The lock's status in the app, locked or unlocked, comes from the lock's last report to the Base Station, so a wrong status usually means a connection or battery problem. If the app shows locked while the door is unlocked, check the lock is online, the Base Station is online and the lock's batteries are fresh, and check the door aligns so the bolt fully extends; a bolt that does not extend can report incorrectly.
The checks in more detail
Refresh the app, test with the PIN Pad and confirm on the timeline. Range and interference matter: SimpliSafe's not responding article says steel doors, dense walls and wireless devices such as weather stations, garage door openers and some baby monitors can disrupt the link. A wrong time on timeline events usually reflects the phone's time zone. After a power cut the Base Station takes minutes to reconnect and status may be stale.
If the lock shows Not Responding, follow the article. If status stays wrong after these steps, reset the lock as SimpliSafe describes and add it back, and contact support with a screenshot and the serial number. Keep a key in case status cannot be trusted. Photograph the lock's lights and the app together. A status that flips is a connection problem. Contact support with a screenshot. A bolt that stops a millimetre short can report locked while the door is not secure, so check by pushing the door.
The lock reports each lock and unlock to the Base Station, so a timeline with missing events usually means the report never arrived, and a short walk-through test of lock and unlock while watching the timeline tells you whether the link is healthy. Push or pull the door after locking whenever you doubt the status, since a physical check takes a second and answers what the app cannot.
Differential
Likely causes of “SimpliSafe Smart Lock Series 2 shows the wrong time, state or sensor reading”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A dead battery
What separates it The status is stale because the batteries in the lock have died
How to confirm Replace the four AA batteries with fresh ones, then check the status updates in the app
- 2
Range or interference
What separates it The app shows Not Responding because the lock is out of range or blocked by interference
How to confirm Move the Base Station closer to the lock, then check that the status updates in the app
- 3
Bolt not extending
What separates it The app says locked while the door is open because the bolt is not extending
How to confirm Fix the door's alignment, so that the bolt extends into the frame, then test the lock
- 4
A power cut
What separates it The status is old after a power cut because the devices have not yet reconnected
How to confirm Wait for the Base Station and the lock to reconnect, which can take a few minutes
- 5
The phone time zone
What separates it The times on the timeline are wrong because the phone's time zone is not correct
How to confirm Set the phone's date and time to update automatically, and check the time zone
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The status shown in the app compared with the real state of the door
- A screenshot of the app showing the wrong status
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck the door itself
ReversibleCheck the door itself, and see whether it is really locked or unlocked before you trust the app.
Replace the batteries
ReversibleReplace the batteries with fresh AA cells, because weak batteries make the status go stale.
Check alignment
ReversibleCheck the alignment of the door, so the bolt extends fully into the frame when the lock locks.
Move the Base Station closer
ReversibleMove the Base Station closer to the lock, to test whether distance or interference is the cause.
Refresh the app
ReversibleRefresh the app and confirm the status on the timeline, which shows the events the lock reported.
Reset the lock if needed
ReversibleReset the lock if needed, by following the steps in the SimpliSafe reset article for the lock.
Contact SimpliSafe
ReversibleContact SimpliSafe with a screenshot, showing the status that the app gives for the lock.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Status
- Comes from the lock's last report.
- Bolt
- Must extend fully to report correctly.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If status stays wrong after a reset, contact SimpliSafe support
- !If the bolt does not extend, adjust the door
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Range, interference, battery and update steps.
Unpair, power cycle, factory reset, reinstall.
Lock and PIN Pad batteries.
Notification types and setup.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Can a bolt cause it?+
Yes, if the bolt does not extend into the frame, the lock can report a wrong locked state.
Should I check the door?+
Yes, check the door itself first, since the door is the real state and the app is only a report.