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How does 24/7 Security Monitoring work?
Posted July 2nd, 2026 by SimpliSafe
First Posted: May 31th 2024
Edited: 2nd July 2026
How does 24/7 Security Monitoring work?
Professional monitoring can help you take your home security system to the next level. All security alerts will be sent to a 24/7 professional monitoring centre, so even if you’re away and you miss the notifications, you can rest assured that your home is protected.
Professional monitoring can be added to your SimpliSafe security system whenever you need it thanks to our contract-free subscription. But how exactly will this work? Keep reading to find out more.
What is 24/7 Security Monitoring?
Professional monitoring refers to 24/7 whole home protection where security experts are on hand to monitor your home and alert emergency services if there is an incident. This service usually has an additional monthly fee.
How does 24/7 Security Monitoring work?
When you have a 24/7 security monitoring subscription and a sensor such as the entry sensor or motion sensor is triggered for example, an alert will automatically be sent to the monitoring centre. In SimpliSafe’s case, the team at the monitoring centre will call you to check you’re ok and use indoor cameras to confirm if the security threat is real, and if it is, they can dispatch a guard and request emergency dispatch.
If it’s a false alarm, you can answer the call and provide a safeword or number that you’ve agreed upon beforehand. This means you also don’t need to worry about potentially wasting police time if you have professional monitoring, as you can easily dismiss false alerts.
Video verification
Some professional monitoring services (such as ours) also come with Video Verification. This means that you can grant permission for the professional monitoring centre to view camera footage from when the alarm was triggered. This let’s the authorities know that there’s a crime in progress and reduces the risk of false police call-outs.
What is self-monitoring?
If you don’t have a professional monitoring subscription, your home security system can be self-monitored. When a potential security threat is detected by one of your home security components (such as your outdoor cameras, glassbreak sensors or entry sensors), an alert is sent to your system’s Base Station, which triggers an alarm. Your Base Station will also send a notification directly to your phone, so you don’t need to be at home to stay on top of your security.
Your Base Station will also send an alert to a professional monitoring centre if you have a subscription, but self-monitoring customers will only have the alert sent to their phones. Therefore, it’s down to you to receive the notification, check your security footage and call the police if needed.
Professional monitoring for other home security purposes
Professional monitoring isn’t just for alerting the police in the event of a break-in. You can also use this service for request of fire services if an alarm is triggered by your smoke detectors. With SimpliSafe, you can build your own security system with components of your choice, so you can include devices such as entry sensors or temperature sensors depending on what your main concerns are (e.g., break-ins, fires or property damage from the weather).
Step-by-step guide to professional monitoring
Now you know more about professional monitoring vs self-monitoring, let’s take a closer look at the step-by-step process involved in setting up professional monitoring and dealing with potential security threats.
1. Purchase professional monitoring
SimpliSafe customers can use the SimpliSafe app to add professional monitoring to their home security system. Once you’ve set up your Base Station and other security system components via the app, you’ll be prompted to add 24/7 security monitoring if you wish.
We have two professional monitoring subscriptions to choose from: Pro and Pro Premium. Pro customers will receive 24/7 live alarm monitoring by professionals, who will call you immediately if an alarm is triggered. Whereas Pro Premium customers will receive this monitoring in addition to the request of emergency dispatch, unlimited security guard response, unlimited camera recording and more.
2. Sensor triggers an alarm
Once your professional monitoring is set up, it’s ready to help you better manage potential break-ins. If an alarm is triggered with one of your devices (such as an entry sensor), this will trigger an alarm in your Base Station. The Base Station will then immediately send an alert straight to the professional monitoring centre, where there are staff to handle your alerts 24/7.
3. Specialist calls you
If an alert is sent to the professional monitoring centre, a security specialist will call you to check you’re ok and confirm if there is a security threat. If it’s a false alarm, you can simply provide a safeword to dismiss the alert. However, if you don’t answer at all, the specialist will move onto video verification (if applicable).
4. Video verification
If you’ve granted the professional monitoring centre access to your security footage through our Video Verification service, they will then check this footage to confirm the break-in. Using video verification can make it much quicker and easier for our specialists to confirm security threats and pass this information on when requesting emergency response.
5. Emergency response
Once the break-in is confirmed, security specialists at the professional monitoring centre will request emergency services (non-medical) on your behalf, so you don’t need to worry about sorting this out yourself. A guard from the professional monitoring centre will also be dispatched.
Benefits of professional monitoring
Having professional monitoring can give you peace of mind that your home is always protected, even when you’re away. However, opting for an additional subscription can be a tough decision to make, so here are the main reasons why professional monitoring could be right for you.
1. Security
The most obvious benefit is that professional monitoring can reinforce your existing security measures. It will be much harder for security threats to slip through the cracks and an emergency response can be requested almost as soon as an alarm is triggered, offering your home the highest level of protection.
2. Convenience
With professional monitoring, everything is handled for you. You don’t need to worry about checking your notifications in time and calling the police or fire and rescue services yourself, as you’ll have a team of security specialists ready to do this for you at any time of the day.
3. Peace of mind
Whether you’re sleeping, at work or away on holiday, professional monitoring is there to get the most out of your SimpliSafe system and give you peace of mind at all times. This is especially important for those who are frequently away from home and worry about missing alert notifications. With professional monitoring, there’s no need to worry about constantly checking your phone while you’re away from home, as everything will be taken care of for you.
24/7 Security Monitoring features
Our Pro Premium Professional Monitoring Plan comes with a wide range of fantastic security features, including:
Frequently asked questions about professional monitoring
When do you need 24/7 Security Monitoring?
Anyone can benefit from professional monitoring, but it’s especially useful for those who are often away from home and worry about missing notifications from their home security system. Professional monitoring will ensure your home will be protected no matter where you are, so you can spend your holidays relaxing instead of worrying about your home security.
How do I enable 24/7 Security Monitoring?
Professional monitoring can be purchased and activated via the SimpliSafe app or over the phone. You’ll receive a professional monitoring prompt when setting up your home security system. You can also check our support page for more information on setting up this subscription.
How do I cancel an alert?
To cancel a false alarm, all you need to do is provide a safeword when the professional monitoring centre calls you. This code will be agreed upon when setting up your subscription to confirm your identity.
Interested in professional monitoring? Get in touch today to find out more about setting up your subscription. You can also visit the SimpliSafe blog for more home security tips, such as winter home safety tips and advice on how to prevent burglars from climbing walls.