What is the Trouble Signal (three-tone warning sound), and how do I resolve it?

With the Base Station firmware update 2.10, we’ve introduced a way to make sure your system is in good shape with Trouble Signals. Trouble Signals are a three-tone warning sound that will emit from your Base Station, accompanied by a flashing yellow light, also known as the Trouble Light. When this is present, you’ll see a box appear on your Keypad with ⚠ (warning sign - triangle with an exclamation point) in it, notating that an issue is occurring with your system.

These changes are part of the UL-985 Standard for Household Safety and may be required in your area - depending on local laws and regulations. 

If you are hearing the Trouble Signal or seeing the Trouble Light, your system could be having issues with one of the following:

• Base Station Battery Failure

• Products are either Not Responding or marked as Offline within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App

• Smoke, CO, and Smoke & CO Detectors have a malfunction and/or low sensitivity is being reported.

  • Our support team can assist you further with these issues

• Smoke, CO, and Smoke & CO Detectors have a tamper switch that is not held down

• A No Link To Dispatcher error may be reported by your Keypad. Use the steps outlined in this article to resolve the issue.

• RF Interference may be detected. Use the steps outlined in this article to resolve the issue.

How To Modify the Trouble Signal Tone

You can turn off the trouble signal at any time using the SimpliSafe® Mobile App or your Keypad. 

Please note that turning the trouble signal off does not address the underlying issue being reported by your system. 

You will want to identify and address the root cause of the issue at a time that is convenient for you.

Using the SimpliSafe® Mobile App

1. Open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your smartphone or tablet

2. Select My System from the bottom navigation menu

3. Select Base Station Settings

4. Choose Audio Alerts

5. Under Trouble Signal, select your desired volume

6. Press Save in the upper right corner to save this change

​Using the Keypad

1. Press the Menu button on your Keypad

2. Enter your Master PIN

3. Select System Settings

4. Choose Trouble Signal, and then your desired volume

How To Modify the Trouble Signal Light

Using the SimpliSafe® Mobile App

1. Open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your smartphone or tablet

2. Select My System from the bottom navigation menu

3. Select Base Station Settings

4. Choose Status Lights

5. Toggle the Trouble Light on or off

6. Press Save in the upper right corner to save this change

Using the Keypad

1. Press the Menu button on your Keypad

2. Enter your Master PIN

3. Select System Settings

4. Choose Trouble Light, and then toggle the setting on or off

Identifying the Root Cause of the Trouble Signal

We strongly recommend you address the error that caused the Trouble Signal to sound in the first place. The Trouble Signal is meant to alert you to a problem with your system, and turning the signal off will still allow the problem to continue. 

Diagnosing the Problem Using the SimpliSafe® Mobile App:

1. Open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your phone or tablet

2. Tap on Overview from the bottom navigation bar

3. Pull down from the top of the screen where it says “Overview” until you see a spinning circle

4. Once the circle stops spinning, you will see a summary of the system error(s)

5. Select “Learn More” to see a summary of the issue and which product(s) are impacted

6. You can learn more about the issue by searching the Help Center with the error messaging provided in the app, or by tapping on Troubleshoot

Diagnosing the Problem Using the Keypad:

1. Using the Keypad, locate the warning symbol with a number below it on the right side of the Keypad

2. Press the Keypad screen to the right to select the warning symbol

3. Read the message for a summary of the issue with your system

4. If there is more than one message, press down on the screen to read every message