timeline, meaning the issue is now resolved.

If you do not have Wi-Fi, or if reconnecting to Wi-Fi does not resolve the “No Link to Dispatcher” error messaging, you’ll need to review the placement of your Base Station. The placement of the Base Station plays an important role in your system’s overall health. Your Base Station should be placed in a centrally-located area within your home or business, and in an open space. It is recommended that the Base Station is elevated at least 3 feet off the ground on a non-dense surface (ideally glass or wood).

Placing your Base Station in a cabinet, closet, or around dense materials (such as granite, concrete, or metal) can weaken its signal to other SimpliSafe® devices. This can lead to communication errors between the Base Station and your SimpliSafe® products, and cause the other devices (sensors, cameras, etc.) to become unresponsive or go offline.

Installing your Base Station next to devices that output a wireless signal, such as a router or TV, is also not recommended. This can cause wireless interference and decrease the overall signal strength of the Base Station.

Before getting started, you’ll need to be able to access the bottom of the Base Station to complete these steps. You’ll also need your own Phillips head screwdriver to access the Base Station's battery compartment.

How to Reset the Base Station

1. Unplug the Base Station from power by removing the cable from the bottom of the Base Station

   1. Wait at least 60 seconds

   2. OR until the SimpliSafe® Mobile App states “Power Outage” on the timeline

2. Using a Phillips head screwdriver, remove the screw on the bottom of the Base Station

3. Take off the bottom cover to expose the battery compartment

4. Remove a single battery from the Base Station, wait 60 seconds, and reinsert the battery

5. Plug the Base Station back into power

6. After 60 seconds, a “Power Restored” message should populate on the timeline within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App

7. Next, arm your system to HOME mode, then disarm it by setting it to OFF

Go to the timeline within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App from the bottom navigation bar. You should see a message that states the system was armed and disarmed appear within your timeline. This confirms that the issue is now resolved for your system.

If you are still seeing this error after taking the above steps, our support team can assist you further.

COX and Xfinity default their network security settings to the WPA3 protocol. To connect the Base Station to Wi-Fi or install the SimpliSafe® cameras, you’ll need to temporarily change this to WPA2. Once these devices are set up, you can change this setting back to WPA3.

COX subscribers will need to reach out to their Internet Service Provider (ISP) to temporarily switch the network from WPA3 to WPA2 security. 

Xfinity subscribers using the Xfinity gateway should be able to make these changes within the Xfinity Mobile App. Click on Wi-Fi from the bottom menu, then select Wi-Fi Details. Choose Edit Wi-Fi Settings. Under Security Mode change this setting to WPA2, then tap on Save to save your changes.