So, are you getting the “Smart lock not responding” error message when you try to arm or disarm the lock? Do you find that the app is no longer able to unlock the door? Does the alarm go even when you properly unlock the door with code?
If you are experiencing any of the above, do not fret. It’s really not as serious as it feels, and I will be helping you in this article to get the smart lock working perfectly again.
Why Is SimpliSafe Smart Lock Not Responding?
I have curated a list of the most common reasons why the SimpliSafe smart lock may stop responding and have provided fixes for each. I have intentionally placed them in a particular order and strongly recommend that you try the fixes in the same order.
1. Current Pairing Is Corrupt
You will probably hear that the first thing to check is whether the smart locks batteries are flat. However, I can easily tell you that if the batteries were flat, you would not be able to perform other tasks like locking and unlocking the smart lock with code or having the alarm go off when you unlock the door with code.
So, when that’s the case, you can very quickly eliminate the possibility of flat batteries as the cause of the problem. I have found that the most common reason why this Smart Lock Not Responding error occurs is that the current pairing between the base station and the device is corrupt, which is why homebase will keep telling you that the smart lock is not responding.
So, when this happens, you need to try a couple of fixes to repair the pairing of the device with the base station, and get the smart lock working properly again.
Fix – Restart Base Station
Smartphones, computers, smart cameras, gaming consoles, name it. There is no smart device that does not benefit from the magic of a good old restart. A restart or power cycle is always the first course of action to take when a smart system stops functioning properly. Restarting the system will force all the internal components and programs to load properly and function in the way that they are supposed to.
- So, simply unplug the base station from power supply and wait 10 seconds
- Then plug it back in, wait for it to boot completely, and then see if the issue is resolved.
Fix 2 – Remove Device And Add It Again
If a restart does not work, the re-pair the devices following the step below:
- Press the menu button on the Keypad and enter your pin
- Go to devices and tap on Open
- Select the device that you are having issues with and scroll down when the menu opens
- The last item on the menu is Remove. Click on that to remove the device from homebase
- Go back to devices again and tap on Open
- Then tap on add a device and add the smart lock again
For many users, this simple fix has cleared the smart lock not responding error for them. If this doesn’t work for you, do not worry. Just try the next fix below.
2. Poor Communication Between The Smart Lock And The Base Station
The base station is the brain box of the smart lock Security System. The smart look needs to talk to base station in order to provide the security features that you enjoy.
For this to happen, both devices must be no more than 15 ft for each other with no physical obstacles between them. A lot of the time, the issue of smart lock not responding is simply because communication between the smart lock and the base station is compromised.
Fix – Improve Communication Between The Two Devices
Bring base station close to the smart lock and then try and see if the issue is resolved. Like I said earlier, 15 ft is the ideal distance, but the closer the better. Also ensure that there are no physical structures obstructing the radio signals flowing between the devices.
3. Bug On Smart Lock or Base Station
If you have tried repairing the connection between the smart lock and base station, and you have made sure that the distance between both devices is ideal, then the next likely cause of the issue is that there is a bug on the smart lock or base station.
It’s hard to tell what could cause such a bug, but feedback from GitHub users suggests that the smart lock’s application program interface is known to run into code errors from time to time.
Whatever the case, all you can do is try to fix the issue at your own end by performing the steps below:
Fix – Update Your SimpliSafe Smart Lock
The first thing to try when fixing a bug is to update the system. SimpliSafe are constantly releasing software updates to fix known bugs on their smart lock systems. So, update your smart lock following the steps below:
- Tap on the screen to wake up the keypad
- If you see a gear icon on the screen that means that an update is available
- Select Install Update by pushing on the side of the keypad screen
- Note that the update will take about 10 minutes to complete and restart the smart lock
- During the process of the update, the base station light will be Amber or yellow, and the keypad screen will show the percentage of the update that has downloaded
- Next, open your SimpliSafe app and on the home screen below the system status buttons, click on Update available
- On the next screen, click on Update now and ensure that your Bluetooth is turned on to complete the update
- Bring your phone close to the smart lock and wait for it to connect. This update may also take up to 10 minutes to complete. During this process, your phone must remain very close to the smart lock until the update is complete. When the update is complete you will see a confirmation message on your smartphone.
- Finally, calibrate your smart lock to ensure proper functionality
Note
- Updating the smart lock also updates the base station so you don’t need to perform the processes separately.
- System updates to the Base Station and Keypad do not happen automatically as the system will be offline for 8-12 minutes during the update process. You must initiate these updates when you see the gear symbol on your Keypad or receive a notification in the SimpliSafe app.
- You must be on Wi-Fi to receive updates for your Base Station and Keypad.
Fix 2 – Reset The Smart Lock
Resetting the Smart Lock must be done correctly. If done incorrectly, it may completely disable the Smart Lock or require you to perform the action again. Follow the steps below carefully to reset the SimpliSafe Smart Lock and clear the error for good.
- Tap the Menu button and enter your Master PIN when prompted
- Select Devices
- Scroll to your Smart Lock in the device list and select it
- Scroll down and select Remove
- Select Yes when prompted to confirm removing the Smart Lock
- Wait till you receive a confirmation message that the Smart Lock has been removed. Then continue to the next steps below.
- Slide open the front cover of the Smart Lock
- Pop out one battery, and leave it out for at least 5 seconds
- Reinsert the battery
- Press and hold down the pairing button on the lock, located above the batteries once the front cover has been removed, for 20 seconds
- All three lights will flash to confirm the Lock is reset
- If you are not seeing any status lights, verify the batteries are fully secure or try a new set of AA batteries
- Press the Menu button on the KeyPad
- Enter your Master PIN when prompted
- Select Devices
- Select Add Device
- Select the Smart Lock option
- Choose Yes to confirm the Smart Lock has been installed on your door and then wait for Base Station to recognize the Lock
- Press the test button on the lock—the same one located above the batteries once the front cover is removed—and the lights should flash while pairing to your system
- Set a name for your lock
- When prompted, close your door by turning the Lock to one of its end positions—the point at which you can no longer turn it—and choose Done
- The Lock will automatically turn to the other end position and the lights will flash in order to calibrate
- Choose Yes to confirm the door is unlocked and then select Yes or No when asked if there is an Entry Sensor on the door
- When you see the confirmation message on your KeyPad screen, select OK to return to your KeyPad menu
Additional Note
A user found that disabling auto lock helped, but other users who tried it reported that it only worked for a few days before the error reappeared. Also, I don’t think disabling auto lock is a good idea. Anyway, you may want to give it a try, so here you go:
- Launch the SimpliSafe app and go to Device Setting
- On each door lock, disable auto-lock
- At Home Mode Set To, select Do Nothing
- At Away Mode Set To, select Do Nothing
- At Off Mode Set To, select Do Nothing
Then see if this works for you.