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MikeP's profile

Friday, November 11th, 2022 6:46 PM

Distinctive Notification Sound on Android

I cannot figure how to assign a VERY DISTINCTIVE notification sound to my SimpliSafe's Notifications on my S22+ and my wife's Note10...   (It seems that the only option that I have is the "Generic Notification Tone")
Can you help?

Official Solution

Community Admin

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5.7K Messages

4 months ago

Hi all,

Just a reminder that we have a thread in the Product Requests section for Custom Notifications built into the SimpliSafe app itself. The more comments we get over there, the more we can push for the feature with our dev team.

The existing functionality that other users are describing is a side effect of how Android notifications are programmed. So it's technically not actively supported by our team.

Captain

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6.2K Messages

2 years ago

@MikeP I don't believe there are any different tones. WIll have to defer to SS.

Community Admin

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5.7K Messages

2 years ago

Hi @MikeP,

 

Your menus might be different since you and your wife are both on Samsung devices. But here's how you get to the menu on stock Android (like on Google Pixel phones):

 

  1. Navigate to your System Settings > Notifications > Settings
  2. Scroll down, then tap SimpliSafe (or use the magnifying glass on the top right to search)
  3. Tap on a type of notification, e.g. “Doorbell Ring” or “Alarm”
  4. Scroll down and tap Sound
  5. Select a sound for your alert
  6. Tap the ←Back Button to return to the SimpliSafe Notifications screen, and follow steps 5-7 to set sounds for the other types of Notification as desired

And here is what each category means:

DFU

Stands for "Device Firmware Update". It shows notifications specifically for progress during a Smart Lock update

(No sound by default)

Doorbell Ring

When someone pushes the Video Doorbell Pro button

Alarm

A catch-all for all Push Notifications from the main alarm system AND cameras - including alarms, activity, and errors

Downloads

For when you are downloading a video from your timeline, and it is saved

(No sound by default)

Arming Reminders

Notifications for the Arming Reminders feature

Widgets

Notifications generated by a previous version of the home screen widget. This is currently not in use.

(edited)

1 Message

@davey_d​ Nope. No choices there on my S23 Ultra. 

1 Message

@davey_d​   I want to set notification sounds to my cameras. I wen to Settings - Notifications - SimliSafe but there is no Miscellaneous catagory. I am using a Samsung S9 with Android Version 10.

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@pgkoz65​ Do you see an "Alarm" category? Notification sounds for the cameras should be under that category now.

737 Messages

2 years ago

Any updates on when we'll get the option to set a specific sound for the alarm going off? It's genuinely mind bogglingly stupid that there's an option for a unique tone for firmware updates but not for the alarm going off. If you had to choose ONE THING that needed the option for a unique sound how did the designers not choose the alarm going off?

2 Messages

@worthing​ when I went in today there was a seperate choice for alarm, it's just not listed above.

2 Messages

@worthing​ completely agree.  So stupid

88 Messages

2 years ago

A bit off topic, but I would like to see distinctive alert tones for the iphone app, too.  iPhones don't even let you set a different push notification sound for third party apps.  It can only be changed in the app itself, if the app supports it.  At least with Android, you can go to the phone's settings, and change the default alert tone for third party apps (at least you used to be able to).

1 Message

2 years ago

I found a video on YouTube that works for my S23 Ultra. Go to Settings, then Apps, then Simplisafe app. Click on Notifications, then Notification Categories. There will be a list of notifications; doorbell, alarm, etc. Click on each one, then click Sound and choose your sound. You can make all Simplisafe notifications the same or make each one different. 

1 Message

8 months ago

When I follow all instructions to change the sound this is what I get. How do I change the sound for my door bell fro. The system default?

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@omegafalcon​ The steps provided above explain how to set distinctive notification sounds using a stock Android, but if you have another device those steps may differ. 

If you have a S24 Samsung, Dlpsr provided a great article on how to enable notification categories! But if you do not I would recommend consulting your device's manual on turning on notification categories. Once enabled, you can change the notification sound for your Video Doorbell Pro with the "Doorbell Ring" category.

1 Message

@omegafalcon​  you probably have found your answer by now but for other sakes, if you do not have specific categories displayed within the app notification settings for simplify, you must first enable that option. Go to Notifications --> advanced settings --> "manage notification settings for each app". 

Once you have done that, go back to Notifications  --> App Notifications --> Simplisafe .  You should now see several categories at the bottom of the page. 

1.3K Messages

4 months ago

For Samsung you have to turn this on to see notifications categories for each app.

Phone Settings.

1.3K Messages

@dlpsr​ At least for S23 and up.

1.3K Messages

@dlpsr​ I missed the other persons post that says the same thing above.😉

Captain

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6.2K Messages

4 months ago

An old dog like me can learn new tricks, and after reading this thread, I am one of them.  Didn't know you could do this for the doorbell, and after reading, my Pixel 8 is now set. Thanks Davey and Emily!  (woof)

4 Messages

2 months ago

This is so essential! I hope they work on this as quick as possible

1.3K Messages

@fellowshipdsm​ Android, this thread, already has some distinctive sounds. It's iOS that doesn't. Unless Apple has finally allowed changing from Rebound sound to something else.

There are no distinctive sounds via Simplisafe for iOS.

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