Motion Sensor Gen 1

If your Motion Sensor is showing as offline on the SimpliSafe® Mobile App, this is an indicator that the battery within the device needs to be replaced.

The Motion Sensor takes a single (1) CR-123A Lithium 3V battery and has a life expectancy of up to 5 years depending on placement and usage.

To replace the battery, slide the sensor up and off its’ bracket. Then replace the lithium battery and slide the sensor back onto its’ bracket. 

Please note that the error may take up to 24 hours to clear from the SimpliSafe® Mobile App after taking these steps. If you want to bypass that timeframe, there are two steps you can take to remove the error from the SimpliSafe® App.

First, place your system into Test Mode and test the sensor to reestablish a connection.

To place your system into Test Mode:

1. Using your Keypad go to Menu > Enter your Primary PIN > Test Mode

2. Press and release the button on the Motion Sensor. The Base Station should announce “Motion Sensor” and the timeline on the SimpliSafe® App should show “Motion Sensor Test”.

If the Test Mode step does not work, it’s possible that your sensor has been offline for too long. The best step would be to remove the sensor from the SimpliSafe® App and then add it back to your system.

To remove your Motion Sensor Gen 1:

1. Open the SimpliSafe® mobile app on your phone or tablet

2. Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar

3. Select Device Settings

4. Tap on the sensor you wish to remove

5. Choose ‘Remove Device’

Once you have removed your sensor, you can add it back using our Installation Guide.

The Motion Sensor takes a single CR-123A Lithium 3V battery and has a life expectancy of up to 5 years depending on placement and usage.

To change your Motion Sensor battery, slide the sensor up and off its bracket. Then replace the battery and slide it back onto its bracket.

If your sensor is still offline after taking these steps, skip to the section below for troubleshooting steps.

Is your Motion Sensor Gen 1 still offline after replacing the battery?

If the sensor does not come back online after changing the battery, it’s possible that your sensor has been offline for too long. The best step would be to remove the sensor from the SimpliSafe® Mobile App and then add it back to your system.

To remove your Motion Sensor Gen 1:

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

2. Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar

3. Select Device Settings

4. Tap on the sensor you wish to remove

5. Choose ‘Remove Device’

Once you have removed your sensor, you can add it back using our Installation Guide.

What are Secret Alerts?

Secret Alerts* are private notifications sent to you by specific sensors you designate to be on a special “alert-only” setting. Sensors on this setting won’t trigger a system alarm or chime to the Base Station, but send a discreet notification directly to you instead. All of your SimpliSafe® cameras will also film a short recording so you have footage of what tripped the sensor.

Requirements

• A supported monitoring subscription:

• Pro Premium

• At least one of the following SimpliSafe® Sensors

• Entry Sensor

• Motion Sensor

• Glass Break Sensor

How do I Enable Secret Alerts?

On iOS (Apple) Devices:

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

2. Select My System from the bottom navigation bar

3. Choose Device Settings

4. Then tap the sensor you wish to customise

5. Choose Off, Home, or Away from under ‘Alarm Mode’

6. Next, choose ‘Secret Alert’ and then ‘Send to Base’ to save this setting

7. Repeat for each mode, as necessary

On Android Devices:

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

2. Select My System from the bottom navigation bar

3. Choose Device Settings

4. Then tap the sensor you wish to customise

5. Choose Off, Home, or Away from under ‘Alarm Mode’

6. Next, choose ‘Secret Alert’ and then ‘OK’

7. Once you are done, tap ‘SAVE’ on the top right corner of the screen to save this setting

8. Repeat for each mode, as necessary

To ensure that you are notified whenever a sensor triggers a Secret Alert, make sure that you have push notifications enabled.

There may be a point where you need to rename a sensor for your SimpliSafe® System. Renaming a sensor can be done easily through the SimpliSafe® Mobile App, but you can also rename a sensor using your Keypad. The following will walk you through these steps for each platform so you can pick whichever one is easiest for you.

SimpliSafe® Mobile App:

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

2. Select My System from the navigation bar at the bottom of the app screen

3. Choose Device Settings

4. Choose the sensor you would like to modify

5. Tap the pencil icon next to Name

1. iOS: Select one of the pre-selected names from the list, or scroll to the bottom and select Custom Name* to input your own name for your sensor

2. Android: Use the backspace button to delete the existing sensor name. Once removed, you can choose a new name from the drop down menu, or type in the empty field a Custom Name* for your sensor

6. Be sure to tap on Send to Base or Save to save your settings before exiting

*Note, Custom Names for the Entry Sensor are not supported by Entry Sensor Alert.

Web App:

1. Log in to the Web App using the browser of your choice on a computer

1. Select your property from the list on the Account Overview page, if applicable

2. Choose Devices from the left-hand navigation menu

3. Click on the sensor you wish to edit

4. A pop-up will appear to the right of your browser

5. Select the pencil icon next to your sensor’s name

6. Enter the new name you wish to use in the field

7. Select the check mark when done

8. Be sure to click on Save Changes from the bottom of the pop-up before exiting to save your selection

*Note, Custom Names for the Entry Sensor are not supported by Entry Sensor Alert. To confirm which names are available, please use the SimpliSafe® Mobile App to rename your sensor.

Keypad:

1. Press Menu

2. Enter your Primary PIN

3. Using the arrow keys, choose Devices and then Open to enter the Devices menu

4. Scroll down to select the sensor you wish to modify

5. Press the right arrow to choose rename

6. Choose one of the preset names from the list using the arrow keys, or select Other at the end of the list to enter a Custom Name*

*Note, Custom Names for Entry Sensor are not supported by Entry Sensor Alert at this time.

The Keypad uses ABC mode for typing. In this mode, you'll cycle through the corresponding characters (numbers, symbols, punctuation, letters) using the keys numbered 0-9 on your Keypad.

*For the '1' key, more characters will appear after 10 presses and in this specific order:

) * + , - . / : ; < = > ? @ [ \ ] ^ _ ' { | } ~

Installing SimpliSafe® sensors takes less than a minute! In most cases, sensors can be mounted on walls by using the adhesive strips on the back of each device. However, there are some situations where the sensor may not adhere to the wall effectively, like:

• Brick surfaces: the surface can be rough in texture and hard to clean thoroughly

• Hot and humid conditions: humidity can weaken the adhesive strips

• Cold conditions: a cold wall can cause the adhesive to fail

• Dirty surfaces: the adhesives stick best on clean surfaces

For the best results, we suggest making sure that the area you’re adhering the sensor to has been thoroughly cleaned and dried. We recommend wiping the area down with an alcohol-based cleaning product to make sure it’s clear of any dust or dirt.

Once the area is thoroughly dry, simply peel the paper backing off the adhesives and press the sensor firmly to the wall for 30 seconds.

If you have a sensor that has fallen off a wall, be sure to test the sensor to confirm that it is still working properly and was not damaged.

Alternatively, SimpliSafe® sensors can also be screw-mounted using the included mounting bracket. See our How do I Install my Sensors by Screw-Mounting article for more information.

If you purchased a Motion Sensor from SimpliSafe prior to April 2023, it is likely that you have the first generation of the Motion Sensor.

You can also tell which version of the Motion Sensor you have by comparing the size of the dome on it. The Motion Sensor Gen 1 has a dome with a 1-inch diameter, while the Motion Sensor Gen 2 has a dome that is approximately 1 ½ inches.

See the photo below for a side-by-side comparison between the two Motion Sensors.

The warning ‘Sensor Not Responding’ for a Motion Sensor Gen 1 can be caused by a couple of things, including a low battery or a weak connection between the device and the Base Station.

As a first step, we’d recommend ensuring that the battery is correctly installed. To do this:

1. Slide the sensor off its’ bracket by pushing it towards the wall and up

2. Remove the battery from the Motion Sensor

3. Wait 15 seconds, then reinstall the battery again

4. Then, test the Motion Sensor by placing your system into Test Mode using your Keypad.

1. Menu > Enter Master PIN > Test Mode

5. Press and release the button on the Motion Sensor. The Base Station should announce “Motion Sensor” and the timeline should show “Motion Sensor Test” on the SimpliSafe Mobile App.

1. If you do not hear the Base Station respond, the battery within your Motion Sensor may need to be replaced.

1. The Motion Sensor takes a single CR-123A 3V Lithium battery. To replace the battery, slide the sensor up and off its’ bracket. You can also follow the steps here.

If you have replaced the battery and are still encountering the ‘Sensor Not Responding’ error, it likely is the result of a weak connection to the Base Station. A weak connection to the Base Station can often be caused by something environmental, like brick walls or dense home construction.

To test this, temporarily move the Base Station closer to the Motion Sensor and see if the error stops. If the sensor does work with the Base Station in a new location, it is likely the result of the environment near the prior location that is causing the conflict. You’ll have two options from here; Keep the Base Station in its’ new location closer to this sensor, or try to identify and clear the interference in the sensor's existing location. If you choose to keep the sensor where it’s at, you’ll want to look for environmental factors, such as dense building materials, or wireless devices that are nearby that could be interfering with the RF signal between the sensor and the Base Station. If you have any devices that output a wireless signal, we recommend trying to keep them at least 3-5 feet away from your sensor. That should help to clear up communication between the device and the Base Station.