topic New Camera in Arlo Essential Indoor Camera

New Camera

BIGsister181 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 01:14:40 GMT

I just purchased the arlo essential with privacy shield August 12, 2023 and I cannot select to record video or audio. It has "do nothing" lit up green. Why won't it record anything?

Re: New Camera

StephenB — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 11:52:54 GMT

@BIGsister181 wrote:

I just purchased the arlo essential with privacy shield August 12, 2023 and I cannot select to record video or audio. It has "do nothing" lit up green. Why won't it record anything?

Did the trial subscription expire?

Re: New Camera

BIGsister181 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 16:00:27 GMT

I didn't realize there was a trial subscription. So it won't record without that then?

How unfair. To purchase the products & be forced to also purchase subscriptions.

That's ridiculous!!

Re: New Camera

StephenB — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:21:14 GMT

@BIGsister181 wrote:

I didn't realize there was a trial subscription. So it won't record without that then?

Cloud storage for recordings requires a subscription.

@BIGsister181 wrote:
How unfair. To purchase the products & be forced to also purchase subscriptions.

Well, the cloud storage costs Arlo something to provide, and the cameras can last for a very long time. If you get your storage for free, then your storage cost has to be covered by new camera sales (or subscription sales) to other customers.

I personally think it is fair to require people to pay something for their own cloud storage. It's really no different from paying for your phone and also paying a monthly charge for service. Though obviously many here will have a different viewpoint (and of course we all do like "free").

FWIW, the box does include a statement about the need for a subscription, though it often isn't as prominent as I would like. Something like "Arlo Secure service, including cloud recording, requires a paid subscription after the trial period".

Re: New Camera

BIGsister181 — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 13:30:27 GMT

I suppose it did. I didn't know it was a trial. As i am able to record on all my other cameras.

Re: New Camera

StephenB — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 15:48:04 GMT

@BIGsister181 wrote:

i am able to record on all my other cameras.

Legacy Arlo cameras (pro, pro 2, some others) were sold with 7-day cloud recording included. They still have that feature.

Arlo stopped including that with new camera models about 5 years ago (starting with the Ultra). All currently sold models need a subscription for cloud storage.