Integrate Cameras with Smart Home Hubs

Not just the nest hub but Chromecast as well. I really would like to see better integration with Google Assistant in general.

It would be great if we have a integration with google nest smart hub/Echo show to see the camera feed and setup routine to announce the doors opened based on entry sensor names.. I saw ADT, Ring vivint, Wyze are offering this features

Please! We all want this integration . This could be a huge plus point for existing and new simplisafe customers. I really don’t understand the product teams hesitation to pursue this ?

Hi There 

We should be able to view the live camera ( Doorbell, Wireless Camera ) on Google Home Hub or Alexa Hub. None of the feature exists currently. It’s hard to go and find the phone all the time. Competitors are having this feature. We need to add this feature in SimpliSafe.

Thanks 

Mukkesh

This will be a great value for kids and elders. It is a big hassle to pick up the phone and see who is at the front door.  My friends use other systems and they get the feed right in the hub and they are able to view the live stream, makes such a huge difference.  Why not give us the option to choose which cameras we want to stream to strike a balance between privacy, security, and UX?

Plus one to this feature. Unless Simplisafe wants to compete with Amazon, Google, and Apple, this is a MUST have feature to acquire more customers. You can include any sort of liability clause for sharing video.

What more proof do you need?! 1.9k views on this feature...just implement it! It's gotta be the top viewed feature right...

I agree as well, I actually am considering switching to a different system when I move. Just based on performance and lack of Google home integrations beyond arming and disarming, which I even feel like I want to be disable. 

I'd like to be able to instantly view the feed on a Google hub if there's a doorbell or motion.

Having to click into it on my phone isn't that fast and truthfully, isn't super helpful as it just takes longer then looking through like a door viewing pane. 

Your dev team should really look into the viability of this.  Google has APIs currently that allow you to integrate with their systems, you just have to apply their open-sourced APIs to your system. If I can't monitor in a convenient way, why would we continue to waste our time or not just go to a company that allows us to use their hardware as we need. It isn't as though your customers are asking for something that is absurd or outlandish. This is a standard feature that one would expect, perhaps the paradigms your company has used to store video is incorrect and that should be reevaluated to better serve your customers.

I completely agree. This will be a fantastic feature for a family.

To all on this thread: speaking with IT experience with different eco systems, it is often not the diculty of doing the actual coding to have integration but the $ and competitive requirements that stand in the way. Whether it be Amazon or Google, they are not about to hand over access to their environment without exacting some time of cost to Simplisafe, whether that be montetary or some other non financial cost, ie customer information.  We as customers don't know all of the moving parts, however, SS could be more up front on their plans in this area. For example: we are or are not going to provide expanded integration with other x vendors.

I'm currently researching video doorbells and came across this thread. Lack of video integration with other smart home devices (Alexa Show and Nest Hub) is a significant missing feature. @davey_d can you provide an update? The last update was 6 months ago. Thanks!

After reading these threads and seeing that SS has made a decision to not integrate with the video version of Alexa, Google, etc... based on "security" purposes... I am going to call BS. There is every other vendor doing it, there are plenty of encryption tools available, there are many ways to secure these communications... So think about this, and please feel free to forward this on up to the decision makers...  Scenario:  Person comes to the door. Motion sensor see them. Maybe they ring the bell, maybe they don't. Phone is on silent, and the person at home doesn't get notified. Doorbell rings, now you have to find your phone, find the app, launch the app, wait for it to display the first screen... hope to God the dumb app chooses this moment to want you to re-enter your credentials... and 2-3 minutes later, after the person is likely long gone, you can finally see your empty porch.  Now let's run that same scenario using Ring. Person approaches the front door. All video devices you own instantly display your porch camera and offers the "press to talk" button. Pretty clean, simple, and all completely secure, based on the fact that the developers understand what encryption and security means. I am thinking about selling the current home. Likely, based on this one silly thing alone, I am considering other vendors.. Please reconsider your current path you have chosen... Your customers want it. Your customers need it. It will add another layer of safety to all of our lives.

    - unhappy SS user

Since it would be a great idea to be able to stream the cameras on Alexa/FireTV/Google devices, I would propose this:

An Amazon/Google Skill App that would allow them to receive event alerts (i.e., Alarms, Doorbell rings, etc.) and display via interrupt on the Amazon/Google devices.

Depending on the type of alarm, the app would display buttons to allow interaction.

In the instance of a doorbell, perhaps buttons to start a camera or audio session with the person who rang.

In the instance of a Fire, CO, or water alert: display a button to acknowledge the alert.

Keep it simple.

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But as for what can be done NOW:

Set up an unused iPad or Android tablet or phone with only one app: the Simplisafe app.  Plug it in 24/7 and in the settings allow it to keep the screen on and disable screen lock/dim/off.  Place the device wherever convenient and that way, you can use it to answer a doorbell or arm/disarm the system, etc.

Optionally, you could Install a second app that uses the camera to control screen dimming/saving while no one is nearby.  I am sure such apps exist.

This would be amazing, and not having this feature is a constant disappointment.