False Alarm Causes

SimpliSafe’s Motion Sensors have been designed to avoid false alarms. However, if you’ve experienced one, there are a few potential issues that may cause them:

• Direct sunlight hitting the sensor can trigger a false alarm. 

• Heating vents located in the room. If they are located within the sensor’s field of vision, they may cause false alarms. 

• Curtains moving in front of a warm radiator in the sensor's field of view

• Pets that are able to get too close to the sensor. Pets under 60 pounds generally don’t trigger Motion Sensors, but if they get close enough to the sensor (within a few feet), smaller dogs or cats may still be able to trigger it.

• We also recommend avoiding pointing the Motion Sensor at a couch or bed that the dog or cat may jump onto. 

Avoiding False Alarm Triggers

Sunlight can be avoided by placing your Motion Sensor in a corner where it will not be directly hit by sunlight throughout the day. 

If you suspect that heating vents may be responsible for false alarms, position your sensor in a part of the room where it will not see the hot or cold air vent. As long as the change in the room’s ambient temperature is gradual, the sensor should not trigger.

For homes with pets, it’s crucial that you enable Pet Mode within the SimpliSafe Mobile App. You can turn this setting on at any time by going to the three-bar menu and selecting My System > Device Settings > Your Motion Sensor Gen 2 > Pet Mode.

Canceling a False Alarm

If an Entry-, Motion-, or Glassbreak-triggered alarm is disarmed within 30 seconds of the initial alarm signal, our monitoring service will consider this a false alarm. That means you will not receive a phone call and the police will not be dispatched.

After 30 seconds, the monitoring service will attempt to reach your Primary Contacts to inform you of the alarm and determine whether the police should be dispatched. They'll ask for your safeword if you wish to cancel dispatch (not send the police). Otherwise, the monitoring center will dispatch the police. 

Please note, giving the wrong safeword will result in dispatch and you won't be told you got it wrong to protect anyone who may be under duress. Missing the phone calls to your primary contacts will also result in police dispatch. Click here for more information on what happens during an alarm.