Entry Sensor
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My Entry Sensor Will Not Pair to My System
If you just installed your Entry Sensor, but cannot find it under Device Settings - it’s possible that it did not pair correctly with your system. There are a few steps you can take to resolve this issue. You should take each step in the order they are presented, and attempt to pair the Entry Sensor after each step to confirm which one resolved it.
As a first step, you’ll want to briefly remove the battery from the sensor then test if the LED blinks on it.
If you need help removing the battery, you can follow the steps below.
Slide the Entry Sensor off its bracket, by applying even pressure to it and moving the sensor towards the pairing button
Remove the battery from the Entry Sensor using one of the methods below, depending on your sensor
You will either pop the battery out of the sensor by pressing down on the battery tab to release it
Or you will need to use a small tool, such as a eyeglasses screwdriver to press down on the tab holding the cover in place, then remove the battery
Wait at least 15 seconds
Reinsert the battery, and replace the battery tab with the exclamation point facing up - if applicable
Slide the Entry Sensor back onto its bracket
Press the pairing button on the top of the sensor and confirm if the LED blinks
If there is NO VISIBLE LED, proceed to step 2 to replace the battery
Try pairing the sensor again
The Entry Sensor takes one Duracell CR-2032 Lithium 3V battery and has a life expectancy of up to 5 years depending on placement and usage.
To change your Entry Sensor's battery, slide the sensor towards the pairing button to remove it from the bracket. Then replace the lithium battery and slide the sensor back onto its bracket.
It’s possible that there may be wireless interference at the location you are trying to install the sensor at. To rule this out, you’ll want to move the Entry Sensor closer to the Base Station temporarily, and try setting it up at that location. If the Entry Sensor pairs successfully next to the Base Station, you can try moving it back to the original location and use the signal strength within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App to determine if there is an issue. Note that metal doors or dense building material can also be a source of interference, and may be preventing the signal from getting back to the Base Station clearly.
As a final step, you’ll want to perform a power cycle on the Base Station, then try to add the sensor back again. To do this, you will need your own Phillips head screwdriver to complete this task.
Unplug the power cord from the bottom of the Base Station and use a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the screw from where the cord was inserted
Remove the bottom cover by twisting it off and remove a single battery from within the Base Station
Wait 60 seconds, or until you hear the Base Station say “Power Outage”
Reassemble the Base Station by reinserting the battery, twisting the cover back on, reinserting the screw and power cord
After the reset, you’ll hear the Base Station say “Welcome to SimpliSafe®”
Once you hear the Base Station announce that, attempt to add the Entry Sensor to your system again
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Entry Sensor
Entry Sensor Overview and Installation Guide
Overview
Entry Sensors defend your doors and windows. The Base Station will sound a quick chime when a door or window opens while your system is disarmed. Depending on your settings, this can also be set to trigger an alarm.
Entry Sensors are made up of two parts: a sensor (the smaller of the two components) and a magnet. When these are lined up within two inches of each other, the system knows the door or window is closed. When they move more than two inches apart, the system sees it has been opened.
Looking to purchase an Entry Sensor? You can find Entry Sensors available for purchase on our website.
Before Getting Started
Before setting up your Entry Sensor, you will need to install your Base Station.
Prior to placing the sensor, make sure the surface has been wiped clean and has had time to dry.
Additional installation considerations:
If you are mounting the Entry Sensor to a metal door, we recommend placing a thin piece of cardboard between the sensor and the surface.
If you are mounting the Entry Sensor to a magnetic door or frame, we recommend that you place the smaller magnet piece of the sensor on the magnetic surface.
This will ensure that your Entry Sensor has the best signal possible to communicate with your Base Station.
What’s in the Box
Entry Sensor and magnet with mounting plate
Screws (optional for permanent installation)
How to Add Entry Sensor in the SimpliSafe® Mobile App
Open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your smartphone or tablet
Navigate to the three-bar menu on the upper left corner and select Add Device or Camera
Select Entry Sensor from the list of available products
How to Pair the Entry Sensor to Your System
Pull the battery tab out of the Entry Sensor and then press and release the setup button on the top of the device
After releasing the setup button, the Base Station should say “Entry Sensor” and the LED light on the Entry Sensor should flash blue 3 times
The SimpliSafe® Mobile App will then prompt you to name your Entry Sensor. You can either select from our pre-populated list of names or select Custom Name at the bottom of the screen and enter your own
How to Mount the Entry Sensor
Find a door or window to place your Entry Sensor on, making sure that
One piece of the sensor can be placed on the door or window itself and the other piece fits on the door/window frame
When the door or window is closed, both pieces of the Entry Sensor are no more than 1.5 inches apart
How to Mount the Entry Sensor Using the Included Adhesive Strips
Clean the desired surface with an alcohol-based cleaning solution and let it dry completely
Peel the plastic backing off the adhesive strips on the back of the Entry Sensor
Press and hold the sensor in place for 30 seconds
How to Mount the Entry Sensor Using the Included Screws
Remove the adhesives completely off the Entry Sensor’s mounting plate
Slide the Entry Sensor off its mounting plate
Using a phillips head screwdriver and the included screws, secure the mounting plate to the surface
Slide the Entry Sensor back on the mounting plate
Watch the following video for a hands-on installation experience from our team of experts
Troubleshooting
Why Is My Entry Sensor Shown As Open When My Door Is Closed?
How do I remove my Entry Sensor magnet (the smaller part of the sensor) from the wall?
Compliance
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Entry Sensor
How Does the Entry Sensor Respond During an Alarm
When the system is in an armed state (Home or Away Mode) and an Entry Sensor is triggered, the entry countdown will begin. The entry countdown by default is 30 seconds, however, this can be adjusted at any time within the SimpliSafe® App. If the system is not disarmed before the entry countdown elapses, an alarm will sound.
If the system is disarmed within moments of the initial alarm signal, this will be considered a false alarm by our monitoring center. That means you will not receive a phone call or an Alarm Text or Push Notification, and emergency services will not be requested to your location.
If you receive an alarm text, you’ll have the option to cancel the alarm or request dispatch of emergency services. If you respond to the text with a C during the grace period, you won’t receive a call from our monitoring center.
If you have alarm push notifications turned on you will get a notification that will take you to our Alarm Screen feature in the SimpliSafe app where you can cancel your alarm or request help with the touch of a button.
Once cancelled, you can also disarm your system via Alarm Texts by replying back with “Disarm now”. This is not case sensitive, so replying back with “disarm now” will also work. Disarming your system via Alarm Texts is a great way to ensure that subsequent alarms don’t occur while you work to get back to your home or business.
If the alarm is not canceled by any of the above methods within the grace period, the Primary Contacts will receive a call from our monitoring center. During this call you will be required to provide your Safe Word to the agent you speak with to cancel the alarm. Please note that providing the wrong Safe Word, or no Safe Word will result in a request for dispatch. You won’t be told you got it wrong to protect anyone who may be under duress. Additionally, missing the phone calls to your Primary Contacts will also result in a request for emergency services to the location that your system is registered to.
We encourage you to save the monitoring center number to your phone. That number is 855-693-4911.
Once saved to your phone, you’ll also want to allow us access to bypass Do Not Disturb and Silent Profiles. This allows for Critical Alarm Notifications to get through to you, regardless of your phone’s volume or profile status.
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Entry Sensor
Testing the Entry Sensor
Test Mode is a great way to test the connection between your Base Station and other SimpliSafe® products. We recommend periodically placing your system into Test Mode to ensure that your devices are still communicating with the Base Station without any errors.
Placing Your System Into Test Mode
Disarm your system by pressing OFF on the Keypad
Press the Menu button on your Keypad
Enter your Master PIN
Scroll until Test Mode is highlighted
Use the right arrow and tap to the right to enter Test Mode
You’ll know you are in Test Mode when you see a circle on the Keypad appear with the text, “Test each device by pressing its button”.
Note: If you subscribe to monitoring, you will receive an automated call from the monitoring center asking you to confirm you placed your system into Test Mode. If you do not answer – no worries! A voicemail will be left to alert you to the system test, and it will not result in a request for dispatch.
Testing the Entry Sensor
To test your Entry Sensor, open and close protected doors and windows. The Base Station will announce “Entry Sensor” if the test was successful.
You can also press the button on the top of the Entry Sensor to test the sensor’s functionality. This will also result in the Base Station announcing “Entry Sensor” if successful.
Once you are done testing your Entry Sensor, press the left arrow key on the Keypad’s screen to exit Test Mode.
Troubleshooting the Entry Sensor
If you are testing your Entry Sensor and do not hear the Base Station announce “Entry Sensor”, the first thing you’ll want to do is confirm you can hear the Base Station from the location you’re testing in. You can adjust the Base Station’s volume under the Base Station Settings menu, by selecting Voice Prompts.
As a next step, you’ll want to confirm that the Entry Sensor's battery is functioning. The Entry Sensor takes a single Duracell CR-2032 Lithium 3V battery and has a life expectancy of up to 5 years, depending on placement and usage.
If you are still unable to hear the Base Station announce “Entry Sensor” it’s possible that there could be an issue with the location of the Base Station, or there is Radio Frequency (RF) interference at play.
Other electronic devices within your home may communicate on similar frequencies, resulting in wireless interference between your SimpliSafe® devices. Because of this, we recommend keeping your Base Station and Entry Sensor at least 3-5 feet away from the following devices:
Wi-Fi Routers
Large TVs
Weather Stations
Large Appliances (especially in the kitchen and laundry rooms)
Baby monitors
Remote Controlled Garage Door Openers
LED Lights or Christmas Lights
This above list is to give you an idea of what devices may cause interference within your home, and is in no means an exhaustive list of all devices. There may be other devices that output RF or Wi-Fi signals that could impede the connection between your Base Station and SimpliSafe® devices.
We also recommend avoiding placing your Entry Sensor on a metal or magnetic surfaces, whenever possible. If you do need to place the sensor on one of these surface types, please keep the following in mind:
If you are mounting the Entry Sensor to a metal door, we recommend placing a thin piece of cardboard between the sensor and the door.
If you are mounting the Entry Sensor to a magnetic door or frame, we recommend that you place the magnet on the magnetic surface.
This will ensure that your Entry Sensor has the best signal possible to communicate with your Base Station.
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Entry Sensor
How SimpliSafe® Products Respond During an Alarm
SimpliSafe’s® Professional Monitoring protects your home or business across many types of alarms. Depending on your monitoring plan and alarm type, when an alarm is triggered, you’ll be notified through App Push Notifications or Alarm Text Messages. You’ll also be able to interact with our in-app Alarm Screen to cancel alarms or request help from emergency responders.
Alarm types are divided into four categories:
Burglary (Entry, Motion, Glassbreak, Panic Button, Duress)
SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection Alarms (Pro, Pro Plus plans only)
Life Safety (Fire and Carbon Monoxide)
Environmental (Water and Temperature Alerts)
If the system is disarmed within a few moments of the initial alarm signal, this will be considered a false alarm by our monitoring center. That means you will not receive a phone call, as we assume you are safe, and emergency services will not be requested to your location.
Entry Sensor, Motion Sensor, and Glassbreak Sensor
When your system is in an armed state (Home or Away mode) and one of these sensors is triggered, a countdown will begin unless you have configured Instant Trigger. The Entry Delay default is 30 seconds, but can be adjusted up to 4 minutes in the SimpliSafe® Mobile App. If you do not disarm your system before this entry countdown elapses, the alarm will sound and you will need to cancel the alarm in order to prevent the dispatch of emergency services.
Panic Button
When the button on the Panic Button, Key Fob, or Keypad is pressed for 2 seconds, it sends a notification to the monitoring center* that you require assistance at your location. Your Panic Button can be configured in several ways, which results in different scenarios that play out in the event of an alarm. Under all configurations - except Silent Alarm - you’ll receive an Alarm Text and a phone call to confirm the status of your location.
Please note that alarms triggered by Panic Buttons are not able to be cancelled via Alarm Text or the SimpliSafe® App in order to ensure your safety.
*The Panic Button will only alert the monitoring center of the emergency at your location when subscribed to a professional monitoring plan.
Duress
SimpliSafe® Security Systems are equipped to set up a Duress PIN that you can enter if you are being forced to put in your system information. This PIN type is for emergencies. If you enter the Duress PIN into your Smart Lock’s PIN Pad or Keypad, our monitoring team will request dispatch of emergency services immediately. You will not hear an alarm siren or get a phone call for your safety.
We hope you never have to use this feature, but it’s important to set it up and learn more about it to arm yourself with the knowledge to protect yourself. Please make sure the Duress PIN is uniquely different from your Master PIN to reduce the likelihood of entering it by mistake and receiving dispatch unintentionally.
When you pair your Outdoor Camera Series 2 with a Pro Plus or Pro Monitoring Plan, you’ll get access to SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection. Once you’ve enrolled your camera(s) and armed your system within your monitoring hours (24/7 for Pro Plus subscribers, 8pm-6am local time for Pro subscribers), your cameras will be on the lookout for intruders. When someone who does not match a Familiar Faces profile is seen on camera, our monitoring specialists will choose to engage with the individual through the camera’s two-way audio, and request dispatch to your location as necessary.
Smoke-Related Alarms
When the Smoke Detector or Smoke & CO Detector detects particulates consistent with smoke, or the Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm Listener hears your third-party smoke detector go off, it will sound the alarm to notify you of the potential hazard.
After the alarm has sounded, two things will happen at once, depending on your monitoring plan. The Primary Contact(s) of that location will receive an Alarm Text, and the first Primary Contact will receive a phone call from the monitoring center. Alarm Texts and push notification from the SimpliSafe® Mobile App for life safety events are only to alert you of the hazard, and cannot be used to cancel the alarm, disarm your system, or request dispatch.
Primary Contacts can cancel the alarm or request help from your local fire department for smoke over the phone without the need for your Safe Word. You can also cancel smoke alarms by disarming your system with your PIN at the Keypad.
If you do not answer the phone or cancel the alarm at your Keypad in a timely manner, our monitoring team will automatically request dispatch from your local fire department, who will be dispatched to the location address on file for your SimpliSafe® system.
Carbon Monoxide-Related Alarms
When the Carbon Monoxide Detector detects carbon monoxide, or the Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm Listener hears your third-party carbon monoxide detector go off, it will sound the alarm to notify you of the potential hazard.
After the alarm has sounded, the first Primary Contact will receive an Alarm Text and a phone call from the monitoring center. Alarm Texts and push notifications from the SimpliSafe® Mobile App for life safety events are only to alert you of the hazard, and cannot be used to cancel the alarm or request dispatch.
Note: Due to the serious and potentially life-threatening nature of carbon monoxide poisoning, there is no way to cancel carbon monoxide alarms. If a CO alarm is triggered, we will request dispatch to the location on file for your SimpliSafe® system.
Temperature Sensor
The Temperature Sensor will sound an alarm when it detects that the temperature within your home or business has gone above or below the temperature range that you set. This can help alert you to the potential hazard at hand, such as the potential for freezing pipes, or the cooling within your home no longer working during a heat wave.
When an alarm is triggered you will receive push notifications, Alarm Texts, and an automated phone call. The call is placed to the Primary Contact first, followed by the Secondary Contact in the event the Primary Contact does not answer. We do not request for dispatch to your system’s location for these alarms.
Water Sensor
The Water Sensor will sound an alarm when it detects water in its chamber. This could be the result of a small leak, or something more dangerous like flooding within your home or business.
When an alarm is triggered you will receive push notifications, Alarm Texts, and an automated phone call. The call is placed to the Primary Contact first, followed by the Secondary Contact in the event the Primary Contact does not answer. We do not request dispatch to your system’s location for these alarms.
Alarm Texts
Beyond disarming at the keypad, you also have the option to cancel the alarm or request dispatch of emergency services by Alarm Text. If you respond to the text with a C during the grace period, you won’t receive a call from our monitoring center.
You can also disarm your system via Alarm Texts after burglary alarms by replying back with “Disarm now” to the disarm text prompt. This is not case sensitive, so replying back with “disarm now” will also work. Disarming your system via Alarm Texts is a great way to ensure that subsequent alarms don’t occur while you work to get back to your home or business.
Alarm Texts for life safety events are only to alert you of the hazard, and cannot be used to cancel the alarm or request dispatch.
SimpliSafe® Mobile App
If you have alarm Push Notifications turned on, you will get a notification during an alarm that will take you to our Alarm Screen feature in the SimpliSafe® app where you can cancel your alarm (depending on the alarm type) or request help with the touch of a button.
If the alarm is not cancelled by any of the above methods within the grace period, the Primary Contacts will receive a call from our monitoring center. During this call you will be required to provide your Safe Word to the agent you speak with to cancel the alarm.
Please note: providing the wrong Safe Word, or no Safe Word, will result in a request for dispatch. You won’t be told you got it wrong to protect anyone who may be under duress. Additionally, missing the phone calls to your Primary Contacts will also result in a request for emergency services to the location that your system is registered to.
Carbon Monoxide Alarms Exception
Due to the potentially life threatening nature of carbon monoxide events, you are unable to cancel these alarms through any method and emergency services will be requested to your location.
We encourage you to save the monitoring center number to your phone.
That number is 855-693-4911.
Critical Alerts and Do Not Disturb Settings
Once saved to your phone, you’ll also want to allow us access to bypass Do Not Disturb and Silent Profiles. This allows for Critical Alarm Notifications to get through to you, regardless of your phone’s volume or profile status.
You can navigate each section below to learn more about how our products respond during these key alarm moments.
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Product Support
Low Battery Notification for the Entry Sensor Won't Clear
If you recently changed the battery within your Entry Sensor and are still seeing a “Low Battery” notification within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App or on your Keypad, note that this message can take up to 24 hours to clear on its own.
If the error is intermittent or happening beyond that 24 hour period, you can take some additional steps to troubleshoot and clear out the warning from your system.
If you replace the battery within your Entry Sensor, it can take some time for the error to clear within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App. If you want to clear the error out faster, we recommend removing your sensor from your system, then adding it back.
To remove your Entry Sensor:
Open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your phone or tablet
Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar
Select Device Settings
Tap on the sensor you wish to remove
Choose ‘Remove Device’
To reinstall your Entry Sensor:
Open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your phone or tablet
Navigate to the three-bar menu (hamburger menu) in the upper left corner of the app
Choose Add Device or Camera from the list of available menu options
Tap on Get Started to proceed
Select Entry Sensor from the list of available products
Follow the in-app prompts to add the sensor back to your system
If you need additional instructions or want to watch our installation video, you can find it in our Entry Sensor Overview and Installation Guide.
If the error is intermittent or lasting longer than 24 hours - especially after changing the battery within your Entry Sensor, you’ll want to investigate the placement of your Base Station to further troubleshoot this issue.
The 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).
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.
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Entry Sensor
Sensor Name Announcement Audio Alert
Sensor Name Announcement* (formerly Entry Sensor Alert) enables your Base Station to announce the Entry Sensor by name whenever it is opened. For example, if you open the front door you might hear your Base Station reply with “Front Door Entry Sensor open” instead of the usual chime.
This feature is set up on a per sensor basis, so you can choose which Entry Sensors produce an audio alert and which sensors produce a chime. Keep in mind that the audio alert for Entry Sensors is only available for the preset list of sensor names. So if you have set a custom name for your sensor your Base Station may be unable to say the custom name of your Entry Sensor.
You can enable this setting at any time using the SimpliSafe® Mobile App:
Open the SimpliSafe® App on your phone or tablet
Navigate to the My System gear from the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen
Tap on Device Settings
Choose the Entry Sensor that you would like to modify
Under General Settings select Sensor Name Announcement
Use the toggle to turn Announce Sensor Name on or off
Be sure to tap on Save in the upper right corner to save your settings before exiting
*Please note: Sensor Name Announcement is only available to users subscribed to our residential and business monitoring plans, such as Pro Plus, Pro, Core, and Self-Monitoring with Camera Recordings. It is only compatible with our Gen 3 systems. If you have an Original SimpliSafe® system and would like to learn about upgrading it, see our Upgrade to Best-In-Class Security article.
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Entry Sensor