Overview

Motion Sensors are always on the lookout for uninvited guests. They can detect motion within 30 feet, with a 90-degree field of view. They’re also designed to distinguish between people and pets. If you have a pet in your home, check out the Pet Owners video on this page for additional installation instructions.

Before Getting Started

You’ll need to install your Base Station prior to getting started. If you have pets, please watch both of the installation videos below.

What’s in the Box

• Motion Sensor Gen 1 with mounting plate

• Screws (optional for permanent installation)

If you want to mount your Motion Sensor Gen 1 on a wall using its adhesive backing, make sure the surface has been wiped clean and has had time to dry.

If you plan on wall mounting your Motion Sensor Gen 1 with the included screws, you’ll want to also have a Phillips head screwdriver available.

Watch the video below for a hands-on experience from our team of experts for the installation process

Pet Owners - Additional Information 

Troubleshooting

• Motion Sensor Gen 1 Not Responding

• ​Motion Sensor Gen 1 Offline

Related Articles

• ​Motion Sensor Gen 1 Settings & Customisations

• ​How to Rename a SimpliSafe® Sensor

• Testing the Motion Sensor Gen 1

The Motion Sensor Gen 2 has a variety of settings that can be customised to fit your home or business’ needs. You can make adjustments to the sensor’s settings and the way it behaves during different armed states in the SimpliSafe® Mobile App. 

Using the SimpliSafe® Mobile App

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

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

3. Select Device Settings

4. Choose your Motion Sensor Gen 2 from the list of available devices

Device Behaviors

Off

This setting manages how the Motion Sensor behaves when triggered in Off mode. The Motion Sensor will not be active when the SimpliSafe® system is disarmed in Off mode, so this setting cannot be customised.

Home

This setting manages how the Motion Sensor behaves when triggered in Home mode. This setting is disabled by default, but to customise the setting you may pick between Alarm or Disabled. 

Away

This setting manages how the Motion Sensor behaves when triggered in Away mode. This setting is set to Alarm by default, but to customise the setting you may pick between Alarm or Disabled. 

Instant Trigger

When Instant Trigger is enabled, your Motion Sensor will trigger an alarm right away when it detects motion, bypassing the system’s Entry Delay. This feature is helpful when monitoring areas of your home or business that you do not enter often. 

To customise this setting, simply toggle it On or Off in the SimpliSafe® App. 

Note: When enabled, your Motion Sensor will always scan for motion in both Home and Away Mode.

Pet Mode

Pet Mode can be turned on if you have dogs or cats in your home or business. Enabling this setting allows the Motion Sensor to filter pets (up to 28KG) in its detection algorithm. 

To customise this setting, simply toggle is On or Off. By default, Pet Mode is Off.

Related Articles

• How to Rename a SimpliSafe® Sensor

The Motion Sensor Gen 1 has a variety of settings that can be customised to fit your home or business’ needs. You can make adjustments to the sensor’s settings and the way it behaves during different armed states in the SimpliSafe® Mobile App. 

Using the SimpliSafe® Mobile App

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

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

3. Select Device Settings

4. Choose your Motion Sensor Gen 1 from the list of available devices

Device Behaviors

Off

This setting manages how the Motion Sensor behaves when triggered in Off mode. The Motion Sensor will not be active when the SimpliSafe® system is disarmed in Off mode, so this setting cannot be customised.

Home

This setting manages how the Motion Sensor behaves when triggered in Home mode. This setting is disabled by default, but to customise the setting you may pick between Alarm or Disabled. 

Away

This setting manages how the Motion Sensor behaves when triggered in Away mode. This setting is set to Alarm by default, but to customise the setting you may pick between Alarm or Disabled. 

Instant Trigger

When Instant Trigger is enabled, your Motion Sensor will trigger an alarm right away when it detects motion, bypassing the system’s Entry Delay. This feature is helpful when monitoring areas of your home or business that you do not enter often. 

To customise this setting, simply toggle it On or Off in the SimpliSafe® App. 

Note: When enabled, your Motion Sensor will always scan for motion in both Home and Away Mode.

Motion Sensitivity

The Motion Sensitivity setting allows you to increase or decrease the Motion Sensor’s detection range. The Motion Sensor’s sensitivity is set to Medium by default, but you can increase it to High to make it more sensitive to motion, or decrease it to Low to make it less sensitive. 

This adjustment is made on the sensor itself rather than in the SimpliSafe® App. To customise this setting:

1. Slide the Motion Sensor up and off its bracket

2. You will see a switch labeled Sensitivity above its battery

3. Slide the switch to the left to decrease the Motion Sensor’s sensitivity, or to the right to increase it

Related Articles

• How to Rename a SimpliSafe® Sensor

False Alarm Causes

SimpliSafe’s Motion Sensors have been designed to avoid false alarms. However, if you’ve experienced one, there are a few potential issues that may cause them:

• Direct sunlight hitting the sensor can trigger a false alarm.

• Heating vents located in the room. If they are located within the sensor’s field of vision, they may cause false alarms.

• Pets that are able to get too close to the sensor. Pets under 30 pounds generally don’t trigger Motion Sensors, but if they get close enough to the sensor, smaller dogs or cats may still be able to trigger it.

Avoiding False Alarm Triggers

Sunlight can be avoided by placing your Motion Sensor in a corner where it will not be directly hit by sunlight throughout the day.

If you suspect that heating vents may be responsible for false alarms, position your sensor in a part of the room where it will not see the hot or cold air vent. As long as the change in the room’s ambient temperature is gradual, the sensor should not trigger.

Pets may require small adjustments to your motion sensor placement. You can view this video to learn more about adjusting your motion sensors with pets in the home.

Cancelling a False Alarm

If an Entry, Motion, or Glassbreak-triggered alarm is disarmed within 30 seconds of the initial alarm signal, our Monitoring Centre will consider this a false alarm. That means you will not receive a phone call and a request for emergency services will not be issued.

After 30 seconds, the Monitoring Centre will attempt to reach the Emergency Contacts for your system to inform you of the alarm and determine whether or not emergency services are needed. They'll ask for your safeword if you wish to cancel the request for dispatch. Otherwise, the Monitoring Centre will request dispatch to the location of your system.

Please note, giving the wrong safeword will result in an request for dispatch and you won't be told you got it wrong to protect anyone who may be under duress. Missing the phone calls to your Emergency Contacts can result in a request for guard dispatch. See our What Happens During the Event of an Alarm? article for more information.

When the system is in an armed state (Home or Away Mode) and a Motion Sensor detects motion within your home or business, the entry countdown will begin. The entry countdown by default is 30 seconds, however, this can be adjusted at any time within the SimpliSafe® App.

If the system is disarmed within 30-60 seconds of the initial alarm signal, this will be considered a false alarm by our monitoring centre. That means you will not receive a phone call and emergency services will not be requested to your location.

If the system is not disarmed before the time elapses, an alarm will sound. Depending on your monitoring service plan, two things will happen at once.

Your Emergency Contacts for your system will receive a phone call from our monitoring centre to verify the status of your home.

If the alarm is not canceled within the grace period, the Emergency Contacts will receive a call from our monitoring centre. During this call you will be required to provide your Safe Word to the agent you speak with. Please note that providing the wrong safe word, or no safe word can result in a request for dispatch. You won’t be told you got it wrong to protect anyone who may be under duress. Additionally, missing the phone calls to your Emergency Contacts can also result in a request for guard services to the location that your system is registered to.

We encourage you to save the monitoring centre numbers to your phone. The numbers in which Securitas call you from:

• Securitas will contact you from: 0330 184 0444

• You can contact Securitas on: 0303 330 0369

• Test Mode Automated Call: 01908 644505

Once saved to your phone, you’ll also want to allow us access to bypass Do Not Disturb and Silent Profiles. This allows for Critical Alarm Notifications to get through to you, regardless of your phone’s volume or profile status.

False Alarm Causes

Our Motion Sensors have been designed to avoid false alarms. However, if you’ve experienced one, there are a few potential issues that may cause them:

• Direct sunlight hitting the sensor can trigger a false alarm.

• Heating vents located in the room. If they are located within the sensor’s field of vision, they may cause false alarms.

• Curtains moving in front of a warm radiator in the sensor's field of view

• Pets that are able to get too close to the sensor. Pets under 60 pounds generally don’t trigger Motion Sensors, but if they get close enough to the sensor (within a few feet), smaller dogs or cats may still be able to trigger it.

• We also recommend avoiding pointing the Motion Sensor at a couch or bed that the dog or cat may jump onto.

• A bolt of lightning creating a sudden burst of light and heat.

• Open windows that allow the Motion Sensor to pick up on outdoor motion.

• A small insect crawling right in front of it.

• Force that vibrates or moves the sensor, like a strong gust of wind.

Avoiding False Alarm Triggers

Environmental triggers are rare, but they can cause false alarms. Sunlight, lighting, or outdoor motion through your window can be avoided by placing your Motion Sensor in a corner where it will not be directly hit by sunlight throughout the day.

If you suspect that heating vents may be responsible for false alarms, position your sensor in a part of the room where it will not see the hot or cold air vent. As long as the change in the room’s ambient temperature is gradual, the sensor should not trigger.

For homes with pets, it’s crucial that you enable Pet Mode within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App. You can turn this setting on at any time by taking these steps:

1. Open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App and navigate to the “My System” gear on the bottom of the screen.

2. Select “Device Settings”.

3. Select the Motion Sensor Gen 2 you would like to customise.

4. Under “Motion Sensitivity”, Select “Pet Mode”.

5. Toggle Pet Mode on.

6. Tap “send to base” on the bottom of the screen when you are done.

Canceling a False Alarm

If an Entry, Motion, or Glassbreak-triggered alarm is disarmed within 30 seconds of the initial alarm signal, our Monitoring Centre will consider this a false alarm. That means you will not receive a phone call and a request for emergency services will not be issued.

After 30 seconds, the Monitoring Centre will attempt to reach your Emergency Contacts to inform them of the alarm and determine whether or not emergency services will be requested. They'll ask for your safeword if you wish to cancel the request for dispatch. Otherwise, the Monitoring Centre will request guard dispatch to the location of your system.

​

Please note, giving the wrong safeword will result in an immediate request for guard dispatch and you won't be told you got it wrong to protect anyone who may be under duress. Missing the phone calls to your emergency contacts can also result in a request for guard dispatch. See our What Happens During the Event of an Alarm? article for more information on what happens during an alarm.

Test Mode is a great way to test the connection between your Base Station and other sensors. We recommend periodically placing your system into Test Mode to ensure that your sensors are still communicating with the Base Station without any errors.

Placing Your System Into Test Mode

1. Disarm your system by pressing OFF on the Keypad

2. Press the Menu button on your Keypad

3. Enter your Primary PIN

4. Scroll until Test Mode is highlighted

5. Use the arrow and tap to the right to enter Test Mode

You’ll know you are in Test Mode when you see a circle on the Keypad appear with the text, “Test each device by pressing its button”.

Note: If you subscribe to monitoring, you will receive a robo call from the monitoring centre asking you to confirm you placed your system into Test Mode. If you do not answer – no worries! A voicemail will be left to alert you to the system test, and it will not result in a request for dispatch.

Testing the Motion Sensor Gen 2

To test the Motion Sensor Gen 2, first, press the button on the top of the Motion Sensor Gen 2. You’ll hear the Base Station announce, “Motion Sensor” confirming that the test was successful.

To test the motion aspect of the Motion Sensor Gen 2, press the button on the top of the Motion Sensor Gen 2 and then leave the room for at least 15 seconds. This will allow the Motion Sensor to scan the room during that time. After the time has lapsed, re-enter the room. You’ll hear the Base Station announce, “Motion Sensor” from your motion within the room.

Troubleshooting the Motion Sensor Gen 2

The first thing you’ll want to identify is if the placement of your Motion Sensor Gen 2 is correct for the room and mounting position. We recommend mounting it 6 feet off the ground in a corner of the room so that you get the full field of view for motion detection. However, you may also place the Motion Sensor Gen 2 on the edge of a flat surface.

You’ll also want to check the Motion Sensitivity settings within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App. Here, you can toggle on or off Pet Mode, which will lessen the sensitivity of the sensor to allow your pets to roam freely within your home.

You can adjust this setting at anytime by using these steps:

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

2. Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar

3. Select Device Settings

4. Tap on your Motion Sensor Gen 2

5. Under Motion Sensitivity, select Pet Mode

6. Toggle this On or Off

7. Be sure to save your selection by choosing Save or Send to Base from the bottom of the app

If you are testing your Motion Sensor and do not hear the Base Station announce, “Motion Sensor”, the next thing you’ll want to do is confirm you can hear the Base Station from the location you’re testing in. You can adjust the Base Station’s volume under the Base Station Settings menu, by selecting Voice Prompts.

As a next step, you’ll want to confirm that the Motion Sensor Gen 2 battery is functioning. The Motion Sensor Gen 2 takes a single CR-123A Lithium 3V battery and has a life expectancy of up to 4 years depending on placement and usage.

If you are still unable to hear the Base Station announce, “Motion Sensor” it’s possible that there could be an issue with the location of the Base Station, or there is Radio Frequency (RF) interference at play.

Other electronic devices within your home may communicate on similar frequencies, resulting in wireless interference between your SimpliSafe® devices. Because of this, we recommend keeping your Base Station and Motion Sensor at least 3-5 feet away from the following devices:

• Wi-Fi Routers

• Large TVs

• Weather Stations

• Large Appliances (especially in the kitchen and laundry rooms)

• Baby monitors

• Remote Controlled Garage Door Openers

• LED Lights or Christmas Lights

This above list is to give you an idea of what devices may cause interference within your home, and is in no means an exhaustive list of all devices. There may be other devices that output RF or Wi-Fi signals that could impede the connection between your Base Station and SimpliSafe® devices.