SimpliSafe does not give sensors a factory reset button; the reset is to remove the device in the app and add it back. Its battery article says that if a sensor does not come back online after a battery change, it may have been offline too long, so remove it: open the app, choose My System, Device Settings, tap the sensor, choose Remove Device, then add it again using its installation guide. Its resynchronizing article covers reconnecting devices without removing them.
The checks in more detail
For a Keypad that will not pair, the emergency pairing steps act as a re-pair: unplug the Base Station, open the battery compartment, power cycle the Keypad and press the Emergency Pairing Button when it says Searching for Base Station. The Key Fob cannot have its battery replaced and SimpliSafe support can help with it. Note each sensor's name and settings before removing it, since they reset to defaults. If you are selling a system, remove it from your account. After re-adding, test in Test Mode.
If a device still will not add, check batteries, distance and interference, and contact support with the serial number. Avoid removing several devices at once, so you can find which one has a fault. Photograph the sensor labels before removing devices so you can identify them later, and keep the mounting brackets in place so that the re-added sensor goes back on the same spot without new screw holes. After re-adding, give the device a moment to sync before testing.
Avoid removing devices when the house is empty. Give each re-added sensor a fresh battery at the same time, since a sensor that was offline long enough to need re-adding often has a tired cell as well. Removing and re-adding is safe because monitoring continues, but do it while you are home so you can test immediately. Because settings return to defaults on re-adding, check the sensor's mode behavior, chime and delay settings straight afterwards, since a default may not match what you had.
Differential
Likely causes of “SimpliSafe sensors, Keypad and accessories will not reset or needs to be reset safely”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A long-offline sensor
What separates it A sensor will not return online after a long time offline because its link with the Base Station has gone
How to confirm Remove the sensor in the app and add it again, which builds a fresh link to the Base Station
- 2
A dropped device
What separates it A device shows as not communicating because it has dropped out of step with the Base Station
How to confirm Resynchronize it so that it reconnects, before you remove or replace anything
- 3
A new Keypad
What separates it A new Keypad shows Out of Range because it has not yet been paired with the Base Station
How to confirm Use emergency pairing on the Base Station to pair the new Keypad with the system
- 4
Lost settings
What separates it The device has default settings after being added again because removing it erased the old ones
How to confirm Rebuild the name, chime and other options in the app, then test the device in Test Mode
- 5
A Key Fob issue
What separates it The Key Fob battery cannot be replaced because it is not designed to be opened by the owner
How to confirm Contact SimpliSafe support, who can advise on what to do about a Key Fob that has stopped working
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The device name and the settings it had before
- The steps you used to remove the device
- The serial number of the device
- Whether you tried to resynchronize it first
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedTry resync first
ReversibleTry to resynchronize first, which reconnects the device to the Base Station without deleting settings.
Note settings
ReversibleNote the device's name and settings before you remove it, since they go back to defaults when re-added.
Remove the device
ReversibleRemove the device in the app by opening My System, then Device Settings, and choosing Remove Device.
Add it back
ReversibleAdd it back by following the installation guide for that device, starting from the Add Device option.
Test in Test Mode
ReversibleTest the device in Test Mode after adding it, so that you know it reports to the Base Station.
Rebuild settings
ReversibleRebuild your settings for the device, such as the chime and the mode it applies to, in the app.
Contact SimpliSafe
ReversibleContact SimpliSafe if it still fails, and tell them which device and which steps you have tried.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Reset
- Remove and add back.
- Keypad
- Emergency pairing re-pairs it.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Extra Siren, Panic Button, Water Sensor, Key Fob.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If a device will not add after removal, contact SimpliSafe support
- !If the Key Fob fails, contact SimpliSafe support and tell them what it does when pressed
- !If several devices need re-adding, check the Base Station
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Battery types and lives for every device.
Resync.
Keypad pairing and range.
Test Mode.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Do sensors have a reset button?+
No, sensors have no reset button, so the way to reset one is to remove it in the app and add it again.
What is resync?+
Resync means making the device reconnect to the Base Station, without removing it from the system.
Can I reset the Key Fob?+
For a Key Fob that will not work, contact SimpliSafe support, since its battery is not replaceable.
Should I test after?+
Yes, run Test Mode after adding the device again, to check that it reports to the Base Station.
Does Power Saving mode help the Keypad?+
Yes, Power Saving mode helps the Keypad's batteries, because it turns off the proximity sensor.
What is Secret Alert?+
Secret Alert is a quiet notice from a sensor without sounding an alarm, so you know something opened.