What it Means

An "Unable to Stream Video" error means that the app was unable to download and display the streamable video. As this is likely an issue on the app end, our team is notified of these errors and investigates promptly to ensure your video is back up for streaming as soon as possible. You can try streaming this video again later.

Is There Anything I Can Do?

As mentioned above, this is likely due to an error on our end. In the meantime, you can also check your Wi-Fi connectivity strength and speed as that can affect your camera's ability to stream and record video. You can learn more about improving your connectivity speeds on our Help Center.

If your Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 ever encounters an error that can’t be fixed through normal troubleshooting, performing a factory reset* of the camera may be necessary.

*Please note that you cannot reset the Outdoor Camera remotely. You must be physically at the location of your system and with your camera to reset it.

First, you’ll need to remove the Outdoor Camera from the SimpliSafe® Mobile App.

To remove the camera:

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

2. Choose the My System from the bottom navigation bar

3. Select Camera Settings

4. Tap the Outdoor Camera you wish to remove

5. Scroll to the bottom and select Remove Camera

To factory reset your Outdoor Camera:

1. Ensure the camera is within 30 feet of the Base Station

2. Locate the pairing button on the back of your Outdoor Camera

   1. This is the smaller, circular button on the back of the camera
      

3. Press and hold the pairing button firmly, using both thumbs if possible, for 30 seconds - or until the camera chimes. You will hear the BS announce “Camera removed” 

   1. If the camera does not chime at any point during the 30 seconds of pressing the button, let go and press and hold the button again for another 30 seconds

4. When you release the button, the camera should reboot and begin to flash white

   1. For some cameras you may also notice it make a sound

Once the factory reset is complete, you will need to add it to your system again using our Installation Guide. 

The Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 has a variety of settings that can be customized, such as Night Vision, Motion Detection, Video Quality, and more! If you are enrolled in SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection, some settings may not be adjustable within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App.

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

3. Select Camera Settings

4. Choose your Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 from the list of available cameras

Motion Detection

Motion Detection settings control how your camera will respond to motion events, such as someone walking in its view, or a car driving by.

In this menu, you can toggle motion events and notifications on and off. You can also use the slider to choose the sensitivity of motion detection. We typically recommend setting this to medium. You can also set it to People Only or All Motion to better filter motion events.

Activity Zones allow you to exclude certain areas from motion events, which is good if you live near a busy sidewalk or street.

Video Quality

Video Quality manages what quality of your streams and recordings will be at. For the Outdoor Camera Series 2, you can adjust this to 1080p, 720p, or 480p. The higher the stream, the more bandwidth it will use on your network. So if you’re having trouble streaming at 1080p, you can try lowering the quality to troubleshoot on your end.

Night Vision

The Night Vision setting allows you to see potential intruders or threats in the dark, by using infrared to capture video. You can also opt to use the Spotlight feature, which shines a light to capture video in color rather than night vision’s black-and-white scheme.

Flip Image 180

This option is available should you mount your Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 upside down. Please note that if you are using your camera with SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection, we do not recommend mounting it upside down. Mounting your camera upside down will decrease the distance that it picks up motion by halving it. Specifically, upside down Outdoor Cameras will be able to pick up motion within 15 feet of the camera, as opposed to 30 feet when mounted in a normal orientation.

Mic & Audio

The Mic & Audio setting allows you to hear audio from your camera and also allows you to initiate two-way communication when viewing live streams. 

Siren

The Outdoor Camera Series 2 comes with a whopping 90dB built-in siren to relay active alarms across your system. 

Status Light

The Status Light for your camera will show you that the camera is online and functioning, at a quick glance.

Please note that if you turn this off but are enrolled in Active Guard Outdoor Protecton, the status LED will still light up amber for agent actions and interventions.

The Wireless Outdoor Security Camera has an expected battery life of up to 3 months; however, its lifespan is dependent on usage and the settings on your Outdoor Camera. You can learn more in this article about preserving the battery life of the Outdoor Camera.

If you notice that your Outdoor Camera’s battery won’t hold a charge, see our recommended troubleshooting steps below.

Make Sure That the Battery is Charging Completely

The Outdoor Camera’s battery takes up to 6 hours to charge completely. When the battery is charging, you will see a blinking white light. You’ll know the battery is fully charged once all 3 lights are illuminated and no longer blinking.

Use the Correct Power Adapter

The Outdoor Camera’s battery requires a USB power adapter with an output of 5.0V, 1.5A+. Failure to use the correct power adapter can result in the battery not charging completely. 

A list of power adapters that fit this requirement are:

• The SimpliCam® Wired Indoor Security Camera’s adapter 

• The Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera’s adapter

• Most cell phone power adapters

If you don’t know the output of your power adapter, most models will have it printed on the device itself, as seen in the image below.

If you are using the correct power adapter, make sure that you are plugging it into an outlet directly in a wall. Using a USB power strip or USB power hub may not supply efficient power to charge the battery. 

Assemble the Camera and Battery Properly

Once the Outdoor Camera’s battery has finished charging, make sure that you put it back into the camera properly. When inserting the battery into the Outdoor Camera, the 3 gold circles on the battery should be facing up and align with the three gold prongs inside the camera’s battery slot. The camera’s battery tab should also be facing you.

After inserting the battery, secure the lens to the camera by twisting it clockwise until it no longer moves.

You’ll know that your Outdoor Camera has been assembled properly once it makes a high pitched chime and begins to flash white.

Keep Your Outdoor Camera’s Firmware Up To Date

We’re always adding updates to the Outdoor Camera’s firmware to keep it running smoothly and to help with its battery life. Firmware updates on the Outdoor Camera are automatic, so make sure that you keep your cameras connected to Wi-Fi to get the latest updates. 

If you have taken the above steps and your Outdoor Camera’s battery still won’t hold a charge, we also offer products to keep the battery charged.

Outdoor Camera Solar Panel

With the Outdoor Camera Solar Panel, you won’t have to worry about taking your Outdoor Camera’s battery out to charge it. With just 3 hours of direct sunlight a day, the Outdoor Camera Solar Panel will keep your battery charged! To learn more about this product, visit the Wireless Outdoor Camera Solar Panel article. 

Outdoor Camera Charging Cable

If you live in a cloudy region or your home doesn’t get sufficient sunlight, we also offer an Outdoor Camera Charging Cable to help keep your Outdoor Camera’s battery charged 24/7! With a 25ft water-resistant cable and an outdoor-rated power adapter, this cord will easily be able to reach wherever your Outdoor Camera is installed. 

If your Wireless Outdoor Security Camera encounters an error that can’t be fixed through normal troubleshooting, performing a factory reset* of the camera may be necessary.

*Please note that you cannot reset the Outdoor Camera remotely. You must be with your camera physically to reset it.

First, you’ll need to remove the Outdoor Camera from the SimpliSafe® Mobile App.

To remove your Outdoor Camera

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

2. Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar

3. Select Camera Settings

4. Tap your Outdoor Camera

5. Scroll to the bottom and select Remove Camera

Once the Outdoor Camera has been removed from your system, you’ll need to reset it.

To reset your Outdoor Camera

1. Locate the pairing button on the back of your Outdoor Camera

   1. This is the smaller, circular button on the back of the camera
      

2. Press and hold the pairing button firmly, using both thumbs if possible, for 30 seconds - or until the camera chimes

   1. If the camera does not chime at any point during the 30 seconds of pressing the button, let go and press and hold the button again for another 30 seconds

3. When you release the button, the camera should reboot and begin to flash white

   1. For some cameras you may also notice it make a sound

Once the reset is complete, you can set it back up using our Installation Guide.

The error “Camera Connection Dropped” can happen for one of two reasons: 

1. The camera has a weak connection to your Wi-Fi network

2. There is a low or dying battery, and the camera is unable to make the connection due to power constraints

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If you run into an issue with your Video Doorbell Pro that cannot be resolved through normal troubleshooting, you may need to reset* the device. A reset refreshes the camera's connection to the Base Station and clears out errors that may prevent it from working correctly.

*The Video Doorbell Pro cannot be reset remotely. You must physically be with the camera to reset it.

Performing a Soft Reset

Performing a soft reset on the Video Doorbell Pro can help clear it from an unresponsive state. It will also test that the device has power. 

To perform a soft reset:

1. Remove the Video Doorbell Pro from its faceplate by releasing the security screw on the bottom of the device using its included T5 Torx screwdriver 

2. Press and hold the larger button on the back of the Video Doorbell Pro for 30 seconds and then release it

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3. After about one minute, the camera will reboot and go into setup mode

4. Secure the Video Doorbell Pro to the mounting plate once more, and insert the security screw using your screwdriver

5. You should see a solid yellow LED light come on, followed by a flashing white light with audible cues to get started

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

7. You’ll now choose the Setup Camera prompt, or use our installation guide for step-by-step instructions on adding your camera back to your system

Performing a Factory Reset

If normal troubleshooting and a soft reset do not resolve the issues with your Video Doorbell Pro, you’ll want to try performing a factory reset on the device to flash it back to factory settings.

To perform a factory reset:

1. Remove the Video Doorbell Pro from its faceplate by releasing the security screw on the bottom of the device using its included T5 Torx screwdriver 

2. Press and release the smaller button on the back of the Video Doorbell Pro

   ​

3. Secure the Video Doorbell Pro to the mounting plate once more, and insert the security screw using your screwdriver

4. The LED on the Video Doorbell Pro should change to a solid yellow light

5. If the Video Doorbell Pro was previously connected to Wi-Fi, it should automatically reconnect to the app

6. If the Video Doorbell Pro does not reconnect, open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your phone or tablet

7. You’ll now choose the Setup Camera prompt, or use our installation guide for step-by-step instructions on adding your camera back to your system