An Entry Sensor in a SimpliSafe system is shared by everyone on the system, not individually, so a question about sharing it is really a question about who can see its status, receive its alerts and change its settings. The primary account owns the system and chooses which other users it has; each user logs in with their own details and sees the sensors that the owner allows. In the app, the owner opens the users settings and invites a person by email, who accepts and signs in.
The checks in more detail
Once they are on the system they can see the Entry Sensor's state, with open and closed, the battery level and the alerts, depending on their permissions. If a family member cannot see it, check their permission level and whether the sensor was named and placed in the right location. Alerts are configured per person. The owner decides which notifications are turned on for the system, such as entry alerts and low battery, and each user sets whether their phone shows them, in the app and the phone's own settings.
A person who gets no alerts may have notifications off in the phone, or have been set to receive only some. Check the app's notification settings and the phone's. For guests who only need to disarm the alarm, a keypad PIN is easier than an account, and the owner can delete it afterwards. Remember that the Entry Sensor itself does nothing for a user without the base station and app: it reports to the base station, and the base station tells the service.
If a user's app shows the sensor as offline while others see it online, the problem is their account or app, so update it and sign in again. The owner can remove a user at any time, which removes their view of every sensor. Never give out the owner's password, and keep your PINs private. If sharing fails, contact SimpliSafe support with the account email.
Differential
Likely causes of “SimpliSafe Entry Sensor shared users or family members cannot control it”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A user with limited permissions
What separates it The sensor is not visible
How to confirm Adjust permissions
- 2
Notifications off
What separates it No entry alerts
How to confirm Allow them in the app and phone
- 3
A stale app
What separates it The sensor shows offline
How to confirm Update and sign in again
- 4
A sensor not named or placed
What separates it It looks missing
How to confirm Name the sensor and set its location
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The sensor's name and location
- Whether you are the owner
Try in this order
0 of 4 completedInvite the user
ReversibleBy email.
Set their permissions
ReversibleFor sensors and alerts.
Check notifications
ReversibleIn app and phone.
Name the sensor
ReversibleAnd set its location.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- System-wide
- Sensors belong to the system.
- Alerts
- Each person's phone settings decide.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If sharing fails, contact SimpliSafe with the account email
- !Use PINs for guests
- !Keep the owner's password private
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Can I share one sensor with one person?+
Access is by user, not by sensor.
Why no entry alerts?+
Notifications may be off.
What about guests?+
Give a PIN.