How to Resolve the "No Video" Error for SimpliSafe® Cameras
errors / warnings
Updated
9 days ago
, by simplisafe_help_center
The error “No Video” means that while recording, the camera disconnected from SimpliSafe® and the video was not able to be saved. This may indicate that a portion or the entirety of the video was lost, and unfortunately will not be able to be recovered.
There are a few steps you can take to get your cameras back up and running smoothly. Please note that while “No Video” errors caused by a loss of power to your location’s Wi-Fi router are not necessarily preventable, your system does have a fallback to run off a cellular connection* and 24-hour backup battery to ensure you’re protected at all times. Note that the cellular connection only applies to the Base Station, and does not relay data to your cameras.
Each SimpliSafe® camera needs an upload speed of at least 2Mbps. So if you have 5 cameras, you’ll need at least 10Mbps to allow cameras to record without an issue at the same time should an alarm occur, or if you use certain features within the SimpliSafe® Mobile App.
You can check your upload speed, along with signal strength using the in-app Connection Check tool.
Open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your phone or tablet
Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar
Select Camera Settings
Tap on the camera you wish to troubleshoot
Scroll down to Connection and tap on Connection Check
Press the “Start Connection Check” button to begin the test
What do my Results Mean?
Good Upload Speed
A good signal strength or upload speed means that there is a strong connection between your camera and Wi-Fi network.
Fair or Poor Upload Speed
If your upload speed is fair or poor, reduce the camera’s video resolution in its settings in the SimpliSafe® Mobile App. To do this:
Open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App on your phone or tablet
Choose My System from the bottom navigation bar
Select Camera Settings
Tap on the camera you wish to manage video resolution for
Navigate to “Video Quality” and choose a lower resolution
Don't forget to select SAVE in the upper right corner to save your selections
It may also be necessary to upgrade your internet package to improve your upload speed. We recommend reaching out to your internet service provider to learn more about their offerings.
Fair or Poor Signal Strength
If your signal strength is fair or poor, move your camera and Wi-Fi router closer together and then try running the Connection Check tool again. If your signal strength is still fair or poor, we recommend getting a Wi-Fi extender.
It may also help to connect your SimpliSafe® devices to a different Wi-Fi network. We recommend setting up a Guest Network on your Wi-Fi router and only connecting your SimpliSafe® devices to it. To learn more about setting up a Guest Network, reach out to your internet service provider.
If you change your Wi-Fi network name and/or password for any reason (such as moving into a new home, or receiving a new router), you’ll need to update your SimpliSafe® System with the new Wi-Fi credentials. You will always want to update the Base Station Wi-Fi first before proceeding to the camera steps. If you do not update your Base Station’s Wi-Fi first, you will be unable to reconnect Outdoor Cameras or any Smart Alarm Indoor Cameras.
Please note that your network will need to meet our system requirements to connect your system to Wi-Fi. At a very basic level, you will need a 2.4GHz wireless connection that’s configured as WPA2 or WPA2/3 Mixed Mode.
If you notice that multiple recordings for a single camera show a “No Video” error but your connection check is good, we recommend resetting your camera. You can find the steps to reset your camera on our Help Center.
