Outdoor Cameras

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.