Too Many Motion Alerts From the Wireless Outdoor Security Camera
Updated
If you find that your Wireless Outdoor Security Camera is detecting too much motion, there are some recommended placement and settings changes you can make to minimize the amount of motion it detects.
Adjust the Placement of the Camera
If your Outdoor Camera is facing a high traffic area like a busy street or sidewalk, we recommend angling the camera down to remove this area from its field of view, as seen in the image below.
Change the Camera’s Settings
If you cannot change the angle of the Outdoor Camera, there are settings you can adjust in the SimpliSafe® Mobile App to minimize the amount of motion it detects.
Sensitivity
By default, the Outdoor Camera’s sensitivity is set to Medium, but you can adjust this setting to Low to limit the amount of motion events you receive.
You can adjust the sensitivity of your Outdoor Camera by taking the following steps:
SimpliSafe® Mobile App:
Open up the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your mobile device or tablet
Tap Cameras on the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen
Select the gear icon in the top right corner to open Camera Settings
Choose the Outdoor Camera you’d like to adjust
Tap Motion Detection
Under Sensitivity, move the slider to Low
Tap Save in the top right corner to save this change
SimpliSafe® Online Account
Login to the SimpliSafe® Online Account using the browser of your choice
If you manage multiple properties, choose the location you wish to update from the list by clicking on the Base Station Serial Number or Property Address
Select Devices from the navigation bar on the left side of the screen
Select the camera you want to update
A pop up menu will appear on the right hand side of the screen
Scroll down to Motion Sensitivity and move the slider to Low
When you are done, click Save Changes on the bottom of the pop up to save your selections
Motion Detection Type
The Outdoor Camera has two motion detection options: All Motion and People Only. When set to All Motion, the camera will record any motion it senses - which may cause excess motion events. However, if the camera is set to People Only it will only respond to people-shaped objects.
To minimize the amount of motion your Outdoor Camera detects, you can change its motion setting to People Only by following these steps:
Open up the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your mobile device or tablet
Tap Cameras on the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen
Select the gear icon in the top right corner to open Camera Settings
Choose the Outdoor Camera you’d like to adjust
Tap Motion Detection
Under Motion Type, select People Only
Tap Save in the top right corner to save this change
Activity Zones
By setting up Activity Zones, you can block unnecessary sources of motion from the camera’s view, like tree branches, sidewalks, or busy streets.
To create Activity Zones, take the following steps:
Open up the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your mobile device or tablet
Tap Cameras on the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen
Select the gear icon in the top right corner to open Camera Settings
Choose the Outdoor Camera you’d like to adjust
Tap Motion Detection
Under Activity Zone, tap the boxes in the frame where you do not want your camera to record
Tap Save in the top right corner to save this change
Additional Troubleshooting
If you’re still getting too many motion alerts when your camera is set to People Only mode, we recommend trying the following tricks:
Change your camera’s motion detection setting to All Motion
Turn your camera’s sensitivity down to Medium or Low
Set up Activity Zones around the perimeter of the camera’s field of view, as seen in the image below
Still Need Help?
If you’ve taken the steps above and your Outdoor Camera is still detecting excess motion, we recommend contacting our Support team for further assistance.