‎Entry Sensor Notification Questions | SimpliSafe Help Center
 
masonfoley's profile

Wednesday, December 8th, 2021 2:32 AM

Entry Sensor Notification Questions

​Just received my installation package today and I'm installing the entry sensors. I've installed three so far but I've got a couple of questions.​

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  1. ​With the alarm mode "Off" for the entry sensor and the "alarm mode" disabled, I get a nice chime from the base when the sensor is "open" however no push notification to the phone or a timeline record. With the alarm mode "Off" and the "secret alert" set, I get a push notification that the sensor indicates "open". Is it not possible to have the base chime AND get a push notification?​

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  3. ​I get a push notification (and timeline record) reliably when the sensor is open. Is it not designed to tell you when it is "closed"?​

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Community Admin

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4.3K Messages

1 year ago

Hi there,

The feature you're talking about is called Secret Alerts - because they're intended for generating a notification without letting anyone on the premises know that it had been triggered. It could be useful, for example, if you want to keep track of kids going into a certain room, but without triggering an alarm.

Right now no, there's no way to have the Smart Alert AND the Door Chime at the same time.

And no, the only trigger for events is when a sensor is going from Closed to Open, not the other way around. But on the SimpliSafe app, you can head over to the Devices section and hit the refresh button. That will poll all of the sensors and show you which ones are open right now.

8 Messages

@davey_d  - I appreciate the feedback.  I would suggest this be an option (chime + notification).  It would be even nicer if the sensor name was announced.  This is not an uncommon feature in security systems (i.e. 2GIG) so I was surprised to learn this was not supported.  

With regards to the closed status, this is another feature present in other security systems.  Burying this information in a menu three levels deep and requiring a manual refresh of the list is not an ideal user experience (not to mention, the refresh can take an inordinate amount of time. I've seen up to 10 seconds).

A generic/flexible approach would to make all of this configurable.  Perhaps default to a behavior that's not so chatty and works fine right out of the box but at least give the user more options.  For example, If I'm sitting in a room watching the game and I hear an announcement that a particular door has been opened (because my phone is muted)...and I'm not expecting that the door should be opened, that's a benefit...a safety benefit, arguably which is kinda the point. No, I don't want an instant trigger in that case, I would just like to be made aware.  I hear you saying what the "intent" of secret alerts...but it's a bit of a shoehorn from a usability standpoint in my opinion.  Why not leave it up to the user?  Defaults would make it simple; flexibility could be available for users looking to customize their experience.

Again, thanks for your reply.

3 Messages

@masonfoley​ I agree with you 100%. I was disappointed that this system does not allow this feature and is almost a deal breaker. The alarm system I had prior had this feature and that system is 11 years old. I want to be notified on my phone if my 7-year-old goes into the backyard or opens their windows. At this point, you need to double sensor your entry points, one for the alarm function and the other for secret alerts.

2 Messages

4 months ago

I would also like to get notified on my phone when a door entry sensor opens and closes. I don’t want it to trigger the alarm, but rather get the push notification so I’m aware the door has been opened. Is this a feature that can be added to the system? Thanks!  

Community Admin

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218 Messages

Hi @sbcottleb​ 

While the system doesn't alert you to the entry sensor being closed at this time, we do have a feature that is similar to what you're asking for. It's called Secret Alerts. If you configure your sensors to be a secret alert, you'll receive a notification on your phone that the sensor has been tripped, rather than triggering an alarm or chime on the Base Station. 

1 Message

@alexandria_c

I would like for it to chime on the base station and send a notification when my toddler attempts to leave the house.

Community Admin

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4.3K Messages

@RyanTheMan​ unfortunately right now, it's either you get the chime, or you get the notification, but not both. But thank you for the feedback.

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