Sensor alerts come through the SimpliSafe app and Keypad. SimpliSafe's push notification article describes three types: Alarm, for an alarm or Test Mode; System Status, for arming, disarming, lock changes and Secret Alerts from sensors; and System Health, for low batteries, sensors not responding, power outages, wifi loss and wireless interference. Turn them on in the app under My System, Notification Settings, Push Notifications and allow them in the phone.
The checks in more detail
If a sensor is triggering but no alert arrives, check the app is logged in, the toggles are on, the Base Station is online and the sensor is armed in the current mode. If you are missing battery alerts, System Health is off. A Secret Alert is a quiet notification from a sensor without sounding an alarm, useful for a door opening while disarmed, and needs a monitoring plan. The Keypad shows sensor errors and the Base Station may announce them.
Alarm texts are separate and covered in SimpliSafe's alarm texts article. If notifications are too many, adjust categories or use a chime setting on sensors. Update the app and phone. If a sensor does not respond, its Not Responding warning will appear in System Health, so check battery and range. Trigger a Test Mode event to confirm alerts arrive, and check the timeline entry names the sensor you expect, since a sensor with a default name is easy to confuse in an alert.
If one phone gets alerts and another does not, the fault is that phone. Add a second person to alerts. Give each adult the same Alarm and Health settings so nobody misses a fault. A dead sensor sends a System Health alert, so a quiet stretch does not always mean all is well, and Test Mode is the way to confirm each sensor still reports.
Differential
Likely causes of “SimpliSafe sensors, Keypad and accessories notifications are late, missing or excessive”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A toggle off
What separates it One kind of alert never arrives because its toggle is switched off in the app
How to confirm Open the notification settings in the app and switch on Alarm, System Status and System Health alerts
- 2
Logged out of the app
What separates it No alerts arrive because you are logged out of the SimpliSafe app on your phone
How to confirm Log in to the app again, and stay logged in so that alerts can reach the phone
- 3
An offline sensor
What separates it No trigger alert arrives because the sensor is offline and so cannot report
How to confirm Fix the battery and range for the sensor, so that it reports to the Base Station again
- 4
An unarmed mode
What separates it A sensor gives no alert because the system is in a mode where that sensor is not armed
How to confirm Use the mode that arms the sensor, such as Away mode for motion sensors
- 5
Phone settings
What separates it Alerts arrive silently because the phone's own settings mute notifications from the app
How to confirm Allow notifications for the SimpliSafe app in the phone settings, including sound and banners
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which alert is missing or late
- The mode the system was in at the time
- Whether the sensor is online and its battery level
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedEnable each notification type
ReversibleEnable each notification type in the app, meaning Alarm, System Status and System Health alerts.
Allow notifications on the phone
ReversibleAllow notifications on the phone for the app, and stay logged in, so that alerts can be delivered.
Check the sensor is armed
ReversibleCheck the sensor is armed in the current mode, since a sensor that is not armed will not raise an alert.
Check battery and range
ReversibleCheck the sensor's battery and range, because an offline sensor cannot send any alert to the system.
Use Secret Alerts
ReversibleUse Secret Alerts if you want quiet notices about a sensor being triggered, without sounding the alarm.
Adjust categories
ReversibleAdjust the categories that are switched on, to reduce extra alerts you do not need each day.
Contact SimpliSafe
ReversibleContact SimpliSafe if no alerts arrive at all, and tell them which types and devices are involved.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Categories
- Alarm, System Status and System Health.
- Sensors
- A dead sensor triggers a Health alert.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models Entry Sensor, Extra Siren, Glassbreak Sensor, Wireless Keypad, Panic Button, Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector, Temperature Sensor, Water Sensor.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If alerts never arrive, contact SimpliSafe support and tell them which alert is missing
- !If a sensor never triggers, check its battery
- !If a plan feature is missing, check the plan
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Notification types and setup.
Trouble Signal and light.
Alarm texts.
Battery types and lives for every device.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
What is System Health?+
System Health alerts tell you about batteries, power and connection problems in the system.
Do I need a plan for Secret Alerts?+
Yes, Secret Alerts need a plan that includes them, so check your plan if you cannot turn them on.
Where are the settings?+
The settings are in Notification Settings in the app, where each type can be switched on or off.
Does the Keypad show errors?+
Yes, the Keypad shows errors and status messages, so check it when the app shows nothing.
Are alarm texts separate?+
Yes, alarm texts are separate from push notifications, so they follow their own settings.