SimpliSafe FAQs

Founded in 2006, SimpliSafe was one of the first home security companies to offer a no-contract DIY system. Despite a recent influx of competition from brands like Cove and Ring, SimpliSafe remains a good choice for renters and a favorite among our readers.

Below, we’ve answered frequently asked questions about SimpliSafe to help you decide if it’s right for you. If you want to know what we think about this brand after years of testing, head over to our SimpliSafe Home Security review. 

SimpliSafe’s cheapest equipment package is The Foundation, which costs $250 and includes a base station, keypad, door/window sensor, and motion sensor. This is enough to cover one exterior door and one ground-level room.

SimpliSafe’s professional monitoring starts at $21.99 for the Standard Monitoring plan. The highest-tier plan costs around $80 and includes extras like video alarm verification, secret alerts, AI monitoring, security guards, and smart home integrations.

This is the tip of the iceberg. Learn more in our full breakdown of SimpliSafe costs.

Yes. If you don’t want professional monitoring or camera recording, you can pay a one-time fee for SimpliSafe equipment and monitor it yourself.

Yes, SimpliSafe offers financing through Affirm. It takes just a couple of minutes to sign up for Affirm when you’re ready to check out. Look at the terms carefully—some options affect your credit score and accrue interest.

SimpliSafe doesn’t charge for false alarms, but you might face a fine from your local emergency dispatch service if SimpliSafe sends them to your home and nothing’s amiss.

Yes, SimpliSafe charges your state’s sales tax at checkout.

Yes, SimpliSafe offers a 15% discount to AARP or USAA members. The discounted rate is for new systems only.

No, SimpliSafe doesn’t require long-term contracts. Professional monitoring is available on a month-to-month basis.

SimpliSafe offers full refunds and returns within 60 days of purchase. After 60 days, you can send your system back, but you may not get a full refund.

Yes, SimpliSafe’s systems—including refurbished ones—are covered by a free three-year warranty. For a lifetime warranty, choose Core, Pro, or Pro Plus monitoring plans.

Not quite. SimpliSafe offers a 60-day money-back guarantee instead of a free trial period. 

SimpliSafe is mover-friendly, with no take-down fees or any other surprises. In fact, SimpliSafe goes above and beyond for movers with their moving package—a padded box that protects your sensors in transit. You’ll also get extra adhesive stickers so you can easily reinstall your equipment.

Request a moving package by calling +1-888-692-0229. Don’t forget to update your address, billing info, and Wi-Fi settings in the SimpliSafe app to complete the moving process.² 

SimpliSafe’s monitoring services can be canceled at any time and without penalty. You keep the equipment.

Learn more in our guide: How to Cancel SimpliSafe.

No, SimpliSafe has no homeowner stipulations, thanks to its wireless setup and month-to-month contracts. It’s an excellent security choice for renters.

No, SimpliSafe doesn’t run a credit check because they don’t offer long-term contracts.

If you choose to finance your SimpliSafe equipment, the lending company Affirm will run a soft credit check.

Familiarize yourself with SimpliSafe’s bundled packages and full equipment lineup in our SimpliSafe product guide. But first, the FAQs:

Yes. SimpliSafe offers pre-bundled packages or the option to build a custom system from scratch. It’s all done online.

Overall, yes. We’ve tested this equipment hands-on and read user reviews to see if our experiences were unique. Our reviews of SimpliSafe equipment actually tend to be more critical than what the masses say on retail sites like Amazon, Lowes, and Walmart—and we still rate everything three stars and up:

• SimpliSafe Cameras Review
• SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro Review
• SimpliSafe Smart Lock Review
• SimpliCam Review

Wi-Fi connectivity is a common complaint, but that’s the case with any wireless device. We can’t really fault SimpliSafe for that since it all depends on your bandwidth, internet speed, type of internet, and even your location. Take advantage of SimpliSafe’s 60-day money-back period to make sure it works well for you.

No, the SimpliSafe base station can’t listen in because it’s not voice-activated and doesn’t have a microphone.

Yes, the SimpliSafe base station includes a 150 dB siren.

Yes, SimpliSafe sells a smoke detector and a smaoke/carbon monoxide detector.

The red button on top of the SimpliSafe keypad is a panic button. Press and hold it for two seconds to activate it. If you’re worried about false alarms, you can disable it on the keypad menu.

No, SimpliSafe cameras don’t use microSD cards for local storage.

Video clips are stored on the cloud if you have the $9.99 Self Monitoring with Camera Recording plan or a higher tier.

You don’t need a SimpliSafe security system to use the SimpliCam or the Video Doorbell Pro. These devices are sold individually and work for free with SimpliSafe’s mobile app. No monitoring plan is required.

The original SimpliSafe equipment—also called SS2—is bulkier than the newer SimpliSafe Gen 3 models, doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi, uses a 2G cellular module, and doesn’t integrate with Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

SimpliSafe won’t monitor any new accounts using original SimpliSafe equipment, so beware those too-good-to-be-true deals on Amazon and eBay.

According to SimpliSafe, existing customers continue to receive support and monitoring for the Original SimpliSafe equipment. However, we've heard from readers that it's sometimes impossible to get replacement parts for older SimpliSafe equipment—so you might be forced to upgrade once your system goes kaput. And unfortunately, upgrading isn't free. 

Unfortunately, new Gen 3 SimpliSafe equipment—like the Outdoor Camera—isn't compatible with the Original SimpliSafe base station. If you want to upgrade, contact SimpliSafe to take advantage of their 50% discount for original customers.

SimpliSafe doesn’t have a touchscreen control panel, garage door alarm, humidity sensor, smart plug, smart light, or smart thermostat. And, because SimpliSafe doesn’t work with Z-Wave or IFTTT, it’s difficult to add third-party accessories to your system.

The only workaround is to use Google Home or Amazon Alexa as the middleman between SimpliSafe and other smart home devices.

SimpliSafe Active Guard Outdoor Protection is an enhanced outdoor monitoring service designed to prevent crime before it happens. This feature expands on SimpliSafe’s existing in-home professional monitoring. It is available through two new plans: the Pro Plus plan, offering 24/7 coverage, and the Pro plan, which provides coverage from 8 pm to 6 am local time.

To use SimpliSafe Active Guard Outdoor Protection, you'll need at least one Outdoor Camera Series 2. When enabled, the service can cover up to three cameras, including your Video Doorbell Pro, to monitor potential threats around your home.

When you set your system to home or away mode, Active Guard Outdoor Protection activates the outdoor cameras to monitor for suspicious activity. If a potential threat is detected, SimpliSafe’s professional monitoring agents can:

• View a live feed and communicate with potential intruders using two-way audio
• Trigger the camera’s siren and spotlight to deter criminal activity
• Capture video evidence of the incident

If further action is needed, the monitoring agents can contact you and dispatch emergency authorities to respond to the event. 

Yes, SimpliSafe has four levels of professional monitoring. Learn more in our full SimpliSafe review.

Yes, SimpliSafe has two self-monitoring plans. One is completely free but doesn’t allow you to store video clips. With the $9.99-per-month plan, you get smart home integrations and unlimited recording for up to five SimpliSafe cameras while still self-monitoring all alarms. 

SimpliSafe’s professional monitoring is routed through a third-party company named Central Station Security (C.O.P.S.)—a TMA Five Diamond-certified company with six monitoring stations across the US. They claim to have a 25-second average response time.

However, SimpliSafe recently told us that it will expand its existing operation in Henrico County, Virginia to include a fully owned-and-operated alarm monitoring center.

SimpliSafe partnered with RapidSOS to send more information to first responders.

This could include your exact location based on GPS data from your phone or important medical history that you share with the monitoring center ahead of time.

Learn more in our guide about RapidSOS.

We strongly recommend professional monitoring regardless of which security company you choose. Learn more in our guides:

• What Is the Difference Between Monitored and Unmonitored Security Systems?
• Pros and Cons of Self-Monitoring Systems
• What Is Alarm Monitoring and How Does It Work?

We put SimpliSafe’s “easy DIY installation” claim to the test by setting it up ourselves. Learn more in our SimpliSafe installation guide after checking out these FAQs.

You can have SimpliSafe installed by a security professional for $124 if you don’t want to do it yourself. Be sure to check the optional “pro installation” box during checkout.

Yes, you can set up four additional PINs alongside the master PIN.

No, the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro installs with existing doorbell wiring.

Yes, the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro needs to be hardwired. Its battery supplies temporary power during an outage and doesn’t last for long. Indoor power adapters may burn out the doorbell and render it useless, so hardwiring is the best solution.

The best height for motion sensors is usually 6 to 8 feet high. If you have large dogs that might set off a false alarm, install the SimpliSafe sensor upside down (test button down) to create a blind spot in the lower part of the room, and place the sensor just 4 to 5 feet off the ground.² 

For more tips, read our guide on how to effectively place motion sensors in your home.

When an alarm trips, you have about 30 seconds to cancel it on the keypad by pressing Off and entering your master PIN.

If you don’t cancel the alarm on the keypad, the SimpliSafe monitoring center calls the first and second primary contacts. If neither answers and gives the safeword, the monitoring center dispatches the police to check things out.

A silent alarm bypasses SimpliSafe’s alarm verification procedure and immediately dispatches the police to your home. The base station siren won’t go off, and you won’t get a phone call from SimpliSafe asking if it’s a false alarm.

This can be life-saving during medical emergencies that limit your ability to speak, as well as in tense situations where you don’t want an attacker to know you’ve sent for help.

You need a standalone panic button and the Fast Protect™ plan to use silent alarms—this feature doesn’t work with the red keypad panic button. The panic button isn’t automatically configured to silent alarm mode, so make sure you choose this device setting from the keypad menu.

Yes, you can set up a duress PIN from the SimpliSafe keypad.

SimpliSafe will immediately dispatch the police to your home when you deactivate an alarm with your duress PIN. It’s a secret code that lets you communicate that you’re in danger without riling up a potentially violent assailant.

Yes, you can have SimpliSafe call up to two phone numbers—called primary contacts—to verify alarms. You can add your landline and cell phone number to the primary contact list.

After emergency responders are dispatched, SimpliSafe can call up to five other numbers—called secondary contacts—to let them know an alarm was triggered and police were sent.

According to SimpliSafe, you need upload speeds of at least 2 Mbps per camera. So if you have four cameras, you need an upload speed of at least 8 Mbps—and that's on top of requirements for any other devices connected to your home network.

Don't know your internet speed?
Download a free internet speed test on the App Store or Google Play.

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We go into more detail in our SimpliSafe app guide, but here are some app-related FAQs to get you started.

Yes, you can use the app to remotely arm and disarm your SimpliSafe system, and you no longer need to pay for a pro monitoring plan to do so.

No, you can’t have more than one user per SimpliSafe system. This can pose a problem for families using two-factor authentication for extra login security. Even if you share the username and password with your family members, the authentication code only goes to one phone number.

No, you need a separate account for each SimpliSafe system.

Yes, the SimpliSafe app does have a panic button. It costs around $20. Take a look at our SimpliSafe Equipment Compatibility guide for more on what SimpliSafe offers.

SimpliSafe doesn’t offer much in the way of smart home compatibility. Get the full scoop in our SimpliSafe equipment compatibility guide.

Yes, you can set up some home automation routines with the SimpliSafe app.

Yes, SimpliSafe works with Google Home.

Yes, SimpliSafe works with Amazon Alexa. Read our guide to connecting SimpliSafe with Alexa for more information.

No, SimpliSafe Home Security doesn’t work with Apple HomeKit.

For years, the company has said that there are plans in the works for future integration with HomeKit, but there’s no official word as of yet. It’s notoriously difficult to meet the requirements for HomeKit integration, so we’re not holding our breath.

No, SimpliSafe isn’t IFTTT-friendly.

We haven't found a report of a SimpliSafe hack or a security breach, but, like with any security system, there is the possiblity. Learn more in our rundown of home security system vulnerabilities.

Anything’s possible, but SimpliSafe has taken appropriate security measures to protect its customers’ privacy.

SimpliSafe addressed the potential hacking issue with its Gen 3 products, so one way to protect yourself is to upgrade your equipment. All data is encrypted, and SimpliSafe has an “anti-jamming algorithm” to alert you to hacking attempts.

You can also make sure the two-factor authentication option is enabled in your app settings and boost your Wi-Fi security.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and learn how to protect your home, loved ones, and belongings.

Yes, SimpliSafe protects data through encryption.

SimpliSafe’s indoor camera—the SimpliCam—has a privacy shutter that automatically covers the lens when the security system is set to “Home” mode.

No, SimpliSafe cameras record clips only in certain circumstances:

• Alarm is activated (including silent and duress alarms)
• System is disarmed
• Motion is detected
• User starts recording via app

You must subscribe to the Self-Monitoring with Camera Recording plan or the Fast Protect™ plan to unlock camera recording.

The SimpliSafe keypad will display error codes if a sensor isn’t working properly, among other issues. Consult the chart on page 18 of the user manual for a list of SimpliSafe error codes and their meanings, or check out our SimpliSafe troubleshooting guide. 

The SimpliSafe alarm system works without Wi-Fi thanks to a backup cellular system, but you’ll need a Wi-Fi connection for the SimpliSafe cameras.

Yes, the SimpliSafe security system can work without power. Its base station has a 24-hour backup battery that keeps the alarm system running during a power outage.

Make sure your system has been updated to the latest firmware by going to System Settings on the keypad. Version 2.3 or later is required for the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera.

View our guide to SimpliSafe’s customer service for contact information and additional insight into their reputation.

SimpliSafe is headquartered in Boston and owned by the private equity firm Hellman & Friedman.

No, SimpliSafe customer support is only available in English.

SimpliSafe has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

It’s hard to make a sweeping judgment call, but we do know SimpliSafe has a three-star rating on TrustPilot, where 60% of reviewers left at least a five-star rating. 

That said, one of the common complaints we’ve seen about SimpliSafe customer service is that you might have to wait on the phone for a long period of time to talk to someone. SimpliSafe reps seem to be active in the community forums, so that’s a good place to start if you have a basic question. Otherwise, brace yourself for a wait.

SimpliSafe is a no-contract DIY system that tends to top our charts, but other home security companies are gaining ground. Before you compare them all in our Best Home Security Systems review, take a quick look at how SimpliSafe stacks up to its main competitors:

• Vivint Smart Home Security leads the way in smart home integrations and equipment but isn’t a no-contract, DIY system like SimpliSafe. Compare SimpliSafe vs. Vivint.

• Frontpoint is a no-contract, DIY system with better smart home integrations and equipment than SimpliSafe, but it’s more expensive. Compare SimpliSafe vs. Frontpoint.

• ADT offers a done-for-you security system with a contract backed by nearly 150 years of industry experience, whereas SimpliSafe’s been in the DIY security game for just 16 years. Compare SimpliSafe vs. ADT.

• Cove is SimpliSafe’s cheaper, more customer-friendly twin, but SimpliSafe sells more products and has been in business over a decade longer. Compare SimpliSafe vs. Cove.

You can also check out our recommended alternatives to SimpliSafe.

We don’t think SimpliSafe is a bad system, but here’s where it’s lacking:

• Limited PINs
• No ethernet connection
• Average camera quality
• Only one login per system
• Limited smart home integrations
• Long wait times for customer service
• Basic equipment with limited features
• No date or time stamps on camera footage

It depends on which features you’re comparing. For a basic home alarm system, SimpliSafe works just as well as ADT and offers advantages like month-to-month contracts and zero cancellation fees. SimpliSafe is also easier to install.

But if you’re interested in smart home automation features and more than one camera to choose from, ADT is better than SimpliSafe in those categories.

SimpliSafe offers different equipment packages to customers in the UK. The monitoring plans are also structured differently, and some products—like the Video Doorbell Pro and Smart Lock—aren’t sold in the UK at all.

Learn more in our SimpliSafe UK review.

No, SimpliSafe doesn’t work in Canada.

No, SimpliSafe doesn’t work in Mexico.

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