SimpliCam

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:

1. Open the SimpliSafe® mobile app

2. Tap on the Cameras tab on the bottom of the screen

3. Select the gear icon in the upper right corner to get to Camera Settings

4. Choose your camera

5. 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.

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

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

2. Choose the gear icon in the upper right corner to get to Camera Settings

3. Select your camera

4. Under “Connection” select “Connection Check”

5. 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:

1. Select the “Cameras” tab at the bottom of the screen

2. Tap the gear icon in the top right corner to get to Camera Settings

3. Under “Camera Settings”, select your camera

4. 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.

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:

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 the desired camera 

5. 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. 

• Wireless Outdoor Security Camera

• Outdoor Camera Series 2

• Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera

• Resetting the Video Doorbell Pro

• SimpliCam® Wired Indoor Security Camera

Once the camera has been reset, begin the setup process over again using your camera’s installation guide.

• Wireless Outdoor Camera Installation Guide

• Outdoor Camera Series 2 Installation Guide

• Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera Installation Guide

• Video Doorbell Pro Installation Guide

• SimpliCam® Wired Indoor Camera Installation Guide

Push notifications for your camera are a great way to know when there is motion detected, or when someone rings your Video Doorbell Pro. To ensure that you will always receive push notifications for your camera(s), you’ll want to make sure that critical alarm notifications are enabled on your device so SimpliSafe® can deliver notifications even if your phone is on silent. Finally, if you have a work profile or focus mode enabled, push notifications may not work. You’ll want to consult with your phone’s manual for further configuration details in these modes.

Confirm that you are logged into the SimpliSafe® app

You will only receive push notifications if you are logged into the SimpliSafe® app. Open the app on your phone and log into your account if you are not already.

Enable Push Notifications for SimpliSafe® on your Smartphone

On iOS:

1. Go to “Settings”

2. Click “Notifications”

3. Find the SimpliSafe® Mobile App, and make sure notifications are turned on

On Android*:

1. Tap Apps > Settings > MORE

2. Tap Application Manager > DOWNLOADED

3. Tap on the SimpliSafe® Mobile App

4. Select or clear the check box next to Show Notifications to enable or disable push notifications

Steps may vary depending on your Android device. Please refer to your phone’s manual to identify where App Notifications may exist.

*Note: enabling Android Private Space for the SimpliSafe® Mobile App can prevent you from receiving push notifications. If you want to receive push notifications about your SimpliSafe® system, do not enable Android Private Space.

Ensure camera notifications are turned on

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

2. Choose the My System tab on the bottom navigation bar

3. Choose Camera Setting, then the camera you wish to enable alerts for

4. Tap into Motion Detection to adjust your motion event notifications

   1. Please note that the SimpliCam® and Smart Alarm Indoor Camera will only receive motion alerts when your camera has its privacy shutter open

Make sure your phone is not on Do Not Disturb

If your phone is set to Do Not Disturb, you will not be notified of any activity regarding your SimpliSafe® system. If you do want to receive notifications for your system when your phone is set to Do Not Disturb, take the following steps.

On iOS:

1. Open your phone’s Settings

2. Select Focus

1. This can be found in the second cluster of settings

3. Click through each of the Focus Modes to check if notifications are silenced 

4. Click through each of the Focus Modes to add the SimpliSafe® Mobile App as an Allowed Notification

On Android:

1. Open your phone’s Settings

2. Select Modes and Routines

3. Check to see if an existing Mode or Routine is on

4. Add the SimpliSafe® Mobile App to allow notifications during Do Not Disturb

These steps may vary depending on the model of your device. If you have any questions regarding the steps to take, please refer to your devices owner’s manual.

Situations where you will not receive push notifications

Even if push notifications are enabled properly, there are two situations where you will not be notified of camera motion events.

If the SimpliSafe® Mobile App is open on your smartphone or running in the background

Push notifications, by design, alert smartphone users to look at an app by tapping into the notification. Due to this, if the SimpliSafe® Mobile App is active on your device, push notifications for camera motion detection will not be sent.

If there was a previous motion detection less than a minute ago

To prevent you from receiving too many notifications, all SimpliSafe® cameras have a quiet period. After a camera detects motion, you will not receive any other motion notifications from your camera for one minute. 

During this quiet period all of your cameras will still detect motion and record as usual, and each motion detection event can still be seen in your timeline.

Further troubleshooting

If your notifications are set up correctly, then try closing the app and re-opening it.

If you still are not receiving notifications, try deleting the app and re-installing it.

What it Means

An "Unable to Stream Video" error means that the app was unable to download and display the streamable video. As this is likely an issue on the app end, our team is notified of these errors and investigates promptly to ensure your video is back up for streaming as soon as possible. You can try streaming this video again later.

Is There Anything I Can Do?

As mentioned above, this is likely due to an error on our end. In the meantime, you can also check your Wi-Fi connectivity strength and speed as that can affect your camera's ability to stream and record video. You can learn more about improving your connectivity speeds on our Help Center.

Adjusting your SimpliCam® Wired Indoor Camera’s settings is key to receiving just the right amount of alerts for your system, whether you’re at home or away.

Camera Behavior Settings and the Privacy Shutter

Your Privacy Shutter will only be open and detect motion when you set it to “Open” for an arming state (Off, Home, Away) using the Camera Behavior Settings. 

To Open or Close Your SimpliCam’s® Privacy Shutter:

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. Choose your SimpliCam® from the list of available cameras

5. Under Camera Behavior at the top of the settings page, select an arming state (Off, Home or Away)

6. Toggle the Privacy Shutter Open or Closed, as needed

7. Choose SAVE in the upper right corner to save your selections

Camera Placement and Motion Detection

We recommend placing your SimpliCam® on the edge of a shelf or ledge, at least 4 feet off the ground. Additionally, avoid pointing the camera directly towards doorways or windows. The camera motion detection works best when a subject walks across its field of view, versus towards the camera. 

Adjust the SimpliCam’s® Sensitivity

You might be receiving too many motion detection alerts if the sensitivity for the camera is too high. By default the SimpliCam® is set to Medium, however, this can be adjusted at any time within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App.

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. Choose your SimpliCam® from the list of available cameras

5. Tap on Motion Detection

6. Adjust the slider to Low, Medium or High - as needed for your camera

7. Select SAVE in the upper right corner of the app to save your selections

Two-Way Audio is a great feature to have and use with our cameras, and can help deter potential intruders or bad actors. If you find your Two-Way Audio isn’t working, there are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot it.

Please keep in mind that Two-Way Audio works differently for some cameras when you are viewing a live stream. For the SimpliCam® and Video Doorbell Pro, you will hold down the speaker button when you want to talk and let go of it when you want to listen. For Outdoor Cameras and Smart Alarm Indoor Camera, simply tap the mic icon once to begin talking.

Step 1: Ensure the Microphone is Enabled for your Device

You will need to go into your phone or tablet’s settings for SimpliSafe® and ensure that the Microphone is enabled.

Using iOS:

1. Open your phone’s Settings app

2. Scroll down and select SimpliSafe®

3. Toggle Microphone ON

Using Android:

1. Open your phone’s Settings app

2. Click on Apps and scroll down to find SimpliSafe®

3. Select Permissions > Microphone

4. Set Microphone access for this app to “Allow only while using the app”

*Please note that steps may vary depending on your Android device. 

Step 2: Ensure you Have the Volume Turned up on your Device

Ensure that you have the phone or tablet volume turned up when viewing a live stream or watching a video recording

Step 3: Clean your Camera of any Dust and/or Debris

Dust or debris can cause the microphone or speakers to become clogged on the camera, especially on Outdoor Cameras where they are subjected to the elements. To clean the lens of your camera products, use a microfiber lens cloth or lens cleaner. If you notice larger debris, gently blow away the larger particles or use a soft brush before wiping clean.

Step 4: Make Sure That Mic & Audio is Enabled within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App

You’ll need to review your camera's settings and ensure that Mic & Audio is enabled within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App.

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

5. Scroll down to General

6. Toggle Mic & Audio ON

7. Select SAVE in the upper right corner of the app to save your selections

Step 5: Test your Camera’s Connection

The Connection Check Tool for Cameras is a great way to better understand your signal strength and upload speed from the router to where your camera is located.

To use the 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. Choose your camera from the list of available cameras

5. Under “Connection” select “Connection Check”

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

What do my Results Mean?

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

A fair or poor upload speed means that you’ll want to reduce your camera’s video resolution. You can do this within the Camera Settings page for your camera in the SimpliSafe® Mobile App.

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. Choose your camera from the list of available cameras

5. Tap on Video Quality

6. Choose a lower resolution

7. Select SAVE in the upper right corner to save your selections

It may also be necessary to upload your Internet package with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to improve upload speeds. We recommend reaching out to your ISP to learn more about their offerings.

A fair or poor signal strength means your camera may be too far away from your Wi-Fi router. We recommend moving them closer, if possible. If not, you can opt to install a Wi-Fi extender to help bridge the network connectivity gap between the two. You can also move SimpliSafe® to a dedicated network or guest network to alleviate congestion. To learn more about setting up a dedicated or guest network, contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or consult with your router’s manual.

Still Need Help?

If you still need help with your camera, don’t hesitate to contact our support team for additional troubleshooting or assistance.