From The Verge · Jennifer Pattison Tuohy · · 1m 50s
SimpliSafe's doorbell now has a human watching
SimpliSafe put live monitoring agents behind its new $200 doorbell, and they can talk back to whoever is on your porch.
In brief
SimpliSafe put live monitoring agents behind its new $200 doorbell, and they can talk back to whoever is on your porch. For $49.99 a month, a stranger in a monitoring center can speak to people at your door, which is useful if false alarm fines are a real cost where you live and overkill if they aren't. Originally…
A guard behind the doorbell
SimpliSafe launched the Video Doorbell Series 2 at $199.99, paired with Active Guard Outdoor Protection starting at $49.99 a month. AI spots trouble, then a real person steps in.
What triggers a human
On-device AI, cloud computer vision, and facial recognition flag suspicious activity. A monitoring agent can then drop into the camera feed and speak to whoever is there.
“see, speak to, and attempt to deter potential intruders and package thieves”
The hardware spec
Wired, 2K resolution, 10x zoom, a 150-degree head-to-toe view, two-way audio, a siren, dual-band Wi-Fi, and five seconds of pre-roll video.
It needs the whole system
The doorbell requires a SimpliSafe base station and keypad, and Active Guard needs a Pro or Plus monitoring plan. Self-monitoring with video recording is the cheaper path.
Limits on the watching
Active Guard is opt in, and agents can only view live footage when the system is armed and has been triggered. It started on indoor cameras in 2023 and outdoor cameras in 2024.
Encrypted, but not end to end
SimpliSafe's privacy page says footage is encrypted at rest and in transit, not end to end, and that it won't hand camera footage to police unless legally required.
“won't share camera footage with law enforcement unless required by law”
Overkill for most people
Ring's Virtual Guard does the same thing for $99 a month. A human who can verify real danger has value where false alarms carry fines, but most homes don't need it.
The main idea
For $49.99 a month, a stranger in a monitoring center can speak to people at your door, which is useful if false alarm fines are a real cost where you live and overkill if they aren't.
