Camera automation is about when they record and alert. In the app open Camera Settings and Motion Detection to set sensitivity, motion type and activity zones, and turn on Motion Events so motion clips go to the timeline, with a selected monitoring plan for recordings. Cameras can also start recording when an alarm triggers, and SimpliSafe's alarm behavior means a system alarm turns cameras on briefly, as its interference article notes for cameras with recording plans.
The checks in more detail
Location-based arming reminders can prompt you to arm when you leave, and modes Home and Away change what the system does. Snooze silences a camera's notifications for a while. If cameras do not record when expected, check the camera is online with battery, Motion Events is on, the motion type and zones include the area and the plan supports recordings. Deep sleep means the outdoor camera wakes on motion, so a very fast event may be partly missed.
Review settings after moving a camera. Test by walking through the field. Keep automations simple and check them each season as foliage and sun change. Adjust one motion setting at a time and check the timeline the next day. A camera that records twice may be covered by two triggers. Review settings each season. Foliage changes with the season, so a zone that worked in winter may fill with moving branches in summer, and a review in spring saves false alerts.
Motion Events must be on for clips to appear in the timeline, so a camera that alerts but has no clips is usually missing that setting or a plan. Give each camera a name that describes where it looks, such as Driveway or Back Door, and set zones and sensitivity per camera, since one setting for every camera is rarely right for a porch and a yard.
Differential
Likely causes of “SimpliSafe cameras and video doorbell routine, schedule or automation is not running”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Motion Events off
What separates it No clips appear on the timeline because Motion Events is switched off
How to confirm Turn Motion Events on in the camera's motion detection settings, so that clips are saved
- 2
No plan
What separates it No recordings are saved because the account has no plan that includes camera recordings
How to confirm Choose a subscription that includes recordings, because the cameras cannot save clips without one
- 3
Zones exclude the path
What separates it Events are missed because the activity zones exclude the path where people walk
How to confirm Adjust the zones so that the areas you care about are included in the detection
- 4
Snooze on
What separates it The camera is silent because a snooze is switched on
How to confirm Turn the snooze off in the app, so that alerts and recordings work as normal
- 5
An offline camera
What separates it Nothing is recorded because the camera is offline and cannot send video
How to confirm Reconnect the camera by checking its battery and wifi, and use the Connection Check Tool
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The motion detection settings chosen for the camera
- Which plan the account has for recordings
- Whether snooze is switched on for the camera
- Whether the camera shows online in the app
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedSet Motion Detection
ReversibleSet Motion Detection in the app, choosing the sensitivity, the motion type and the activity zones.
Turn Motion Events on
ReversibleTurn Motion Events on, which is what makes the camera save clips of motion to the timeline.
Confirm a plan
ReversibleConfirm that you have a plan that includes recordings, since without one clips are not saved.
Turn snooze off
ReversibleTurn snooze off when you are done with it, because a snoozed camera is silent until it ends.
Check the camera is online
ReversibleCheck that the camera is online, meaning it has battery and a working wifi connection.
Test by walking through
ReversibleTest by walking through the camera's field of view, and check that the app records the movement.
Contact SimpliSafe
ReversibleContact SimpliSafe if it still fails, and tell them the settings and the plan that you have.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Devices this page covers
- SimpliSafe Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Camera, Wireless Outdoor Camera (Series 2), Video Doorbell Pro and the wired indoor camera. SimpliSafe writes one help article per topic and per camera; the notes name where battery, wired and doorbell models differ.
- Motion
- Sensitivity, type and zones.
- Recording
- Needs Motion Events and a recording subscription.
- Tools and supplies
- The SimpliSafe app on an up-to-date phone, the included USB charging cord for battery cameras, a stable ladder for outdoor mounting, a Phillips-head screwdriver for brackets and a pen and paper for serial numbers.
- Repair cost
- Most fixes cost nothing. SimpliSafe lists monitoring at $1.10 a day for Core and $0.76 a day for Standard, with Self Monitoring at $0.33 a day and paid monthly with no contract; camera recordings need a selected plan. Check the limited warranty first.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Video Doorbell Pro, Wireless Outdoor Security Camera.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If recordings never appear, contact SimpliSafe support and tell them the plan and the camera
- !If motion is late, use the late detection article
- !If the zones miss events, adjust them to cover the paths that people use
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Recording, streaming and motion.
Snooze.
RF interference.
Motion delay.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
How do I get motion clips?+
Turn Motion Events on in the camera's motion detection settings, and clips then appear on the timeline.
Do clips need a plan?+
Yes, clips need a plan that includes recordings, so check your plan if none are being saved.
Does an alarm start cameras?+
With a recording plan, an alarm can make the cameras record, so you have footage of the event.
What does snooze do?+
Snooze silences the notifications from a camera for a time, and they resume when it ends.
Why late detection?+
Detection can be late because the camera wakes from deep sleep when it senses movement.
Can zones exclude streets?+
Yes, activity zones can exclude streets and other busy areas, so passing traffic is ignored.