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Why is my camera feed losing audio?
Loss of audio to your camera feed can be caused by a dip in the Wi-Fi connection strength to your home network. When there is a poor connection, our devices will prioritize video over audio to best ensure the safety of your home.
If your camera loses audio frequently, you may want to consider taking some steps to improve the Wi-Fi connection, such as adjusting the position of your camera or installing a Wi-Fi extender near the camera. You can also take a few steps to improve your overall signal strength.
You can also toggle audio recording on and off in the SimpliSafe® mobile app by navigating to:
Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar
Select Camera Settings
Choose your Camera from the list of available cameras
Toggle Mic & Audio ON or OFF, as needed
This setting should be toggled ON by default
If your camera feed continues to lose its audio after taking the above steps, we recommend resetting your camera. You can find the steps to reset each of our SimpliSafe® cameras in the Help Center articles below:
If the issue persists or you need further assistance, please contact customer support. We'll be happy to help!
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Cameras
How do I Check the Battery Life of my Camera?
The Outdoor Camera and Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera are battery-powered cameras that can help you monitor your home, even when you’re away. Keeping the batteries charged ensures that your cameras will keep a watchful eye inside, and outside of your home.
Checking the Battery Status on the SimpliSafe® App:
Open the SimpliSafe® App on your phone or tablet
Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar
Select Camera Settings
The battery indicator will be displayed to the right of each camera
For iOS users, tap into the camera you wish to see the battery percentage for
Once on your specific camera’s settings page, you’ll see the exact percentage that your battery is charged.
Android users will not be able to see a percentage in the mobile app, however, you can log in to your Online Account with the steps below to see the exact percentage
Checking the Battery Status on the SimpliSafe® Online Account:
Log into your SimpliSafe® Online Account using the browser of your choice
Choose Devices from the left-hand navigation menu
Under Cameras, you’ll be able to see your available Cameras and the percentage that the battery is at
If you are using a solar panel with your Outdoor Camera, the battery will show a charging symbol when it is actively charging.
If you are using a power adapter to leave the Smart Alarm Indoor Camera plugged into an outlet, you will always see a charging symbol on the battery indicator.
TIP: You can maximize your battery life for your cameras by adjusting your camera settings within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App.
Help Center Article
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Cameras
Camera Does Not Detect People
Our Cameras have a wide field of view to maximize coverage inside and outside of your home. If you find that your camera is not detecting people or motion, there are a few steps you can take to improve its’ functionality.
For the Outdoor Camera, Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera, and Video Doorbell Pro, you have three options for controlling motion detection:
Sensitivity for Motion Detection
Motion Type
Activity Zones
To note, SimpliCam Wired Indoor Camera only allows you to control Sensitivity for Motion Detection.
Sensitivity
The sensitivity allows you to control how precise the camera is at detecting motion. We generally recommend setting this to medium for most homes.
Motion Type
This allows you to choose between tracking all motion, and people only. For the Smart Alarm Indoor Camera, we recommend setting this to People Only, especially if you have pets within your home.
Activity Zones
This allows you to configure your camera to track motion within a certain parameter or exclude tracking it for other areas such as a busy street or sidewalk.
To improve motion detection, open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App and follow these steps:
Choose the Cameras tab at the bottom of the app
Tap on the Gear Icon in the upper right corner to go to Camera Settings
Select your Camera
Tap on Motion Detection
On this screen, you’ll be presented with the option to adjust the sensitivity, motion type, and even set activity zones, depending on your camera.
Still Need Help?
If your camera is still not detecting people, we recommend resetting it. You can find the steps to reset each of our SimpliSafe® cameras in the Help Center articles below:
Help Center Article
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Cameras
Can’t Connect Camera to Wi-Fi After Setup
If your camera had previously been set up but is now failing to connect to your Wi-Fi network, the Connection Check tool in the SimpliSafe® mobile app will tell you if there are any issues between your network and camera.
How to Run a Connection Check:
Open the SimpliSafe® mobile app
Tap on the Cameras tab on the bottom of the screen
Select the gear icon in the upper right corner to get to Camera Settings
Choose your camera
Select Connection Check and follow the on-screen instructions to test your signal strength and upload speeds
Using your results, you can improve your camera’s connection with the tips below.
Camera Wi-Fi Requirements:
Signal strength should be above -55dBm. A lower number means a weaker connection between your camera and Wi-Fi router.
If you have a low signal strength, try troubleshooting your Wi-Fi network
Upload speeds need to be above 2Mpbs
If your upload speed is below 2Mbps, you may need to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to upgrade your Internet package.
If your upload speed is exactly 2Mbps, you should take these steps to improve your upload speed.
Help Center Article
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Cameras
Incomplete Recordings for Cameras
Incomplete camera recordings can often be a symptom of an underlying network connectivity issue. To rule out any temporary connectivity issues, we recommend rebooting your router - especially if it’s been a while since you’ve done this. To reboot your router, simply unplug it from power for 30-60 seconds, then plug it back in. This will provide a fresh connection for your network devices.
If you’re still having trouble after a router reboot, we’d recommend using the Connection Check Tool found within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App to further analyze your network connectivity.
How to Use the Connection Check Tool
Tap the “Cameras” icon at the bottom of the SimpliSafe® mobile app
Choose the gear icon in the upper right corner to get to Camera Settings
Select your camera
Under “Connection” select “Connection Check”
Tap “Start Connection Check” to find your camera’s connection strength
What do my Results Mean?
Good
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:
Select the “Cameras” tab at the bottom of the screen
Tap the gear icon in the top right corner to get to Camera Settings
Under “Camera Settings”, select your camera
Navigate to “Video Quality” and choose 480p
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 the same, 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.
Still Need Help?
If your camera is still experiencing issues connecting to your Wi-Fi network, our Support team is here to help you further.
Help Center Article
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Cameras
Night Vision Troubleshooting for Cameras
Night Vision is a feature that allows your camera to use infrared technology to see in low-light conditions. The setting for this feature can be found in the SimpliSafe® App by navigating to camera settings:
Open the SimpliSafe® App on your phone or tablet
Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar
Select Camera Settings
Tap on the desired camera
Select Night Vision
When On, the camera will always revert to using night vision regardless of the amount of light in the room. When set to Auto, the camera will intelligently switch between Night Vision and not depending on the amount of light in the room. In Off mode, the camera will only use available light to capture video and may result in dark video.
The Outdoor Camera does not have an Auto setting, but it does have Spotlight. When turned on, this allows the camera to record in color at night.
If the video quality is poor at night, we recommend trying the following steps:
Verify the camera's Night Vision setting in the SimpliSafe® Mobile App and set it to On or Auto
If you have an Outdoor Camera, verify that its Night Vision setting is set to Standard or Spotlight
Ensure the camera is not pointed near a wall, ceiling, or a flat surface underneath. Large surfaces like this will reflect the IR light and wash out the remaining video. We recommend repositioning the camera in these scenarios. (see image below)
If the camera is on a shelf, place it near the edge to avoid any obstructions
Make sure that the camera is not directly facing a wall or looking out a window
Confirm that the protective film on the face of the camera has been removed
[Outdoor Camera Only] Turn on the Spotlight to help illuminate areas around the camera
If the above steps do not resolve the issue, we recommend testing the camera in a second location. If the issue disappears, try taking the above steps again in the camera’s desired location.
Still Need Help?
If the issue persists, try resetting the camera by following the directions below. Note: resetting the camera will erase any videos that you have captured as well as all camera settings. Instructions on how to download any camera recordings first before resetting.
Once the camera has been reset, begin the setup process over again using your camera’s installation guide.
Help Center Article
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Cameras
Too Many Motion Alerts From the Wireless Outdoor Security Camera
If you find that your Wireless Outdoor Security Camera is detecting too much motion, there are some recommended placement and settings changes you can make to minimize the amount of motion it detects.
Adjust the Placement of the Camera
If your Outdoor Camera is facing a high traffic area like a busy street or sidewalk, we recommend angling the camera down to remove this area from its field of view, as seen in the image below.
Change the Camera’s Settings
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 Medium, but you can adjust this setting to Low to limit the amount of motion events you receive.
You can adjust the sensitivity of your Outdoor Camera by taking the following steps:
SimpliSafe® Mobile App
Open up the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your mobile device or tablet
Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar
Select Camera Settings from the list of available menu options
Choose the Outdoor Camera you’d like to adjust
Tap Motion Detection
Under Sensitivity, move the slider to Low
Tap Save in the top right corner to save this change
SimpliSafe® Online Account
Login to the SimpliSafe® Online Account using the browser of your choice
If you manage multiple properties, choose the location you wish to update from the list by clicking on the Base Station Serial Number or Property Address
Select Devices from the navigation bar on the left side of the screen
Select the camera you want to update
A pop up menu will appear on the right hand side of the screen
Scroll down to Motion Sensitivity and move the slider to Low
When you are done, click Save Changes on the bottom of the pop up to save your selections
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.
To minimize the amount of motion your Outdoor Camera detects, you can change its motion setting to People Only by following these steps:
Open up the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your mobile device or tablet
Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar
Select Camera Settings
Tap the Outdoor Camera you’d like to adjust
Choose Motion Detection
Under Motion Type, select People Only
Tap Save in the top right corner to save this change
Activity Zones
By setting up Activity Zones, you can block unnecessary sources of motion from the camera’s view, like tree branches, sidewalks, or busy streets.
To create Activity Zones, take the following steps:
Open up the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your mobile device or tablet
Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar
Select Camera Settings
Tap the Outdoor Camera you’d like to adjust
Choose Motion Detection
Under Activity Zone, tap the boxes in the frame where you do not want your camera to record
Tap Save in the top right corner to save this change
Additional Troubleshooting
If you’re still getting too many motion alerts when your camera is set to People Only mode, we recommend trying the following tricks:
Change your camera’s motion detection setting to All Motion
Turn your camera’s sensitivity down to Medium or Low
Set up Activity Zones around the perimeter of the camera’s field of view
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Outdoor Cameras
