Sharing a SimpliSafe system with other people means giving each of them a way to arm and disarm it, and the key fob is one of those ways, so a question about key fob shared access is really about who has a fob, a PIN or the app and how each is added. A key fob is a small remote that arms the system in Away or Home mode and disarms it with a button press, without a PIN. It is paired to the base station, and any fob that is paired can disarm the system, so give a fob only to people you trust.
The checks in more detail
Open the SimpliSafe app, go to the system's settings, and look for the list of devices and for Users and Access. A new fob is added through the app: choose to add a device, select Key Fob and follow the steps, which ask you to press a button on the fob when the app tells you to. For people who should have their own access, use a PIN, since a PIN is tied to a person and can be changed or removed without collecting a fob.
You can add a guest PIN, a duress PIN that disarms and quietly signals trouble, and an app login for family members who share the account. A fob lost or given to someone who no longer needs it should be removed from the system in the app so that it no longer works; if you cannot remove it, ask SimpliSafe support to help. Check the number of fobs paired against the people who should have one. If a fob does not respond, replace its battery, which is a small coin cell,
and press the button near the base station, since the range depends on walls and the base station's position. If the fob was added but still does nothing, remove it in the app and pair it again. After pairing, test each button by arming and disarming and listening for the base station's voice. Review who has access every few months, and after a change in the household, such as a tenant or a nanny leaving. Contact SimpliSafe if a paired fob does not appear in the list or cannot be removed.
Differential
Likely causes of “SimpliSafe Key Fob shared users or family members cannot control it”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A fob not paired to the system
What separates it The buttons do nothing
How to confirm Pair it in the app
- 2
A weak battery
What separates it The fob works only close to the base
How to confirm Replace the coin cell
- 3
A lost fob still paired
What separates it Someone else could disarm the system
How to confirm Remove it in the app
- 4
Shared access by PIN
What separates it A person needs their own code
How to confirm Add a guest PIN in the app
- 5
A fob that cannot be removed
What separates it It stays in the device list
How to confirm Contact SimpliSafe support
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- When the problem began and what changed
- Any message on the base station or in the app
- Whether other sensors work
- The device model and the system's serial number
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedOpen the system's device list
ReversibleIn the SimpliSafe app.
Add or remove the fob
ReversibleFollowing the app's steps.
Add PINs for people
ReversibleGuest or duress PINs.
Replace the battery
ReversibleIf the range is short.
Test arming and disarming
ReversibleListen to the base station.
Review access
ReversibleEvery few months.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Fob
- A remote that arms and disarms without a PIN.
- Guest PIN
- A code for one person.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the steps do not clear it, contact the maker with the model and the system details
- !Do not leave the alarm disarmed for long
- !Keep the app and the base station updated
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Can a key fob be shared?+
Yes, but any paired fob can disarm.
What is better for guests?+
A PIN.
How do I remove a lost fob?+
In the app's device list.
Does the fob need a battery?+
Yes, a small coin cell.