Outdoor Camera Series 2 UK

The location of your camera impacts motion detection and activity alerts for your SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection service. Below are some recommendations to help get the most out of your Outdoor Camera Series 2.

• The Outdoor Camera Series 2 is intended for outdoor use only. Mounting the camera inside is against our Terms of Service for Active Guard Outdoor Protection.

• Need indoor coverage? Purchase a Smart Alarm Indoor Camera and enable Intruder Intervention for agent intervention during burglary/intrusion alarms

• The Outdoor Camera Series 2 must receive continuous power from the Outdoor Camera Power Cable to enable Active Guard Outdoor Protection, so make sure that the camera is within range of an outdoor-rated power outlet

• For optimal performance, mount it at 6 ½ feet

• If mounting above 6 ½ feet, utilize the permanent mount to secure your camera

• Ensure that the field of view is free from trees/bushes blocking it, which could sway and trigger false motion events

• Avoid placing your camera towards high trafficked areas (such as a busy sidewalk or street), and peering into another persons property (e.g. pointing the camera towards a neighbors backyard)

• When using SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection, make sure that you are within range of an outdoor-rated power outlet

There are 3 ways to determine if your service is active. 

On the Overview Tab of the SimpliSafe® Mobile App

When you are subscribed to Pro Plus or Pro monitoring plans, there will be a status indicator underneath your system's arming state that reads “Outdoor Protection” with an ON or OFF status next to it. This is the fastest way to determine whether or not your service is active. You can click on the (i) icon to the right to see more about your system status. 

When your system is disarmed, the status indicator will read OFF. In order for Outdoor Protection to be active (and for it to read as ON) you must have your cameras enrolled in SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection, have your system armed, and be within your monitoring hours according to your plan type (24/7 for Pro Plus Subscribers and 8pm-6am local time for Pro Subscribers).

Checking Your Monitoring Plan

You can also confirm that you are enrolled in Pro Plus or Pro by checking the status of your monitoring plan. To do this:

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

2. Navigate to the three-bar menu in the upper left corner of the app

3. Select Plan & Billing

4. Next to “Your Plan” you’ll see either Pro Plus or Pro Monitoring

If you need to subscribe to Pro Plus or Pro, you can upgrade your plan at any time within the mobile app.

Checking Camera Enrollment

You can also check which cameras are active within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App.

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

2. Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar

3. Select Camera Settings

4. Tap on Outdoor Protection

5. On this screen, you can toggle ON and OFF the cameras you want to use

1. Note, you can only have 3 cameras total enrolled in this service. Visit our Help Center for a list of requirements.

6. Then, choose SAVE in the upper right corner to save your selections

Once you have set up your Outdoor Camera Series 2, you can enroll it and up to 3 cameras from your system. The only compatible cameras are Outdoor Camera Series 2 and Video Doorbell Pro. You must enroll at least one Outdoor Camera Series 2 to enable SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection for your Video Doorbell Pro.

There are two ways to enroll your cameras in SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection. The first is during the setup of your Outdoor Camera Series 2. The second is to enroll after setup using either the tile on the Overview tab or under Camera Settings.

SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection provides an extra layer of security outside of your home during your monitoring hours, based on your subscription. Pro subscribers will have access to SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection from 8pm-6am (local time), while Pro Plus subscribers have access to this service 24/7, so long as their system is armed.

When you’re ready to use SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection, simply arm your system to HOME or AWAY. HOME mode should be used when you are home and plan on staying inside for the day or night. While AWAY mode is designed to be used when you are away from your home. For example, you might arm your system to HOME when going to bed for the night, or you would choose to arm your system to AWAY if leaving for work, or going on a vacation.

SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection is designed to monitor outdoor spaces where human activity is a sign of a potential concern. Outdoor cameras enrolled in SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection should not be directed toward areas that have frequent household activity while the system is armed in either Home or Away mode. For example, customers shouldn't aim their camera directly at a busy sidewalk, an active parking area, a construction zone, or any outdoor living space that is in use while the system is armed.

Once your system is armed and you’re within your monitoring hours (24/7 for Pro Plus Subscribers and 8pm-6am local time for Pro Subscribers) SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection will be active and your camera(s) will work to detect possible threats outside of your home. If an individual is identified, the AI will try to determine a match between the person and a familiar face. If a match is made, no action will be taken by the agent. If a match cannot be made, an agent will determine if the person matches the familiar faces saved to your system, and engage if necessary. 

The “Familiar Face” feature is a great way for professional monitoring agents to know who should be allowed on your property. For example, you might want to create a familiar face for an in-law, neighbor, or maybe a dog walker. 

If a person is detected on your property, the service will use automatic face matching* to assist our agents in determining if the person matches any of your saved familiar faces. If the person on the property is unrecognizable, an expert SimpliSafe® monitoring agent will jump into action to assess the situation and behavior of the individual(s). If needed, they’ll initiate recorded two-way audio communication with the individual(s) via the camera to deter possible threats. When needed, the agent will use a siren, flash the spotlight, contact the homeowner, or request dispatch from emergency responders.

*Automatic face matching is available where permitted by law.

You can create a familiar face within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App either by using face clips from a motion event, or using the Add Familiar Face option and uploading an existing photo of an individual to create a familiar face.

Using Face Clips from a Motion Event to Create a Familiar Face:

1. Choose the Timeline tab at the bottom navigation bar

2. Select a Motion Event where face clips were detected

1. We recommend that you pick a motion event where the individual’s face is highly visible. Blurry or obstructed images make it difficult for our agents to make a face match

3. Tap on the video to enter the detection log

4. Tap on the profile icon with a plus sign in front of it next to a face detected within the timeline of the video footage

5. Follow the on-screen prompts to create a familiar face or add it to an existing one

Create a Familiar Face using the Add Familiar Face button and Uploading a Photo:

1. Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar

2. Select Familiar Faces

3. Tap Add Familiar Face

4. Enter the person’s real name

1. Do not enter a nickname or a description of the person in this field

5. Tap the plus button under “Uploaded Photos”

6. Allow access to your photos for SimpliSafe® when the pop-up on your device prompts you to do so 

7. Choose a photo to upload that features a single person’s face

1. Do not upload a photo that has multiple faces in it

2. Do not upload a photo that does not have any faces

3. Do not upload a photo that is of low quality/grainy

8. Preview the photo and tap Add to Familiar Face

9. Your photo is now added to the familiar face, and you can exit and return to the menu

If your Outdoor Camera Series 2 is facing a high-traffic area like a busy street or sidewalk, we recommend angling the camera down at a 30-degree angle to ensure that you’re only capturing the area you want to protect. This can help combat excessive motion alerts, as well as prevent false alarms with SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection.  

We recommend setting up Activity Zones to block unnecessary sources of motion, such as tree branches, sidewalks, or busy streets. Please note that this service is designed for residential use, and is not intended to cover busy parking lots, playgrounds, or other high-traffic areas. For more information on usage, please check out our Terms of Service.

To create Activity Zones, take the following steps:

1. Open up the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your mobile device or tablet

2. Tap Cameras on the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen

3. Select the gear icon in the top right corner to open Camera Settings

4. Choose the Outdoor Camera you’d like to adjust

5. Tap Motion Detection

6. Under Activity Zone, tap the boxes in the frame where you do not want your camera to record

7. Tap Save in the top right corner to save this change

If you cannot change the angle of the Outdoor Camera, there are settings you can adjust in the SimpliSafe® Mobile App to minimize the amount of motion it detects.

Sensitivity

By default, the Outdoor Camera’s sensitivity is set to High, but you can adjust this setting to Medium or Low to limit the number of motion events you receive. 

You can adjust the sensitivity of your Outdoor Camera by taking the following steps within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App:

1. Open up the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your mobile device or tablet

2. Tap Cameras on the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen

3. Select the gear icon in the top right corner to open Camera Settings

4. Choose the Outdoor Camera you’d like to adjust

5. Tap Motion Detection

6. Under Sensitivity, move the slider to Low

7. Tap Save in the top right corner to save this change

Motion Detection Type

The Outdoor Camera has two motion detection options: All Motion and People Only. When set to All Motion, the camera will record any motion it senses - which may cause excess motion events. However, if the camera is set to People Only it will only respond to people-shaped objects.

Note: When your Outdoor Camera Series 2 is enrolled in SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection, you will have different Motion Detection setting options available.

To minimize the amount of motion your Outdoor Camera detects, you can change its motion setting to People Only by following these steps:

1. Open up the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your mobile device or tablet

2. Tap Cameras on the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen

3. Select the gear icon in the top right corner to open Camera Settings

4. Choose the Outdoor Camera you’d like to adjust

5. Tap Motion Detection

6. Under Motion Type, select People Only

7. Tap Save in the top right corner to save this change

SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection notifications are push notifications you will receive after an event has been reviewed by one of our expert monitoring agents. You can decide which SimpliSafe® verified outdoor events should trigger push notifications - such as Common Activity events or Person on Property events.

There is a difference between Camera Motion Notifications and SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection Notifications. Turning on Camera Motion Notifications allows the SimpliSafe® Mobile App to notify you when your camera detects motion. SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection Notifications are push notifications you receive after an event has been reviewed by one of our expert monitoring agents or our advanced AI. With SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection, you can refine when you would like to receive motion notifications, on a per-camera basis.

Each SimpliSafe® camera needs an upload speed of at least 2Mbps. So if you have 5 cameras, you’ll need at least 10Mbps to allow cameras to record without an issue at the same time should an alarm occur, or if you use certain features within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App.

You can check your upload speed, along with signal strength using the in-app Connection Check tool.

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 on the camera you wish to troubleshoot

5. Scroll down to Connection and tap on Connection Check

6. Press the “Start Connection Check” button to begin the test

What do my Results Mean?

Good Upload Speed

A good signal strength or upload speed means that there is a strong connection between your camera and Wi-Fi network. 

Fair or Poor Upload Speed

If your upload speed is fair or poor, reduce the camera’s video resolution in its settings in the SimpliSafe® Mobile App. To do this:

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 on the camera you wish to manage video resolution for

5. Navigate to “Video Quality” and choose a lower resolution

6. Don't forget to select SAVE in the upper right corner to save your selections

It may also be necessary to upgrade your internet package to improve your upload speed. We recommend reaching out to your internet service provider to learn more about their offerings. 

Fair or Poor Signal Strength

If your signal strength is fair or poor, move your camera and Wi-Fi router closer together and then try running the Connection Check tool again. If your signal strength is still fair or poor, we recommend getting a Wi-Fi extender.

It may also help to connect your SimpliSafe® devices to a different Wi-Fi network. We recommend setting up a Guest Network on your Wi-Fi router and only connecting your SimpliSafe® devices to it. To learn more about setting up a Guest Network, reach out to your internet service provider.

If you change your Wi-Fi network name and/or password for any reason (such as moving into a new home, or receiving a new router), you’ll need to update your SimpliSafe® System with the new Wi-Fi credentials. You will always want to update the Base Station Wi-Fi first before proceeding to the camera steps. If you do not update your Base Station’s Wi-Fi first, you will be unable to reconnect Outdoor Cameras or any Smart Alarm Indoor Cameras. 

Please note that your network will need to meet our system requirements to connect your system to Wi-Fi. At a very basic level, you will need a 2.4GHz wireless connection that’s configured as WPA2 or WPA2/3 Mixed Mode.

If you notice that multiple recordings for a single camera show a “No Video” error but your connection check is good, we recommend resetting your camera. You can find the steps to reset your camera on our Help Center.

• How to Reset the Outdoor Camera Series 2

• How to Reset the Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera

• How to Reset the Wireless Outdoor Security Camera

• How to Reset the Video Doorbell Pro

• How to Reset the SimpliCam® Wired Indoor Security Camera​

If you moved, or changed Internet Service Providers (ISP), you’ll need to teach both your Base Station and Cameras the new Wi-Fi information.

To Connect your Base Station to Wi-Fi:

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

2. Choose My System from the navigation menu at the bottom of the app screen

3. Select Base Station Settings

4. Tap on WiFi Network

5. Choose either Yes, Connect or Choose Another Network to proceed

6. Enter the password for your Wi-Fi network

7. Click Connect once finished

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

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

To Connect your Cameras to Wi-Fi:

There are different steps for connecting your camera to a new Wi-Fi network depending on the model you own. Please refer to the Changing Wi-Fi Networks for Cameras section in the How to Change Your Wi-Fi for Your SimpliSafe® System article for more details.

Network Configuration

If you’re having trouble connecting to Wi-Fi using the above steps, it is likely that your network does not meet our Wi-Fi Requirements. You must be using a 2.4GHz network, as SimpliSafe® cannot connect to 5GHz networks. Additionally, your network must be configured to support WPA2 or WPA2/3 Mixed Mode - as WPA3 is not supported at this time.

For assistance on configuring your network, contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or consult with your router manufacturer.

If you recently recharged your camera or its battery, the camera may display this error while it works to check back in with the Base Station. This can take some time to refresh, but if you want to refresh the connection sooner you can remove the camera from within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App, factory reset the camera, then re-install it. Make sure you download any recordings from your camera prior to taking these steps.

Step 1: Remove the Camera From the SimpliSafe® Mobile App:

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

2. Choose My System

3. Select Camera Settings

4. Tap on the Camera you wish to remove from your system

5. Scroll down and tap on X Remove Camera

6. Choose YES on the pop up to remove the camera

Step 2: Reset Your Camera:

Each camera has a unique set of steps to factory reset it. Please follow the steps from the links below to reset your camera

• Reset the Outdoor Camera Series 2

• Reset the Wireless Outdoor Security Camera

• Reset the Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera

• Reset the Video Doorbell Pro

• Reset the SimpliCam® Wired Indoor Camera

Step 3: Re-Install Your Camera:

Once you have factory reset your camera, the last step is to re-install it. To re-install your camera:

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

2. Navigate to the three-bar menu in the upper left corner of the app

3. Select Add Device or Camera

4. Followed by Let’s Go

5. Then choose your camera from the list of available products

6. And follow the in-app prompts to install it again

If you’ve taken the above steps and are still encountering this issue, it’s possible that you may need to remove the camera from your system, factory reset it, and then add it back to your system. Just make sure you download any recordings from your camera prior to taking these steps.

Step 1: Remove the Camera From the SimpliSafe® Mobile App:

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

2. Choose My System

3. Select Camera Settings

4. Tap on the Camera you wish to remove from your system

5. Scroll down and tap on X Remove Camera

6. Choose YES on the pop up to remove the camera

Step 2: Reset Your Camera:

Each camera has a unique set of steps to factory reset it. Please follow the steps from the links below to reset your camera

• Reset the Outdoor Camera Series 2

• Reset the Wireless Outdoor Security Camera

• Reset the Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera

• Reset the Video Doorbell Pro

• Reset the SimpliCam® Wired Indoor Camera

Step 3: Re-Install Your Camera:

Once you have factory reset your camera, the last step is to re-install it. To re-install your camera:

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

2. Navigate to the three-bar menu in the upper left corner of the app

3. Select Add Device or Camera

4. Followed by Let’s Go

5. Then choose your camera from the list of available products

6. And follow the in-app prompts to install it again

All SimpliSafe® cameras require a Wi-Fi connection to function. We recommend running the Connection Check Tool in the SimpliSafe® Mobile App as the next step to help identify and resolve any underlying network issues with the connection between your router, the Base Station and your Camera(s). 

How to Use the Connection Check Tool

1. Tap the “Cameras” icon at the bottom of the SimpliSafe® mobile app

2. Choose the gear icon in the upper right corner

3. Select your camera

4. Under “Connection” select “Connection Check”

5. Tap “Start Connection Check” to find your camera’s connection strength

What do the Results Mean?

A good signal strength or good upload speed means that there’s a strong connection between your camera and Wi-Fi network.

Fair or Poor Upload Speeds indicate your bandwidth may not be high enough to support the streaming quality of your camera. You can try reducing your camera’s video resolution under Camera Settings.

Fair or Poor Signal Strength indicates that the router may be too far away, or there’s wireless or structural interference dampening the signal between the router and your camera(s). Try moving the router closer to your camera(s) then test again to see if performance has improved. You can also try purchasing and installing a Wi-Fi extender to relay your network should you be unable to move the router.

Some of our cameras need to check in with the Base Station in order to connect in the app. These cameras are Outdoor Camera Series 2, Outdoor Camera, and Smart Alarm Indoor Camera. You’ll want to ensure that your Base Station is placed in a central location within your home or business, free from any obstructions - both wireless and structural. Moving the Base Station closer to the camera(s) that are impacted can also help to get them back online.

A Wi-Fi Extender is a great way to provide supplemental Wi-Fi coverage to your Base Station and Cameras within your home or business.

Need to purchase a Wi-Fi Extender? You can find the TP-Link Wi-Fi Extender available for purchase on our website.

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.