What to Do About a Scratched SimpliSafe Camera Lens
A scratch on the lens of your SimpliSafe camera (like the SimpliCam or Video Doorbell) is more than just a cosmetic issue. The lens is the eye of your security system, and any damage to it can seriously impair its ability to capture clear, usable video footage. A scratch can introduce blurriness, distortions, or glare, potentially preventing you from identifying a person or reading a number plate.
This guide will help you confirm the damage, understand its impact, and walk you through the practical steps you can take to resolve the issue with your SimpliSafe camera.
Step 1: Confirming the Scratch
First, it's essential to determine if you are truly dealing with a scratch or just a stubborn piece of dirt or a smudge, which can cause similar visual issues.
How to Safely Clean the Lens:
- If possible, power off the camera. For a Video Doorbell, you may need to trip the circuit breaker. For an indoor SimpliCam, simply unplug it.
- Use a can of compressed air to gently blow away any loose dust or debris from the lens surface. This prevents you from rubbing abrasive particles into the lens.
- Take a clean, soft microfibre cloth (the kind used for spectacles).
- Gently wipe the lens in a circular motion. Do not apply excessive pressure.
- Once clean, carefully inspect the lens under a bright light. If the mark is gone, you've solved the problem. If it's still visible from multiple angles, it is a physical scratch.
Crucial: Do not use paper towels, tissues, or any other wood-pulp-based material to clean the lens, as they are abrasive. Avoid all chemical cleaning solutions, as they can strip the protective coatings on the lens.
The Impact of a Scratched Lens
The effect of the scratch on your video will depend on its severity and location:
- Minor Scratches: A small scratch near the edge of the lens might be barely noticeable or cause a slight, ignorable blur in a non-critical part of the frame.
- Central Scratches: A scratch directly in the middle of the lens is far more problematic and will likely cause a constant blurry or distorted area in the most important part of your view.
- Deep Scratches: A deep gouge can create significant lens flare, especially from bright light sources like headlights or porch lights at night, rendering large portions of the image washed-out and unusable.
Your Options for a Solution
Unlike a larger, professional camera, the lens on a compact, integrated device like a SimpliSafe camera is not designed to be repaired or replaced by the user. This leaves you with two primary courses of action.
Option 1: Contact SimpliSafe Support
This should always be your first step. Even though physical damage is not typically covered under the standard warranty, SimpliSafe is known for its customer-centric support.
- Explain the Situation: Contact their support team via phone or email. Clearly and calmly explain what happened and how the scratch is affecting your camera's performance.
- Check Your Warranty/Subscription: Ask them to review your account. Sometimes, customers with long-term subscriptions or premium plans may be offered different solutions.
- Inquire About Out-of-Warranty Options: Ask if they have a repair or replacement programme for a fee. It's possible they may offer a discount on a replacement unit, which would be cheaper than buying a new one at full retail price.
Option 2: Replace the Camera
If the scratch is severe and support cannot offer a satisfactory solution, the only way to restore your system's video quality is to replace the entire camera unit.
- Assess the Need: If the camera is monitoring a critical entry point to your home, its effectiveness is severely compromised by a damaged lens. In this case, a replacement is a necessary security investment.
- Purchase a Replacement: You can purchase a new camera directly from the SimpliSafe website to ensure it integrates seamlessly with your existing system. Installation is typically straightforward, and you can add the new device to your system via the SimpliSafe app.
To prevent future damage, try to install cameras in locations where they are shielded from physical contact, such as under eaves or in corners, and away from things like overgrown tree branches that might brush against the lens in the wind.