‎Can't turn off alarm using the app | SimpliSafe Support Home
 
mister_boy's profile

Sunday, October 2nd, 2022 4:51 PM

Can't turn off alarm using the app

A false alarm on our smoke detector set the alarm off. I was nearby and could hear the alarm sirens so tried to turn them off from the app but just got a spinning wheel. Had to physically walk to the premises, disable the alarm using the master keypad, meaning several minutes of sirens sounding and the security call centre phoning us.

We've noticed this before and it's quite frustrating, it's never allowed us to remotely cancel the alarm. Is this normal?

Official Solution

Community Admin

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5.7K Messages

4 months ago

Hi all,

I see a new comment on this thread I thought it was a good idea to clarify for everyone:


If a fire hazard alarm is triggered, either from the standalone Smoke, CO, or 2-in-1 Smoke & CO Detector, then the only way to stop the alarm event is through the Keypad. Unfortunately, there is no way to do this remotely through the SimpliSafe app. This is an intentional design for fire safety, in accordance with the UL-985 standard.

10 Messages

Hi Davey

UL-985 is not a recognised standard in the UK, as a result this reference is irrelevant to UK users.

The inability to stop the smoke alarm from sounding using the app is a major limitation and extremely frustrating especially given the unreliability of the smoke detector and number of false alarms.

As a result I have had to disconnect the smoke detector from my system making it as much use as a 'dumb' smoke detector available at a fraction of the price.

My alarm is still going off right now. It appears that this is what I will have to do as well. This is pretty embarrassing for me as my Airbnb guests couldn’t stand it and just left the house.

5 Messages

@davey_d​ There is no legal requirement for me to have a fire alarm at home to begin with.

I could just throw all that stuff out.

So, what’s better?

A fire alarm system that allows me to switch it off remotely, or no fire alarm system at all?

Another solution needs to be found. Not being able at all to switch off the fire alarm system remotely is UNACCEPTABLE.

3 Messages

1 year ago

I am experiencing this very thing right now. One of my smoke alarms triggered falsely for some reason and I am 600 miles away. So now my alarm has been going off and I cannot stop it through the app or from the Simplisafe website. Any attempt to shut off the alarm or system just sits and spins. So, I'm going to have to call a family member to drive to my house 20 miles away to reset it from the keypad. Really?

1K Messages

1 year ago

Yesthis needs to be done, adt, cpi, and alarm.com and even ring has it.

2 Messages

1 year ago

My alarm just went off, and we could not turn it off from the app either

2 Messages

1 year ago

Me too!

really regretting SimpliSafe. Not ready for prime time and business. 

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

1 year ago

Hi everyone,

If you see a notification that an alarm is in progress and you are not at your house, you can stop it by disarming your system through the SimpliSafe mobile app. However, you cannot silence a Smoke Detector via the mobile app for safety reasons. If someone was in the building and the Smoke Detector was disarmed remotely before they heard it, that could be a safety issue.

(edited)

1K Messages

@emily_s​ you can? Wow did not know that and must be a new thing as it wasn't like that awhile back when mine went off, it wouldn't let me. Thanks and good to know

3 Messages

I had a false smoke alarm go off last week and I had no ability to stop it through the mobile app, which is why I posted my earlier comments last week. Every time I tried to turn it off through the mobile app it would just "sit and spin". I had to have my brother drive to my house 20 miles away and enter the code into the keypad to get it to stop, which then allowed me to control the system again through the mobile app. So maybe it's just when a smoke alarm goes off? Also, someone just had this same issue a few days ago (couldn't turn it off via the mobile app) so clearly there is an issue somewhere.

(edited)

2 Messages

@emily_s​ how specifically.  Did not work for me.  Directions—

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@schechterd​ When you receive a notification that your system has triggered an alarm, open the SimpliSafe mobile app and tap "Off" on the main page to disarm your system. This will then cancel the alarm as well. 

3 Messages

Emily, this doesn't work and is the reason why people are posting on this topic. Tapping off doesn't work in the app for some reason. It just "spins" and doesn't turn it off. It's only after you enter your code in the keypad that it resets it and allows you to control things again.

7 Messages

1 year ago

This just happened to me yesterday. Cottage smoke detector was triggered and no way to turn it off...clicking on the OFF option in the app does nothing...just spins for 10 minutes and goes back to Alarm....clearly a bug in the app.

Edit: cottage is about 400 miles from the city so not driving up just to reset it. It'll have to wait until Nov 3 when I was planning on heading up anyway...unless you fix the app. 

@emily_s 

(edited)

This comment has been converted into a post

3 Messages

11 months ago

Same thing just happened to me last night.  I can disable alarms caused by a water sensor, entry sensor, or motion sensor from the App but it would not let me disable the smoke alarm unless I went to the keypad. 

It would be nice to have somebody from SimpliSafe weigh in on whether this is intentional or a bug in the software.

7 Messages

Agreed. Although I can see now that it's not a bug in the base station firmware or app. This is intentional for some bizarre reason. Assuming we're able to determine if the smoke alarm is bogus, there should be an option to turn it off like the other devices. If it's a real fire, then we have bigger issues than the alarm constantly going off....

SS - please make this change so the user can turn off the smoke alarm. These systems are not always in homes that we live in 100% of the time...in my case, it's monitoring a cottage which I sometimes don't get to during the winter for 5 or 6 weeks. The alarm has already been sounding at my place now for over a week. 

4 Messages

11 months ago

im based in the uk WITH a UK SYSTEM and that was the same issue  smokey went off while cooking i tried to disarm it but nope off does nothing for smokeys 

1 Message

11 months ago

Same thing just happened to me today. Smoke detector went off and the OFF button on the app would just continue to spin. 

7 Messages

11 months ago

Clearly a design flaw...not the false alarms, but the ability to shut off the alarm is obviously warranted. C'mon SS...make the change to the app. 

10 Messages

11 months ago

This is a major design flaw. It needs to be possible to switch of the alarm drom the app following a smoke detector alert.

Recently had precisely this issue in the middle of the night whilst we were away.

Smoke detector went off incorrectly whilst we were away.

After checking using our cameras I was happy there was no issue and tried to stop the alarm via the app. As mentioned previously, although an off button appears in the app, it does not work.

The only way it seems possible to turn this off is via the keypad. 

We ended up having to wake up a neighbour to access our house and turn it off. This needs to be fixed or it just means I will have to remove the smoke alarm from my system until it is made fit for purpose.

1 Message

11 months ago

I’ve had too many false alarms with Simplisafe smoke detectors - even after cleaning and new batteries. I’ve replaced 3 

in 3 years…

there needs to be a way to remotely shut off the alarm via the app otherwise it’s just a nightmare when it goes off when you are away

1 Message

4 months ago

SO... this just happened to me.  Smoke alarm went off (false alarm) - I turned off the actual smoke alarm but the basestation would not stop bleating.  GAH.  

#1 -grab your basestation.

#2 - unplug it at the very bottom.

#3 - there is a tee tiny Phillips screw right where you unplugged it.  this is the battery cover screw. 

#4 - take out those godforsaken batteries and replace them if needed.  

Issue solved.   

#5 - Chuck your basestation out the window because it made your ears bleed from the incessant noise.  :)

6 Messages

@bhill29​ Having had this issue repeatedly, I fully support this message. 

6 Messages

How is this issue still not fixed? Even pressing the button on the fire alarm and disarming the system does nothing @simplisafe, fixing this issue needs to be a top priority. 

2 Messages

@bhill29​ had this same situation and did this, pretty much including #5. Then looked up the problem and saw here that smoke alarms have to be disable by someone present in the house at the keypad for safety reasons. Annoying yes, but there is a reason. Say you didn’t know someone was home and couldn’t see the fire and disarmed it remotely before that person knew there was a fire, it would also defeat the purpose of the smoke detector. Like it said I agree it’s annoying 100% but at least it’s for a reason and not just an unfixed glitch. 

1 Message

4 months ago

Happened to me twice last night, according to folks above, there’s no solution from simplisafe.  So I’m not going through this again, I’m getting rid of simplisafe system and start using a different product!

2 Messages

It has to be disarmed from the keypad. Annoying as it is, there is a safety reason involved posted above. 

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