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    Outdoor Camera is not Live Streaming

    The Outdoor Camera utilizes both Radio Frequency (RF) and Wi-Fi to communicate with your Base Station and SimpliSafe® System.

    If your Outdoor Camera is not live streaming, there may be an underlying connection issue that needs to be addressed. It’s important to have a good connection between the Outdoor Camera and your Base Station. Making sure the Base Station is in a good location which can prevent live-streaming issues.

    An easy first step to take is to check the Outdoor Camera’s battery and rule this out as a potential issue. The Outdoor Camera battery takes up to 6 hours to fully charge and has a life expectancy of 3 months on a single charge – depending on usage and placement. 

    You can check the battery level of your camera at any time on the Cameras tab within the SimpliSafe® App or from your Online Account.

    1. Untwist the lens cover off the body of your Outdoor Camera

    2. Remove the battery from the camera by gently pulling on the battery tab

    3. Connect the battery to power using the in-box USB charging cable

      1. You must use a wall charger that provides at least 1.5A of power or higher

      2. If the three lights on the battery do not all light up, it is not fully charged

        1. This can take a few minutes to appear, so be sure to plug it in and check back shortly after!

    4. Ensure your battery is into the camera with the three metal dots lined up with the metal lines inside the camera and the tab facing out

      Battery being placed into the Outdoor Camera with the cap of the camera being twisted on.

    5. Check to see if the lens of the camera is aligned with the speaker facing down and tightened fully

    The Outdoor Camera has the ability to run a quick connection check between it and the Base Station to determine if any improvements can be made to the Wi-Fi connection. 

    During the test, the Outdoor Camera will check the upload speed and the signal strength to paint a better picture of what the overall connectivity looks like. If you receive a fair or poor signal in any category, the app will walk you through some steps you can take to improve upon that connection. This could be steps as simple as

    moving the Base Station and testing the connection again, or more involved steps such as setting up a separate network for your SimpliSafe® System to use.

    Another easy step to take is to confirm that the physical environment is capable of supporting the Outdoor Camera’s operating limits. 

    The Outdoor Camera’s optimal temperature threshold is -4°F to 122°F. If the camera overheats from high usage and its internal temperature rises above 145°F, it will shut down in order to protect the battery from damage or catching fire. Once the camera has cooled back down, it will turn back on and resume functioning.

    Still Need Help?

    If you ruled out the issues above and your Outdoor Camera still won’t record or livestream, we recommend resetting the camera.

    Help Center Article

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    Cameras

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    Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 Flashing Yellow During Setup

    A flashing yellow light during the setup of your Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 indicates that the camera has successfully connected to Wi-Fi, but is having trouble reaching the SimpliSafe® servers.

    This issue can occur for a variety of reasons, such as:

    • A firewall setting on your router is blocking access to SimpliSafe®

    • You may have certain ports blocked on your network that SimpliSafe® uses 

      • Outdoor Camera Series 2 requires port 8890 to be open

    • A temporary connectivity issue with the SimpliSafe® servers

    The best option would be to first diagnose the issue locally on your network, then try setting up your camera again. If you still run into the same problem during setup, first contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for additional troubleshooting. If you require additional support after working with your ISP, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team directly.

    Help Center Article

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    Outdoor Cameras

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    Outdoor Camera Mount Feels Loose or Not Sturdy

    When installing your Outdoor Camera, it’s important to ensure that you twist the mounting dome onto the mounting plate until you hear an audible “click”. Continue to twist clockwise by hand until there is an audible “click”. When done properly, the mount will feel stable and secure; it will also require a slight bit of force to remove when turning counterclockwise.

    Caution: If the mounting dome is not properly attached, you risk the camera being damaged or injuring someone if it falls. 

    Help Center Article

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    Outdoor Cameras

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    Can I use the SimpliCam® Wired Indoor Camera outdoors?

    The SimpliCam® Wired Indoor Camera is designed for indoor use. If you're looking to protect the outside of your home with a camera - check out the new Outdoor Security Camera !

    Using the SimpliCam® Wired Indoor Camera outdoors may void your warranty.

    Help Center Article

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    SimpliCam

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    Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera is Detecting Motion too Late

    If your Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera is detecting motion too late, there are generally two factors at play: improper placement of the camera, or a weak connection between it and your Wi-Fi network.

    Troubleshoot the connection between your camera and Wi-Fi network

    To determine whether this could be due to a weak network connection, we recommend using our in-app Connection Check tool to see if any improvements can be made to the camera’s Wi-Fi connection.

    While running a Connection Check, the Smart Alarm Indoor Camera will check its upload speed and signal strength to see what its overall connectivity is like. If you receive a fair or poor result in either category, the SimpliSafe® Mobile App will take you through troubleshooting steps you can take to improve the camera’s connection. 

    Check the placement of your camera

    Ensuring proper placement of the Smart Alarm Indoor Camera is important for it to accurately detect motion. The camera is most sensitive to side-to-side motion, so make sure that it is positioned in a way that people are walking across its field of view, not straight on. 

    And depending on whether your camera is mounted on a wall or is on a shelf, you will want to make sure that its placement abides by these requirements:

    Mounted on a wall

    • Make sure that it is mounted 6-7 feet off the ground

    • It should be angled down slightly at 20°

    • Be sure that there are no obstructions blocking the front of the camera

    Placed on a shelf

    • Make sure that it is placed 4 feet off the ground

    • The motion sensor of the camera is located on the front. To minimize any obstructions, the camera should be placed on the edge of the shelf

    Still need help?

    If you have taken the above steps and your Smart Alarm Indoor Camera is still detecting motion too late, please reach out to our Support team for further assistance.

    Help Center Article

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    Smart Alarm Indoor Camera