18 SimpliSafe Base Station Known Problems (Solved)

Your SimpliSafe Base Station can be a significant security tool. But only when it is reliable and works as it should. However, if you’re having problems with your base station, this can reduce its efficiency. 

Below are 18 possible problems you might be experiencing and how to solve them.

SimpliSafe Base Station Light Won’t Turn Off

The light on your base station is designed to always be on when the device is working.

Your base station will only turn off when one of the following happens:

• When the base station is off due to a battery drain.
• When an alarm goes off, this feature is designed to ensure your base station doesn’t look conspicuous. So, if an entry sensor triggers an alarm when someone breaks in, the base station will automatically turn off to reduce the likelihood of it getting targeted.

It’s normal for your base station’s lights not to turn off. That being said, it is possible to turn off the base station’s lights if you want to. 

You could use either the App or the base station to do this.

To turn off the base station light on the mobile App,

• Open the SimpliSafe Mobile App
• Go to Menu 
• Click My System 
• Go to General Settings 
• Choose Base Station Light
• Select off

To turn off the base station light on the Keypad,

• Click the Menu button
• Go to System Settings 
• Select Base Station Light
• Choose off

SimpliSafe Base Station Not Talking

If your SimpliSafe base station isn’t talking, chances are its voice prompts aren’t turned off. You can turn them off on both the Keypad and the mobile App.

To check whether or not your base station’s voice prompts have been turned off, follow the steps below;

With the mobile App,

• Open the App
• Click the My System gear on the bottom of the screen
• Go to Base Station Settings
• Select Voice Prompts
• Check if Off is the chosen option. If it is, change to Low, Medium, or High as required.

With the Keypad,

• Click the Menu button
• Go to System Settings 
• Select Voice Prompts
• Check if Off is the chosen option. If it is, change to Low, Medium, or High as required.

If the base station still doesn’t talk after changing its voice prompt to Low, Medium, or High, try rebooting it by taking out the batteries for a few minutes and then replacing them. 

SimpliSafe Base Station Not Connecting to App

If your SimpliSafe Base Station isn’t connecting to the SimpliSafe App, one of the following could be the issue:

• No or unstable internet connection.
• Outdated firmware or software.
• A technical issue with the base station itself
• An issue with the SimpliSafe server

To ensure that your base station connects to the SimpliSafe App, check out which of the above issues your device is having.

1. Start by ensuring the base station is connected to the Internet via WiFi or cellular. 

An Internet connection is required to connect your SimpliSafe base station to the SimpliSafe mobile App, so if the base station isn’t connected to the Internet, you’ll be unable to connect it.

You can connect your SimpliSafe base station to the Internet via WiFi or cellular service. However, you’d need a monthly monitoring plan to access the cellular service feature.

• If your base station is connected to the Internet but doesn’t connect to the App, check for any available firmware or software update. Your base station isn’t connecting to the App because of a bug in the base station or App. 

An update can often help fix this.

• If none of the above fixes the problem, try restarting your base station.

To do this, 

• Unplug your base station from the powered socket.
• Open the battery door using a Phillips screwdriver.
• Remove the batteries.
• Wait for 30 to 45 seconds.
• Reinsert the batteries and put the battery door back in place.
• Plug the base station back into the power socket and wait for it to come up.

Still can’t connect the base station to the App? The problem with the base station may be a technical fault with the device itself, or it could be an issue with the SimpliSafe server.

Unfortunately, you cannot fix all of this yourself. Your best bet is to contact SimpliSafe Support.

SimpliSafe Keypad Not Connecting to Base Station

If your SimpliSafe Keypad can’t connect to the SimpliSafe Base Station, resetting both the base station and the affected Keypad might fix the issue.

To do this,

• Unplug the base station from the electrical outlet.
• Remove the battery cover under the base station. You’d need to use a screw here.
• Please remove one of the Keypad’s batteries and reinsert it. A voice from the Keypad should announce, ‘searching for base station.’
• Search for a minor emergency pairing button on your base station. Press and release the button.

After this, your Keypad should connect to the base station with an announcement that reads, “Keypad added! Now, choose a name.”

If this doesn’t work, the Keypad’s batteries may be dead. If this is the case, all you’d need to do is replace the batteries on your Keypad. SimpliSafe Keypads use four (4) AA batteries, so ensure you get the suitable batteries when getting a replacement. 

Another reason our SimpliSafe Keypad may not be connecting to your base station is that your Keypad is too far away from the base station. 

SimpliSafe Base Stations have a 100 m connectivity range with Keypads. If your Keypad is farther than 100 m from the base station, the Keypad won’t work correctly.

Note: Bear in mind that obstacles like walls and large pieces of furniture between the base station and the Keypad can hamper the connectivity range of your base station.

SimpliSafe Base Station Not Turning On

If you’re having difficulty turning on your base station, here are seven steps to get it back to life.

1. Ensure the Base Station is Powered

Ensure your power adapter and base station are securely plugged into a functioning power outlet.

If the base station is plugged in but doesn’t turn on, try plugging it into a different outlet to confirm if the chosen outlet was the issue. It would help if you also inspected your powered cable for any visible damage. If there is, this could also be the issue.

2. Restart your base station by

If the base station is plugged into a working outlet (and the power cable isn’t damaged) but still isn’t turning on, try restarting the base station.

To do that,

• Detaching it from the power adapter
• Turn over the base station and unscrew the battery cover using a screwdriver.
• Remove the batteries from the base station and wait a minute or two before reinserting them.
• Wait for the device to power up.

This should typically fix the issue if it doesn’t, move to the next step.

3. Replace the batteries on the base station.

If restarting the base station doesn’t fix the issue, the issue with the base station may be your batteries. If the batteries on the base station are drained, then the base station won’t turn on.

Try replacing your base station’s batteries with rechargeable nickel metal hydroxide (NiMH) batteries.

If your base station still isn’t turning on after trying all these, you might want to contact SimpliSafe Support. The issue with your base station may be a technical problem specific to your device. Getting professional help from SimpliSafe technicians can help you solve this problem. 

SimpliSafe Base Station Batteries Are Not Charging

If you are having issues charging your SimpliSafe Base Station’s batteries, below are a few possible causes:

• You may be using the wrong type of batteries. 

SimpliSafe Base Stations use Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries, hence why the base stations can be recharged. If you use the wrong batteries, your base station might not charge. 

If you ever need replacement batteries, ensure you get the appropriate batteries. 

• You may have inserted the batteries wrongly.

If you have suitable batteries but aren’t charging, ensure they have been inserted correctly.

When inserting batteries into any device, it is essential to place the right end of each battery at the correct terminal. Otherwise, the device won’t charge or work properly.

It is also important to insert the batteries properly in their spots. If they aren’t correctly inserted, the batteries might not charge properly or charge at all.

• Your base station cable is damaged.

A less likely but still possible reason is that the base station’s charging cable is damaged. Check for any breakage, cuts, or burns in the cable. If your cable looks damaged, this may be the reason the batteries aren’t charging.

• The batteries are bad.

It is also possible that the base station’s batteries are bad. If this is the case, the batteries won’t charge even when they are correctly inserted.  

To fix the problem of your base station batteries not charging, the first thing to do is figure out the issue with your base station. Fix that, and your base station batteries should start charging.

If that doesn’t fix the issue, check the following:

• If corrosion is present in the base station’s battery compartment, it could hinder the batteries’ charging capacity. Cleaning up any corrosion spots in the battery compartment might fix the issue.
• Ensure the electrical outlet to which the base station is connected is working correctly.

If the base station still isn’t charging after all this, contact SimpliSafe Support. There is likely some technical issue with the base station itself that is preventing its batteries from charging properly.

SimpliSafe Base Station Blinking Blue

A blinking blue light on your SimpliSafe base station is usually a sign from the base station that there’s a message on the Keypad that you need to see. 

This usually includes a system error message or a recent alarm you need to see.

Things like an open entry sensor, power outage, alarm trigger, or low keypad battery could all lead to this blinking blue light.

Fixing the root cause of the problem, e.g., closing the open entry sensor or turning off the triggered alarm, will usually stop the base station’s blinking blue light. 

If that doesn’t work, try opening the message on the Keypad and then exiting it to clear the error. After that, try disarming and rearming your alarm system. Your base station should stop blinking blue.

If it’s still blinking blue after that, try unplugging the base station and removing its batteries for a few minutes before reinserting them. If all else fails, contact SimpliSafe Support.

SimpliSafe Base Station Flashing Red

A flashing red light on your SimpliSafe Base Station can mean various things. The frequency and timing of the flashes usually determine the meaning.

Suppose your Base Station flashes red slowly, with 8-10 seconds between each pulse. In that case, this is an indicator of a minor error in your system.

This error can be anything from small radio interference to one of your connected devices, e.g., your Keypad being too far from the base station.

A continuous red flash for 1-2 minutes followed by a solid red light indicates a recent alarm. Simply checking the Keypad or the SimpliSafe app to view your recent alarms should help solve the issue. 

To turn off the red blinking light on your base station, following the steps below might help solve the issue.

• Set your system to OFF using the Keypad or your SimpliSafe Mobile App.
• On the Keypad, click the warning symbol to see the error messages and then select clear to clear all the warning/error messages.
• Rearm the system.

That should typically fix the problem if it doesn’t, try rebooting your device.

SimpliSafe Base Station Blinking Yellow

A blinking yellow light on the SimpliSafe base station is the Trouble Light. This light indicates that your alarm system is experiencing a critical fault. The cause could be anything from malfunctioning base station batteries to one of the alarm system’s components not responding normally. 

Fixing the underlying issue with your alarm system would usually return your base station to normal.

If your base station is blinking yellow, here are a few things to check out:

• Check that you have suitable batteries in your base station and that they are inserted correctly into the battery compartment.
• Ensure all your sensors are connected and within your base station’s range.
• Check to make sure none of your sensors are offline.

If none of the above is the case and the base station is still blinking yellow, try rebooting it.

SimpliSafe Base Station Green Light

A flashing green light on your base station usually means your Video Doorbell Pro is ringing. This light usually lasts 3-5 seconds. 

SimpliSafe Base Station No Light

Your SimpliSafe Base Station should usually display red, yellow, and green colors. The colors displayed would usually depend on the generation of the base station you have, e.g., the SimpliSafe Original (the first generation of SimpliSafe base stations) only has one color: blue. Other newer generations, however, have more. 

If your SimpliSafe base station isn’t showing any lights, though, then one of the following is most likely the cause;

• The base station’s batteries are drained, and the device is off
• Your alarm system is disarmed

To fix this issue, start by arming your system. You can do this on the SimpliSafe Keypad, Key Fob, or mobile App. 

If this doesn’t work, the base station is probably off due to a drained battery. Try replacing the base station’s batteries with fresh ones, and your base station’s LED should turn back on as soon as you are done. 

SimpliSafe Base Station Light Too Bright

Unfortunately, as of writing this article, there is no known way to reduce the brightness of the SimpliSafe Base Station’s lights. That being said, there are a few tricks to bypass this. 

One of the most effective is to wrap the part of the base station with the LED indicator in translucent tape. This should help dim the brightness of the base station a bit. 

SimpliSafe Base Station Making Noise

Your base station should be a relatively silent device. Unless an alert or alarm is triggered, it shouldn’t make any noise while working. 

If your base station does make any noise, though, it would typically be a chime to alert you that at least one of your sensors was triggered. When such a chiming noise is triggered, it will continue until the triggering sensor is no longer triggered.

If the noise continues or occurs randomly, here are a few things to consider:

• One or more of your sensors is faulty.

This could occur for several reasons, including harmful or drained batteries. Changing the batteries on the affected sensor may fix the problem.

• One of your entry sensors is showing as “opened”

Suppose an entry sensor remains “opened” (i.e., the door or window it is installed in is open) when your alarm system is armed. In that case, your base station will sound an alarm. If that entry sensor remains “opened,” the base station will continue sounding. 

• Some glitches have occurred

Sometimes, your base station making noise has nothing to do with a triggered alarm. The base station may be making noise because of some sort of glitch or the other. This is most likely if your base station makes noises that sound nothing like the base station’s typical chimes. 

Rebooting your base station might help fix this issue. Simply remove the batteries for a few minutes and then reinstall them. 

If a reboot doesn’t fix the issue, contact SimpliSafe Support.

SimpliSafe Base Station Does Not Chime

If your base station doesn’t chime when it’s supposed to, a simple reboot should solve the problem.

To reboot your SimpliSafe base station, unplug it from the electric outlet and open the battery covers. Remove the batteries from the base station for a few minutes, then reinstall them and wait for the base station to restart. 

SimpliSafe Base Station Stopped Talking

If your base station stops talking, rebooting the base stations will usually help fix the issue.

To reboot your SimpliSafe base station, unplug it from the electric outlet and open the battery covers. Remove the batteries from the base station for a few minutes, then reinstall them and wait for the base station to restart. 

If this still doesn’t fix the issue, check for an available firmware update. The issue here may be a software bug that will undoubtedly be fixed in the next update. 

Why Is My SimpliSafe Base Station Not Connecting to WiFi

If you are having issues connecting your base station to a WiFi network, below are a few things to bear in mind:

• You’d need a 2.4 GHz WiFi network to connect your base station to WiFi since it doesn’t connect to 5 GHz networks. 
• Your WiFi network must be configured as WPA2 or WPA3/2 Mixed Mode.  

If you try to connect your base station to a WiFi network that doesn’t meet the requirements above, you will be unable to do so. 

If your WiFi network meets the requirements mentioned above but you still can’t connect to your base station, check to ensure you have input the correct password. Type your passwords slowly to ensure you have made no mistakes. 

SimpliSafe Base Station Keeps Saying Alarm Off

If your base station keeps announcing “Alarm Off”, check to ensure your Key Fob isn’t being pressed (if you have one). 

Your SimpliSafe Key Fob can arm/disarm your alarm system with the press of a button. If the Key Fob is pressed (knowingly or unknowingly), this could cause an “Alarm Off” announcement.

Pro Tip: Check if your Key Fob is placed under a heavy object, which could lead to it pressing independently. You’d also want to ensure you (or someone else) aren’t sitting on the key fob.

Summary

So there you have it: the 17 most common SimpliSafe Base Station problems and how to solve them. Follow the tips and solutions in this article, and you should be able to get your base station working again. 

Are you having trouble fixing any of the problems listed above? Contact SimpliSafe Support for additional assistance. Were you able to solve any of the problems above using a different solution? Feel free to share your alternative solution with us. 

We look forward to hearing from you!