SimpliSafe's camera troubleshooting article gives three controls for motion detection on the Outdoor Camera, Smart Alarm Indoor Camera and Video Doorbell Pro: Sensitivity, Motion Type and Activity Zones. Sensitivity controls how precise the camera is, and SimpliSafe generally recommends Medium. Motion Type chooses between all motion and People Only, and for the Smart Alarm Indoor Camera it recommends People Only, especially with pets. Activity Zones let you track motion in a chosen area and exclude a busy street or sidewalk.
The checks in more detail
To change them, open the app, choose Cameras, the gear icon, your camera and Motion Detection. If the camera still does not detect people, reset it using the camera's reset article. For an Outdoor Camera that detects motion too late, SimpliSafe has a dedicated article, and the deep sleep design means the camera wakes when motion is seen, so detection can lag a moment.
Videos appear in the timeline only for users on selected monitoring plans and only if Motion Events is on in Motion Detection settings. Clean the lens, check the mounting height and angle, and avoid pointing at busy roads or trees. The Video Doorbell Series 2 has its own too-many and not-detecting motion articles. Walk the route a visitor would take at several speeds and check the timeline afterwards. Check again at a different time of day, since sun and shadows change what triggers.
Adjust zones in small steps. A camera facing a busy street will always see traffic, so use zones to keep it on the path you care about rather than lowering sensitivity so far that real visitors are missed. SimpliSafe recommends Medium sensitivity for most homes, so if you have set it to High or Low, put it back to Medium first and change one thing at a time from there.
Differential
Likely causes of “SimpliSafe cameras and video doorbell misses motion or records too many events”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Sensitivity too low
What separates it Motion is missed because the sensitivity setting is too low for the area the camera watches
How to confirm Raise the sensitivity in Motion Detection, where Medium is a typical setting to start with
- 2
Motion Type all motion
What separates it You get alerts for pets because the motion type is set to detect all motion
How to confirm Set the motion type to People Only, so that the camera ignores animals moving through view
- 3
Zones cover a street
What separates it You get false alerts because the activity zones cover a street or a busy path
How to confirm Edit the activity zones to exclude busy areas such as a road, a pavement or a neighbor's yard
- 4
Motion Events off
What separates it No videos appear on the timeline because Motion Events is switched off for the camera
How to confirm Turn Motion Events on in the camera's motion detection settings, so clips are saved
- 5
A late-waking camera
What separates it Detection starts late because the camera wakes from deep sleep when it senses movement
How to confirm Adjust the camera's placement so it sees the person sooner, before they reach the area you care about
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The sensitivity setting chosen for the camera
- The motion type set for the camera
- The activity zones drawn in the app
- Whether Motion Events is switched on
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedOpen Motion Detection
ReversibleOpen Motion Detection through the app by choosing Cameras, the gear icon and then the camera concerned.
Set sensitivity
ReversibleSet the sensitivity to Medium first, and raise or lower it if the camera misses or over reports events.
Choose People Only
ReversibleChoose People Only if pets keep setting off alerts, so movement by animals is not recorded.
Set Activity Zones
ReversibleSet Activity Zones to exclude streets and other busy places, so passing traffic does not trigger the camera.
Turn Motion Events on
ReversibleTurn Motion Events on, which is what puts the motion clips onto the timeline in the app for you.
Clean the lens
ReversibleClean the lens and check the angle, since a dirty lens or a bad view can cause missed motion.
Reset the camera
ReversibleReset the camera as described in its reset article, only if it still fails to detect movement.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Indoor
- People Only is advised with pets.
- Outdoor
- Uses activity zones for streets.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Outdoor Security Camera Series 2, Video Doorbell Pro, Wireless Outdoor Security Camera.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If detection stays poor after adjusting, reset the camera, then contact SimpliSafe support
- !If videos are missing, check the plan and Motion Events
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Recording, streaming and motion.
Motion delay.
Doorbell installation.
Doorbell motion.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why are videos missing?+
Videos are missing when you have no plan that includes recordings, or when Motion Events is off.
Can motion be late?+
Yes, a camera that wakes from deep sleep can lag a little before it starts recording the motion.
Does the doorbell have its own guide?+
Yes, the video doorbell has its own guide, since its settings differ a little from the cameras.
Do videos need a plan?+
Yes, recordings need a monitoring plan that includes video, so choose the plan before expecting saved clips.
What are Motion Events?+
Motion Events is a setting that saves motion clips to the timeline, so you can review what the camera saw.
How does two-way audio work on the outdoor camera?+
Tap the speaker button once in the app to talk, and tap it again to stop, which gives two-way audio.
Why does two-way audio echo?+
The camera mutes echo from your phone, so two-way audio may cut in and out while both people speak.