If you are having trouble connecting your camera to Wi-Fi during a first-time setup, we recommend making sure that your home network is configured to meet our system requirements. 

A short list of requirements can be found below:

• Your Wi-Fi network must be broadcasting 2.4GHz

• SimpliSafe® cannot connect to 5GHz networks

• Your SSID and password cannot exceed more than 31 characters each

• Your network must be configured as WPA2 or WPA3/2 Mixed Mode

• WPA3 only networks are not compatible with SimpliSafe® at this time

We recommend that you have your 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks separated and not merged together. Most routers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) by default will create a single network that broadcasts 2.4GHz and 5GHz at the same time. To separate the network, you may need to consult with your ISP or reach out to your router manufacturer for configuration assistance.

If your phone is currently connected to a 5GHz network and you have a 2.4GHz network available, please use your phone’s Wi-Fi settings to switch the network before trying to connect the camera to Wi-Fi again.

iPhone / iOS Wi-Fi Settings:

1. Go to Settings on your iOS device

2. Choose Wi-Fi

3. Select the 2.4GHz network from the list of available networks

4. Enter your password

5. Tap on Join in the upper right hand corner to connect to the Wi-Fi network

Android Wi-Fi Settings:

1. Go to Settings on your Android device

2. Navigate to Wi-Fi Network

3. Select your 2.4GHz network from the list of available networks

4. Enter your password

5. Save to connect to the Wi-Fi network

*These steps may vary depending on your Android device. Consult with your phone's manual for further directions.

Still having trouble connecting?

There are steps you can take if your camera keeps losing Wi-Fi Connection after setup. If you continue to have trouble after taking those steps, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Support Team for further assistance.

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 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. 

Connecting the Base Station to your new Wi-Fi using the SimpliSafe® Mobile App

Please note that these steps are only if you have a monitoring plan that supports built-in network backup. If you do not have a monitoring plan, please proceed to the Keypad steps below.

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

2. Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar, followed by Base Station Settings

3. Tap on ‘WiFi Network’ and follow the in-app prompts to connect to your new network

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

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

Connecting the Base Station to your new Wi-Fi using the Keypad

1. Using your Keypad, press the Menu button

2. Then, enter your Master PIN

3. Select System Settings

4. Then press the right side of the screen to choose Wi-Fi, followed by Edit

5. Next, choose your network from the list of available options by tapping “Use”

6. Enter your password by using the Keypad’s buttons to type in ABC mode (this is similar to T9 which was used for texting with older cell phones)

Changing Wi-Fi Networks for Cameras

Related Articles

• Outdoor Camera Series 2 Overview and Installation Guide

• Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera Overview and Installation Guide

• Wireless Outdoor Security Camera Overview and Installation Guide

• Video Doorbell Pro Overview and Installation Guide

• SimpliCam® Wired Indoor Security Camera Overview and Installation Guide

The error “No Video” means that while recording, the camera disconnected from SimpliSafe® and the video was not able to be saved. This may indicate that a portion or the entirety of the video was lost, and unfortunately will not be able to be recovered.

There are a few steps you can take to get your cameras back up and running smoothly. Please note that while “No Video” errors caused by a loss of power to your location’s Wi-Fi router are not necessarily preventable, your system does have a fallback to run off a built-in network backup connection* and 24-hour backup battery to ensure you’re protected at all times. Note that the built-in network backup connection only applies to the Base Station, and does not relay data to your cameras. 

*Built-in network backup connection available with a professional monitoring plan.

Overview

The app error “Camera Disconnected” can happen for several reasons, including if you’ve changed your Wi-Fi recently or if the camera battery has been replaced. The following article will walk you through a few troubleshooting scenarios to help get your camera back up and running. Use the collapsible sections below to go through each step one by one, as they apply to your situation.

Please note, you will need to be with your system to troubleshoot this issue. Remote troubleshooting is not possible.

Your SimpliSafe® cameras record* whenever they detect motion and during a number of system events to keep you updated about what is happening at your home or business. Refer to the chart below for a list of events that trigger a recording, and how long your cameras will record for.

How long can a camera record for?

Camera recordings depend on what event has triggered a recording.

*Recording availability and storage in the SimpliSafe® Mobile App depends on your monitoring subscription.

Related Article:

• Camera Motion Detection by System Arming State

There may be a point where you need to rename a camera for your SimpliSafe® System. Renaming a camera can be done easily through the SimpliSafe® Mobile App, but you can also rename a camera using your Web App. You can select a name from the list of prepopulated names within the SimpliSafe® Mobile app, or choose your own custom name. If using a custom name, we recommend avoiding the use of apostrophes within the camera name - as this can impact the ability to download recordings.

The following article 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. Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar

3. Select Camera Settings

4. Tap on the Camera you wish to edit

5. Press the pencil icon next to your Camera to enter the editor

6. Choose from the list of preset names or select Custom Name to type in your own name

   1. Depending on your device, you may also need to tap SAVE before exiting to save your selections

SimpliSafe® Online Account:

1. Log into your online account using the browser of your choice

   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 Camera you wish to edit

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

5. Select the pencil icon next to your Camera’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

When your system sounds any burglary alarm, there’s a brief false alarm grace period. If you don’t cancel the alarm within this grace period, it will be handled by a SimpliSafe® Monitoring Agent. 

Once an Agent is handling your alarm, they will begin reviewing your Video Verification recordings and Smart Alarm Indoor Camera streams.

Note: If you cancel your alarm shortly after a Monitoring Agent has begun handling it, the Agent will also disregard the alarm. In these cases, you may not hear from our Monitoring Agents, either over the camera or via phone call.

If the Monitoring Agent sees someone on the premises, they’ll activate 2-way audio on the Smart Alarm Indoor Camera to speak with them. There are several common camera 2-way audio scenarios:

Scenario 1: Person on the premises claims to be an account holder, and has the correct the Safe Word

If the person on the premises says everything is OK, the Monitoring Agent will ask for the location’s Safe Word, in the same manner as they would with a Primary Contact over a phone call. The Agent will disregard the alarm if the safe word is correctly provided.

Scenario 2: Person on the premises claims to be an account holder, and gives an incorrect Safe Word

If the person on the premises gives a Safe Word that is incorrect, the Monitoring Agent will acknowledge receipt of the Safe Word and end the 2-way audio conversation. They will then proceed directly to request police assistance at the location of your system, as is common practice for handling incorrect Safe Words.

Scenario 3: Person on the premises claims to be an expected guest (house/pet-sitter, contractor/maintenance worker, etc.) and does not know the Safe Word

In this scenario, the Monitoring Agent will first ask for the person’s name, and who would expect them to be on the premises. The Monitoring Agent will then ask them to stay in view of the camera, mute the 2-way audio stream, and begin to call the location’s Primary Contacts. If the Primary Contacts are not reachable, the Monitoring Agent will proceed to request assistance from the police. The Agent will then inform the person camera-side of this result.

If the Primary Contacts are reached, one of three things will happen:

1. If the Primary Contact is expecting the person, and gives the correct Safe Word, the Monitoring Agent will disregard the alarm. Before fully clearing the alarm, the Agent will inform the person camera-side that the alarm has been disregarded.

2. If the Primary Contact gives the wrong Safe Word for any reason, the Monitoring Agent will request dispatch from the police immediately, and will NOT say anything further to the person camera-side.

3. If the Primary Contact does NOT think the person should be there, the Monitoring Agent will request dispatch from the police immediately, and will NOT say anything further to the person camera-side.

Scenario 4: Person appears to be an intruder

If the Monitoring Agent determines the person is an intruder (e.g. they are clearly brandishing weapons, destroying property, are unresponsive to initial Monitoring Agent questions, etc.), they’ll immediately request dispatch from police. The Monitoring Agent will tell the person on the premises to leave immediately, as well as that they are being recorded, and that police assistance has been requested. 

Will SimpliSafe® Monitoring Agents Respond This Way For All Types Of Alarms?

In addition to burglary alarms triggered by an Entry, Motion, or Glassbeak sensor, and any Panic button (on the Keypad, Key Fob, or standalone button) configured to the “Audible” setting,) our monitoring agents will also respond to life safety alarms triggered by the Smoke Detector. In the event that a Smoke Detector is triggered, our monitoring agents will make contact with you if you are in view of the Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera to determine if you need assistance, or if the alarm was triggered by mistake. 

For Panic alarms with an intruder intervention response, there is no false alarm grace period. You will need to cancel these alarms by giving a monitoring agent your Safe Word, either over the phone or via the Smart Alarm Indoor Camera. For other types of alarms, SimpliSafe® monitoring agents will have access to the Smart Alarm Indoor Camera livestreams, but at this time are not trained to leverage the camera’s 2-way audio in the handling of these alarms.

Does SimpliSafe® Respond Differently Based On My System’s Armed State During Alarms?

No, our response is the same regardless of whether the system is armed in AWAY, HOME, or OFF (in the case of Panic alarms) Mode.