Important Update on Camera Recordings

@Team S correct. Again to confirm, the dashboard is showing all of my 4 cameras but now only one at a time. When there is a change to GUI, that should also be communicated. As far as the Android version of the phone app, it shows only one camera, and in testing, it is a different view each time.

Perhaps there are supposed to be arrow keys in the app to move to other views, and they are "invisible" (no contrast) or "off the screen" so nobody can tell they are there or access them?

@Team S - I think my experience with recordings might be different than what @Captain11 describes.  Even if I login to the dashboard on your website, only 1 camera seems to be generating recordings when the system disarms.  There are arrows to navigate to other (newer or older) recordings, but only 1 of my 4 cameras is saving any recordings during a disarm.  In my case, it has always been the same camera to generate recordings; this also sounds like it may be different than the comments from other users.

Fixing what seems to be a bug what what you intended or expected regarding recordings on disarms will be an improvement, but it will not change the fact that the system's capability to also generate recordings when the system is armed has been taken away.  Does SimpliSafe have the capability to re-enable these recordings on a per-account basis at the request of a customer?  I'm really disappointed that, for what is more of a user preference than a true privacy issue, SimpliSafe has gone in this direction without having a path for users to still have recordings captured.  If you felt this change was necessary, it would have been best to have a configurable setting for whether or not cameras record when the system arms, and if you felt necessary even have that setting default to no recording, but based on the information that has been provided in this thread I do not think any change should have been made until all of this was in place.

Hi all,

Thanks for all of your feedback! We've made sure to let our engineers know about this bug and the general feedback regarding this change.

SimpliSafe Social Team
SimpliSafe Home Security

This goes back a bit.  I remember threads where people were complaining that they were being recorded when arming the system and that there is no reason to do that.

I would have rather seen this as an option.  Give users the ability to decide how they want the cameras to act when the system is armed.

And not having the cameras go on when the system is disarmed from the app seems a bit silly.  It's a security hole.  For instance, the other day I was getting errors from my keypad and had to disarm the system from the app on my phone.  Because I shut it off through the phone, the cameras were not triggered.  It would be pretty easy for me to accidentally leave my phone sitting on a table in a restaurant, as I am not attached to it 24/7.  It's happened before.  Someone could easily come to my house and use the app to shut off the alarm.  I would have no indication of who it was that did it.  This would be very useful.

I'd like to see the camera behavior as a users setting.  And I'd like to see the app trigger the cameras just like the keypad.

Not sure I like this feature. I like being able to see who is arming the system and the recordings are something I pay for each month. Isn't there a way to make this a setting, so that it's optional for people with privacy issues?

This thread reminds me of the saying "no good deed goes unpunished".  With the communication and bugs aside, the intent of SS to meet a customer requirement and communicate it was "well intended".

That said, a suggested optimal solution summarized that has already been made in this thread;

Fix the bugs, make it configurable by the customer and then communicate it (in the CRC? :-)

I understand the need to limit the number of customer generated video recordings by arming and disarming. Limiting recordings to disarming makes sense. What I don't understand is why this isn't being done with the phone app. The disarming of the system and capturing the event is much more important than capturing an arming event. All disarming whether activated by keypad, key fob or phone app should be recorded. The device used should not matter. Being forced to disarm your system outside your door with a knife to your throat and not capturing the event as your forced into your home because you used the phone app is not a good thing. If this was covered in earlier post and I missed it I apologize. And Johnny M thank you for posting and keeping us informed.

Hi all,

One more update for this issue as well. It's clear from a lot of your feedback that there's a strong demand for keeping recordings for disarms via app, and not just from Keypad/Key Fob. We heard you, and that functionality has been added back in.

I've edited my original post once more to reflect this change.

- Johnny M.
SimpliSafe Home Security

I'd like to report a bug and echo what castewa88 reported with only one camera recording.

Previously, when a secret alert was triggered (an entry sensor opened, for example), I would get an alert with recordings from ALL THREE SS cameras I have on my system. After the update/now, when I get my secret alert, I only have a recording from ONE random camera.

I have screenshots to show what the alert looked like before (3 Recordings) and what it looks like now (1 Recording) and would be happy to share, as I've talked to two support people tonight and the only suggestion I've gotten so far is to update my iPhone app (didn't fix the issue of course).

I used my system as it was functioning for the past year and would love to have this fixed so that all cameras record when a secret alert is triggered. Thank you very much!

In the future, this type of update really needs to be shared via email. I've been wondering why my cameras suddenly stopped recording when the system is armed. I never would have known had I not come to the forums.

I also agree that this functionality should be user preference and a choice that can be customized per camera within the app or dashboard with a simple on/off switch.

@Captain11
Don't get me wrong Secret alerts is a good work around but with much less privacy and more videos to upload.

For example By activating the secret alert on the door or windows:
1st: I'm no longer notified with a Chime on with the door it window is open.
2nd: if you have more then one camera, all cameras will start recording through the entire home... for no reason-  less privacy... and more videos to upload.
3rd: if motion detection is ON on the camera and someone at home will pass by next to the camera or cameras during Secret alert triggered, recording of the video / videos will be much longer.  - less privacy and more videos to upload.

After reading all comments I think that best middle ground will be for SimpliSafe to add option to have recordings done when the alarm is set to away mode from Keypad or from the mobile app.
Have zero recording when the alarm set to home mode or add option to change it to have all activity recorded.

As far as secret alert it will nice to see recording to be done only on the camera that only cover area where secret alert is triggered.

Hi all,

We have a quick update regarding the bug that was making it so that the recording from only one random camera was available on the timeline. After our engineers looked into it, they were first able to verify that all cameras that were supposed to record for those events did so and this bug only affected the availability of those recordings on the timeline. While we have made a lot of progress restoring the ability to view the recordings for those events as of Midnight ET last night, we are still working on a few things to fully restore this functionality. We expect to have all recordings available for viewing through the timeline shortly.

UPDATE: The ability to view all recordings for system events has been fully restored as of earlier today.

SimpliSafe Social Team
SimpliSafe Home Security

Support - Thank you so much for fixing the bug so quickly and for commenting in the forum.

I realized the issue had been fixed this morning when my timeline started showing the correct amount of recordings instead of the one random camera. It makes sense that the cameras did record and the bug only affected the recordings showing up on the timeline, as they've been restored retroactively.

Thank you for fixing so quickly (I wish the support people I chatted with could have understood better what I was explaining to them) and for restoring the regular functionality. I see above that while others might like changes to the system so that only one camera might record if a secret alert is triggered, I'd like to say I personally LOVE the current functionality where all cameras record. :)

Thank you.

I am among the people who think being recorded every time the alarm is armed or disarmed is a bad thing. I get up in the middle of the night to let my dog out, I'd rather not be on video for those precious moments. This activity results in both actions, and arm and a disarm, so this change, while angering some people, does not satisfy those of us who feel it is a privacy issue. All you have done is make everyone unhappy.

Obviously this is seen both ways. I am mystified as to why this was not made a user configurable option. I see why some people want it even though I don't.

Can't we make the interaction satisfactory to everyone? Come on Simplisafe, add a switch.