SimpliSafe cameras can be viewed on supported smart displays and integrated with voice assistants where SimpliSafe lists support, so check SimpliSafe's site for the current list. Once linked, you can ask an assistant with a screen to show a camera, and the camera must be online, awake and named simply. The outdoor camera's deep sleep means a live view can take up to ten seconds to start, so a voice request may seem slow at first.
The checks in more detail
If it fails, check the camera has battery and wifi, that the SimpliSafe account is linked in the assistant's app and that the assistant's device is on the same network where required. SimpliSafe's Two-Way Audio on the outdoor camera works with a single tap of the speaker button, not by holding, and to test it stand far away or in another room since the camera mutes echo. Voice cannot change motion settings.
Rename cameras with short unique names such as Front Door, and rediscover devices after a rename. Update the SimpliSafe app and the assistant. If voice control stops, relink the account. Do not allow voice to disarm the system without a PIN. Ask for the camera by the exact name shown in the app as a first test. Give the camera a short unique name. Practise a few commands.
Two-way audio through voice is not the same as tapping the speaker button in the app, so use the app for conversation and voice only for showing the view. If voice shows a black picture, the camera may be in deep sleep or offline, so try the app first to see whether the camera itself responds. Check the screen assistant shows the camera by name in its own list before you try a command, since a camera missing from that list will never respond to a spoken request however it is phrased.
Differential
Likely causes of “SimpliSafe cameras and video doorbell does not respond to voice control”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
An unlinked account
What separates it The assistant cannot find the camera because the SimpliSafe account is not linked to it
How to confirm Link the SimpliSafe account in the assistant's own app, following its sign in prompts
- 2
A sleeping camera
What separates it Live view is slow because the camera wakes from deep sleep when you ask for it
How to confirm Wait up to ten seconds for the picture to appear, since the camera needs time to wake
- 3
An offline camera
What separates it Commands fail because the camera is offline and cannot respond
How to confirm Fix the battery and the wifi connection for the camera, so that it comes back online
- 4
A name mismatch
What separates it The assistant says the camera is not found because the name does not match
How to confirm Rename the camera with a simple name, such as Front Door, and ask the assistant to discover it again
- 5
Two-way audio echo
What separates it There is no sound during a test because the speaker and microphone echo and mute each other
How to confirm Test the audio from another room, so that the speaker is not picked up by the microphone
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which voice assistant or smart display you are using
- The exact name that you gave the camera
- Whether the account shows as linked in the assistant
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedCheck SimpliSafe's site
ReversibleCheck the SimpliSafe website for the list of assistants that are supported for use with cameras.
Link the account
ReversibleLink the SimpliSafe account in the assistant's own app, signing in with your SimpliSafe login.
Use a simple name
ReversibleGive the camera a simple name, such as Front Door, so that the assistant can recognize it easily.
Expect a wake-up delay
ReversibleExpect a delay of up to ten seconds for live view, since the camera wakes from deep sleep first.
Test audio from another room
ReversibleTest the audio from another room, to avoid echo, which mutes the sound on two way audio.
Contact SimpliSafe
ReversibleContact SimpliSafe if linking fails, and tell them the assistant and the message you see.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Live view
- Can take up to ten seconds from sleep.
- Audio
- Tap once, do not hold.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Outdoor Security Camera Series 2, Video Doorbell Pro.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If live view is slow, improve the wifi signal at the camera
- !If the audio fails, test it from another room, to avoid echo between the speaker and microphone
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Recording, streaming and motion.
Connection errors and fixes.
Notification types and setup.
Camera Disconnected steps.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Can I view a camera by voice?+
Where SimpliSafe lists support, yes, you can ask a smart display to show a camera by voice.
Why is live view slow?+
Live view can be slow because the camera wakes from deep sleep, which takes up to ten seconds.
How does two-way audio work?+
Two way audio works by tapping the speaker once in the app, then speaking to the person there.
Why is there no audio in a test?+
There may be no sound in a test because the echo makes the audio mute itself, so test it away.
Can voice change settings?+
No, voice does not change the camera's settings, which you change in the SimpliSafe app.