‎Secret alert- triggers camera? | SimpliSafe Support Home
 
J

Wednesday, May 1st, 2019 2:15 PM

Secret alert- triggers camera?

We had a dif't alarm company prior to moving that would show door opening/closing in the timeline.  Sounds like the only option with SS is to setup a secret alert.  When I tried this, it triggers the camera to record.  I would rather this doesn't happen.  Is this the expected behavior?  Can I shut this off for a secret alert?  Thanks.

2.2K Messages

6 years ago

Yes.  Any alarm event, including a secret alert, causes the camera to record.  This is not something which you can control.

The secret alert won't show when the door closes.

Why do you care that the camera records?

2 Messages

It's not very secret when you hear the shutter click open on the camera....that's why.

Captain

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6.2K Messages

6 years ago

@jonkaterba , to be truthful, I had same thought as sevensiamesecats, but you do make a valid point.

Please excuse the sarcasm in the following as its for Simplisafe....

@jonkaterba , good point and you can easily make your suggestion on this feature change by heading over to the "Suggestions Box" at the Customer Resource Center and submit it to SS there.  Easy for customers, easy for Simplisafe, to read in one area, respond and provide status!  Just one of the many tools available for customers and SS associates alike to enhance the overall experience of Simplisafe!.......a long time waiting and still counting SS.

2.2K Messages

6 years ago

Yes, if you want the alert to be truly "secret", the noise of the shutter would be a problem.  But still I wonder, if you don't want video of the "secret" sensor, why do you have a camera there at all?  

I'm pretty sure you can set the camera to be recording "all the time" (known as the "pre-roll" feature), which should do away with the shutter noise.

3 Messages

2 years ago

What if the camera is somewhere else, unrelated to the secret alert? I don't need the recording of an empty room.

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

Hi @kenguz​, 

Secret Alerts count as alarms. When a sensor generates a Secret Alert,  your cameras will produce a short recording, even if they are located somewhere else.

2 Messages

Why is this still not fixed? "Secret alerts" are not secret. And why can't we access the full sensor log from the app? Am thinking of returning this system.

1 Message

1 year ago

Secret alarms drain the camera battery? 

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@Wuebber60​ When a Secret Alert is activated your cameras will turn on and briefly record, but it shouldn't drain the camera's battery. If you find that your Outdoor Camera's battery is dying quickly, this Help Center article provides tips to maximize its life.

1 Message

1 year ago

I also would strongly prefer to not capture video on a secret alert. The placement of my cameras have nothing to do with the devices I'm using for secret alerts. Just seems like a waste of resources to record multiple videos from completely unrelated locations. I understand they are treated as alarms, but that doesn't make a ton of sense to me. They don't trip the system alarm and are meant to be subtle, so at the very least an option to either record or not record would make more sense. 

1 Message

1 year ago

 I agree 100% ...in my case the secret alert sensor is tied to a relay that is part of my gate vehicle magnetic sensor that sends me a push notification on my phone anytime a car pulls up to my gate...there is absolutely no reason for a camera 400' away in the house to activate and record anything...we need a way to stop secret alerts from activating specific cameras.

1 Message

10 months ago

I agree we should have the choice

9 months ago

I also agree. 

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