Sensors act on their own per-device settings, and those settings are where the useful behavior lives. Open Device Settings in the app, choose a sensor and you can rename it, choose whether it chimes on the Keypad when opened while the system is disarmed, and decide how it behaves in each mode. Entry and window sensors normally give an entry delay so you can reach the Keypad, or you can set Instant Trigger so a window sounds at once.
The checks in more detail
Motion sensors only act in Away mode, and the Gen 2 has Pet Mode to ignore animals. A Secret Alert sends a quiet notice when a sensor opens while disarmed, useful for a medicine cabinet or a teenager's door. If a sensor does not act as expected, check the mode you are in, that the sensor is online with a fresh battery, that it is not bypassed and that its tamper switch is closed. Smoke and CO detectors are always active, whatever the mode.
Test each sensor in Test Mode after changing settings. If a chime is annoying, change it per sensor instead of turning the Keypad volume down for everything, and if false alarms recur, adjust sensitivity or placement. Write your sensor names and settings down so you can rebuild them after a device is removed and re-added. Adjust a single sensor at a time and then walk through the door it guards, so that the sound and the timeline entry confirm the change did what you meant.
A door that sounds twice when opened is often covered by both an entry sensor and a motion sensor, so decide which one should own that alert. Revisit chime and delay choices when the seasons change, since summer windows and winter doors are used differently. Time yourself leaving and entering, then set delays to that time plus a margin. A sensor set to chime can be very useful for a front door and annoying for a busy hallway, so set chimes by how you use each door.
Differential
Likely causes of “SimpliSafe sensors, Keypad and accessories routine, schedule or automation is not running”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Wrong mode
What separates it The sensor does nothing because the system is in a mode where the sensor is not armed
How to confirm Choose Home or Away mode, checking which sensors each mode arms
- 2
A delay you did not want
What separates it The alarm sounds slowly after a door opens because the entry delay applies to that sensor
How to confirm Set Instant Trigger for that sensor if you want the alarm to sound with no entry delay
- 3
A bypassed sensor
What separates it A sensor does not trigger because it has been bypassed and is being ignored
How to confirm Clear the bypass in the app before you arm the system, so the sensor is included
- 4
An offline sensor
What separates it A sensor takes no action because it is offline and cannot report to the Base Station
How to confirm Fix the battery and the range for the sensor, so that it reports to the Base Station again
- 5
Pet Mode
What separates it Motion is ignored at times because Pet Mode is on and treats some movement as a pet
How to confirm Adjust the Pet Mode settings and the sensor's position, then test in Test Mode
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which mode the system was in when the sensor did not act
- The settings chosen for that sensor in Device Settings
- Any sensors that are currently bypassed
- The battery level of the sensor
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedChoose the right mode
ReversibleChoose the right mode, meaning Home to arm the perimeter sensors, or Away to arm everything.
Set delays or Instant Trigger
ReversibleSet delays or Instant Trigger for each sensor, choosing what suits the door or window it watches.
Set chimes
ReversibleSet chimes for each sensor, so that the Keypad announces when a chosen door or window is opened.
Clear bypasses
ReversibleClear bypasses before you arm the system, because a bypassed sensor will not trigger the alarm.
Test each sensor
ReversibleTest each sensor in Test Mode, to check that it reports and that its settings behave as expected.
Adjust sensitivity
ReversibleAdjust sensitivity or placement if you get false alarms, and test again after each small change.
Contact SimpliSafe
ReversibleContact SimpliSafe if it still fails, and tell them the mode and the sensor settings you chose.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Devices this page covers
- SimpliSafe Gen 3 Motion Sensor Gen 2 and the Entry, Glassbreak, Temperature, Water, Smoke and CO sensors, Panic Button, Extra Siren, Keypad and Key Fob. SimpliSafe writes one help article per topic; the notes name where battery types and lives differ between devices.
- Modes
- Home and Away.
- Settings
- Set per sensor in Device Settings.
- Tools and supplies
- The SimpliSafe app on an up-to-date phone, a Phillips-head screwdriver for battery covers and brackets, a small flashlight for reading labels, spare batteries of each listed type and a pen and paper for serial numbers and PINs.
- Repair cost
- Most fixes cost nothing. Sensor batteries are inexpensive, and SimpliSafe lists monitoring at $1.10 a day for Core and $0.76 a day for Standard and paid monthly with no contract. Check the limited warranty first.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models Extra Siren, Glassbreak Sensor, Wireless Keypad, Panic Button, Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector, Temperature Sensor, Water Sensor, Key Fob.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If automations fail after checks, contact SimpliSafe support
- !If false alarms recur, adjust the delays and the sensor settings, and check the placement
- !If a sensor is ignored, clear the bypass
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Modes.
Delays.
Motion sensor range and Pet Mode.
Test Mode.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
What does Home mode arm?+
Home mode arms the perimeter sensors, such as entry sensors, and leaves motion sensors off.
What does Away arm?+
Away mode arms everything, including the motion sensors, so that any movement in the home is caught.
Can sensors chime?+
Yes, each sensor can be set to chime, so that the Keypad announces when it is opened.
Can cameras record on alarm?+
Yes, cameras can be set to record when an alarm is triggered, and the clips appear in the app.
Should I test each sensor?+
Yes, test every sensor in Test Mode, so that you know each one reports to the Base Station.