App Error: Camera Disconnected

If you experience an outage with your Wi-Fi or internet connection, the Camera Disconnected error message will occur. An outage could happen for a number of reasons—the power could be out, your router may need to be rebooted, or your ISP could be experiencing an outage.

First, inspect your router. If there are no lights on the device, it’s likely that your Wi-Fi is out due to a power outage. Once power is restored at your home, your camera(s) should automatically reconnect to your network. If they do not reconnect once power is restored and the error persists, refer back to this article for further help.

If the power is on, you should reset your router by unplugging it for 60 seconds and then plug it back in. Once the router boots back up, refresh the SimpliSafe® app by dragging down on the Overview screen to see if the Camera Disconnected error message has been resolved. 

If the Camera Disconnected error persists after rebooting your router, try opening a website on your computer. If the website fails to load, that indicates that there may be an internet outage in your area. In that case, please consult with your ISP to learn when services in your area will be restored. However, if the website loads properly, continue with the troubleshooting steps in this article.

Some older versions of the SimpliSafe® app no longer support our live streaming platform. If you are experiencing this error message when trying to livestream a camera, please update your app to the latest version and then try to livestream again. If the error persists, continue with the steps below.

The Wireless Outdoor Security Camera, Outdoor Camera Series 2, and Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera use radio frequency (RF) in addition to Wi-Fi to communicate with the Base Station. When you attempt to livestream one of these cameras, the Base Station sends a signal to the camera via RF to connect to Wi-Fi. If the camera has a weak RF connection with the Base Station, it can cause the Camera Disconnected error.

Note: The Video Doorbell Series 2, Video Doorbell Pro, and SimpliCam® Wired Indoor Security camera do not communicate directly with the Base Station. If you are experiencing this error with any of those cameras, you can skip this step.

Move the Camera and Base Station Closer Together

To strengthen the camera and Base Station’s connection, take the following steps:

1. Temporarily move the Base Station closer to the camera

2. Once the Base Station has been moved to a new location, plug it into an outlet

3. Wait one minute, or until you receive a “Power Restored” event on your Timeline

4. Refresh the SimpliSafe® Mobile App by dragging your finger down on the Overview page and releasing it

If the Camera Disconnected error disappears from the app after taking the above steps, that indicates that the camera and Base Station need to be closer together in order to communicate.

Relocate either the camera and/or Base Station so they are closer together. If you move the Base Station, make sure that the device is placed in an ideal location. It should be elevated at least 3 feet off the ground and on a non-dense surface like glass or wood. For more details, refer to the Where Should I Place my Base Station (opens in new tab) article.

Plug in the Camera

When the Outdoor Camera and Smart Alarm Indoor Camera are connected to a continuous power source, they can enter Performance Mode (opens in new tab), which means the camera stays awake and connected to your Base Station. Performance Mode helps improve the cameras’ time to livestream, and supports features like SimpliSafe® Active Guard Outdoor Protection (opens in new tab) for the Outdoor Security Camera Series 2.

The Smart Alarm Indoor Camera and Outdoor Camera Series 2 come with an included power cable to charge the cameras’ batteries, and we also offer a 25’ Outdoor Camera Power Cable (opens in new tab) (sold separately). To improve these cameras’ connection with the Base Station, we recommend keeping them plugged into an outlet at all times.

If none of the steps above have resolved the Camera Disconnected error message, the next step is to troubleshoot the camera’s connection to your Wi-Fi network. When troubleshooting a SimpliSafe® camera’s Wi-Fi connection, it’s important to consider both upload speed (opens in new tab) and signal strength (opens in new tab) (also known as RSSI.)

Upload Speed

Upload speed is the rate that your camera relies on in order to send footage to your SimpliSafe® app. A camera’s upload speed can fluctuate depending on how far away it is from the router, how many devices are connected to the network, and the camera’s video resolution.

Our required upload speeds vary based on the video resolution you set for the camera or doorbell:

• 1539p resolution requires 2 Mbps/camera

• 1080p resolution requires 2 Mbps/camera

• 720p resolution requires 1.5 Mbps/camera

• 480p resolution requires 1 Mbps/camera

To allow your camera to use its available upload speed more efficiently, reduce its video quality to decrease the amount of bandwidth the camera uses. You can do this by taking the following steps:

1. Open the SimpliSafe® app (opens in new tab) on your phone or tablet

2. Select My System from the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen

3. Select Camera Settings

4. Choose the camera you wish to customize

5. Select Video Quality and then select a lower setting

6. Tap Save in the upper right corner of the screen to save the setting

Signal Strength

Signal Strength is an indication of how strong the Wi-Fi’s radio waves are when received by the camera. Some causes of weak signal strength are:

• Obstructions between the router and camera

• Distance between the router and camera

• Multiple devices streaming to the router

To increase a camera’s signal strength, we recommend installing a Wi-Fi extender or upgrading your internet package. 

If you have just installed your camera(s) and are experiencing the Camera Disconnected error message, it’s likely that your internet package needs to be upgraded to increase your network’s capacity. In that case, please reach out to your ISP for more details. 

Conversely, if you previously installed your cameras and intermittently experience this error, we recommend installing a Wi-Fi extender. A Wi-Fi extender will help increase the reach of your Wi-Fi network throughout your home, and we have a recommended Wi-Fi extender (opens in new tab) that has the appropriate configuration options to be compatible with our devices. For more information about obtaining a Wi-Fi extender, our Support team (opens in new tab) can assist you.