‎Entry Sensor Announce available now! | SimpliSafe Support Home
 
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739 Messages

Monday, November 6th, 2023 3:57 PM

Entry Sensor Announce available now!

We’re happy to announce that a popular feature request is rolling out to all users! Included in the Fast Protect™ Monitoring and Self Monitoring w/Camera Recordings plans,  Entry Sensor Announce enables your Base Station to verbally call out the sensor by name whenever it’s opened. e.g. “Front door Entry Sensor open” instead of the chime.

 

 

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You can enable Entry Sensor Announce in the SimpliSafe® app:

  1. Tap the three-bar ☰ Menu on the top left
  2. Select My System
  3. Select Device Settings
  4. Select the Entry Sensor you would like to modify
  5. Under Entry Sensor Alert, select Sensor Name Voice Prompt

This is a per-sensor setting, so you’re able to choose which sensors produce a Voice Prompt, and which sensors produce just a chime. Also keep in mind that the announcement is only available for preset list of sensor names; if you use a custom name, the Base Station will revert to just “Entry Sensor open”.

For more info on setting up this feature, head over to our Help Center page here. And for info on how to rename your sensor to one of the supported names, head over here.

 

The feature is now available for both the iOS and Android versions of the SimpliSafe® app. Be sure to update to the latest version of the app on your phone!

 

742 Messages

1 year ago

Yay, new functionality. I love to see it! I do have questions/comments, of course. :)

I only saw this because I'm one of the tiny percentage of your customers that check these forums regularly. I checked email and didn't see anything about it. Why on earth wouldn't you email folks about this? Also, regardless of your answer, please email people about new functionality. Celebrate your successes and let your customers know about new stuff. (Good or bad.)

Please consider adding additional preset names for us to choose from. If you have more sensors than there are preset entries you're kind of out of luck and one or more entry sensors won't benefit from this functionality. Even if it came down to "Exterior Door 01" or similar it'd be better than not having enough presets. 

The support article for this functionality that you linked above contains the following line:

Note, Custom Names for the Entry Sensor are not supported by Entry Sensor Alert at this time.

Does this mean that this functionality is in development? If not, please remove the "at this time" from that article because it suggests it may be an option in the future. We've been hurt before SimpliSafe, we don't want to be hurt again.

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@worthingAn announcement about this feature will be going out to users in upcoming newsletters, so keep an eye on your inbox!

The Gen 3 Base Station isn’t capable of announcing custom sensor names, it can only announce names from our preset list. There’s limited room in the firmware for additional names, but we’re certainly open to more suggestions.

7 Messages

@emily_s​ 

Thanks for the information.  My question is, can a Gen 2 system announce sensor names?  Thx again.

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@jlazarus1​ Only Gen 3 Base Stations are capable of announcing an Entry Sensor's name; Gen 2 Base Stations cannot.

1 Message

1 year ago

Thanks for listening to the requests. I do appreciate you all working on it. Just a few comments/suggestions/questions below.

If you are going to announce it is ready perhaps the first thing it should say is it is only on IOS...so the Android users don't go looking for a feature that is still not available to us. Instead of putting it at the bottom after the instructions. 

Perhaps provide a list of preset rooms for which it is available. I do not remember which rooms I had to customize after all this time. 

Are there any plans to announce custom room names in the future or add more rooms to your standard so there are less custom rooms?

Thanks 

175 Messages

@Farialeno​ "at this time" absolutely makes it seem like they will implement it at some time... but with SS's track record I would make the assumption that custom names will never happen! Just like most other things asked for... for years.... don't happen!

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@FarialenoThe Base Station is not capable of announcing custom names, it can only announce the names from our preset list. These are the list of preset names from the app so you can compare them to the names of your sensors:

  • Front Door
  • Back Door
  • Garage
  • Kitchen
  • Basement
  • Patio Door
  • Side Door
  • Office
  • Living Room
  • Family Room
  • Master Br
  • Bedroom
  • Dining Room
  • Laundry
  • Bathroom

742 Messages

This is a good start for a list of presets. (And I feel like this is more than when I initially signed up but maybe it's been so long I've forgotten?) Please consider adding more options for bedrooms as currently your system supports only 2 and 3+ bedrooms is extremely common these days. I'd suggest Bedroom 01, Bedroom 02, Bedroom 03, Bedroom 04, etc. since it appears the entries in the list are limited to a relatively small number of characters.

175 Messages

1 year ago

Not available for me.  I have the most updated app version and my phis is always updated immediately.

6 Messages

Are you on Android or iOS?

175 Messages

@BJZ​ iOS as it isn't on android yet... so i wouldn't be commenting if that were the case.  

Community Admin

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@toastie​ Just to confirm, are you also subscribed to either our Fast Protect™ or Self Monitoring with Camera Recordings plans? This feature is only available to users subscribed to either of those plans.

If you are subscribed, I would try removing the SimpliSafe app from your phone and redownloading it.

5 Messages

Not showing up for me either, latest update with ios and Fast Protect monitoring. I even re-downloaded the app, didn't work.

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@TMarkWe're aware of an issue that impacted the rollout of this feature. Our internal teams are working on a fix so you can access this feature as soon as possible.

105 Messages

1 year ago

It's not on mine either, I have iOS. and my app is up to date.

(edited)

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@larrhurdAre you subscribed to one of our professional monitoring plans? The Entry Sensor Announce feature is only available to those subscribed to the Fast Protect™ or Self Monitoring with Camera Recordings plans. If you are not subscribed to either of these plans, this feature won't be on your app.

(edited)

105 Messages

@emily_s​ We’re happy to announce that a popular feature request is rolling out to all users!

That says to all users does it not??

5 Messages

1 year ago

I noticed that the upgrade only works if the system is turned OFF.  If that is correct, why wasn't the functionality included in the "home" setting? Thanks. 

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Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@BritishBiker​ If the sensor's alarm setting has been turned off, the Entry Sensor Announce feature should work in any armed state, not just Off Mode. I would try resetting the Base Station using the steps below to see if that helps it announce the names of your Entry Sensors in every mode:

  1. Unplug the power cord from the Base Station, and use a Phillips Head screwdriver to remove the screw below the plug
  2. Remove the bottom cover and remove one battery from the Base Station
  3. Wait 30 seconds
  4. Reassemble the Base Station by inserting the battery, cover, and the power cord
  5. When powered up after the reset, the Base Station will say "Welcome to SimpliSafe"

(edited)

5 Messages

Hi Emily, I tried rebooting the system per your instructions, but that did not fix the issue...it actually made it worse.  Now, the base station does not "chime" when a door is opened up when the system is in "home" mode.  What's next?  Thanks

175 Messages

1 year ago

And, of course, crickets from SS on this issue where we don't have this so-called new feature.

5 Messages

Crickets and a bunch of bugs... I have very little trust in this system.  

742 Messages

1 year ago

Bump. C'mon SImpliSafe, it's been 2+ days w/o a single reply to any of the comments/questions here. What's going on?

105 Messages

@worthing​ Hope you're not holding your breath waiting for them to give a reply

739 Messages

1 year ago

SimpliSafe makes some very odd decisions. I first quickly read this three days ago and have not had time until now to revisit it. Making this only available to Fast Protect™ plans I can get (they pay the most), but skipping Standard Monitoring subscribers and making it available to Self-Monitoring w/Camera Recordings subscribers? That is illogical as they pay the least of any [paid] plans.

 

It is like when you removed unlimited timelines from Standard and limited us to 7 days but increased Self-Monitoring w/Camera Recordings subscribers to limitless. I voiced my thoughts about why it made no sense back then, and years later, you have never changed course.

 

Decisions like these genuinely frustrate me. Yes, I am happy with my system (otherwise, I would move on), but come on. The thought process behind this is a terrible business move. Why would you give such a great feature to customers who are paying less? I get the possible reason (i.e., upsell), but you overestimate the logic. If I have been without the feature for over a decade, I will not pay more (with recent price increases) for something I never had.

 

Like Joey Swoll says, "You need to do better."

(edited)

1K Messages

1 year ago

I just found out from my simplisafe security and cameras owners group on Facebook that I have and someone put up a post about it and I was like yyaaayy then found out that it's not on Android yet then I went aaahhh lol. Can't wait.

175 Messages

@lance843​ well we iOS people who are supposed to have it don't even have it yet....

742 Messages

@lance843​ 

Can you provide a link to this FB group, please?

1K Messages

@worthing​ it's my group that I created called simplisafe security and cameras owners group and I also have simplisafe caught on camera. We are all there just to help people out with there simplisafe system and if anyone is wanting to get it and have questions. It's a help group if you will.

6 Messages

1 year ago

So, we have pay to get this basic feature, very nice company!

Captain

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1 year ago

As a friend of mine from Alabama says "don't have a dog in this hunt", up front just wanted to say I will not be using this feature in any incarnation as my base is configured to be dark and quiet. That said, SS should solicit what additional "standard" names should be added to the already established list. Two that I see missing are "Guest BR". "Master Bath"

If you have other suggestions, post them here in the thread for Emily to carry back to the guys with the propeller hats! (Compliment by the way!)

(edited)

175 Messages

Mancave (or game room)

It would be nice to add door or window.


I don’t know if the rest of the one I use would ever be standard as they at Garden Shed, workshop, front security, back security.

Captain

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6.2K Messages

@toastie​ LOL. Love the man cave suggestion.

6 Messages

I'd like to see one for the garage overhead door(s). I already have garage assigned to the entry door.

175 Messages

Ya.... not sure about "overhead" but some distinction.  I use garage for the actual garage door and because this feature wasn't an issue had garage to kitchen (abbreviated) for the door going out to the garage.  

175 Messages

1 year ago

DAYS later and not ONE person has said they actually have this new feature!?  WhY post it’s available now when it very obviously isn’t!  And more importantly WHY NOT update us and admit you screwed up and it’s not ready yet so we stop looking for it til it is ready and available!?????????

Community Admin

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@toastie​ I have just been made aware of an issue that impacted this feature's rollout. Our teams are currently working on a fix so you can access this feature as soon as possible.

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@emily_s​ do you have an idea when this will come out for Android? Thanks

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175 Messages

@emily_s​ hahahahahahahahahahahaha ya think!  we told you there was an issue days ago!

1K Messages

1 year ago

@emily_s​ do you have an idea when this will come out for Android? Thanks

This comment was created from this reply

Community Admin

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@lance843​ I do not have a date for when this feature will be available on Android, but it should be within a few weeks.

(edited)

Definitely love that you guys FINALLY added this. Big win.

Splitting hairs here, but any chance it can just be "Back door" versus "Back door entry sensor open"?  

Feels like it's doing the absolute most 😂

4 Messages

+1. "[sensor name] entry sensor open" is a little too lengthy. 

3 Messages

1 year ago

I'm not seeing this new feature but I would prefer to be able to schedule the Home mode per device.  For instance, in Home mode during the day I would like a door to my garage to be disabled and then automatically enabled at night when we are asleep.  Just Disabled during Home mode is not very useful.

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@rragusa​ Are you using an iOS or Android device? Currently, this feature is only available on iOS.

Regarding your request, the system cannot turn the alarm function of a sensor on and off on a schedule, that does need to be done manually, but I will pass along this idea to our devs.

3 Messages

1 year ago

First of all, I don't see this new functionality under preset device names.  Secondly, I would prefer to be able to schedule per device during Home mode instead of only three choices currently allowed.  For instance, I would like an internal door to my garage to be disabled under Home mode during the day but enabled at night when we are asleep.  This would be much more useful.

175 Messages

OH they'll NEVER give you something that complicated!  they roll anything out sloooooowwwwwwwwwllllllly, if ever!

3 Messages

@toastie​ Disheartening.

1K Messages

I love the entry sensor announcement but is there a way for it to just say (front door) instead of front door entry sensor open? I don't need it to tell me that it was an entry sensor but just say front door or back door. If not can we make that happen? Just a thought is all.

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