topic Re: Automation not working in Arlo Pro 2

Automation not working

Hartleyvale74 — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 07:56:04 GMT

Trying to set up geofencing g automation when I leave a location, but it just won’t work.

any ideas?

Re: Automation not working

jguerdat — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 15:31:20 GMT

In the top box that now says Arm Away but was originally named Always Enabled, enable all modes. However, I just tried editing my leaving home automation and that doesn't work. There's an Enable as well as an Always Enabled selection but choosing either one has no effect - it always remains as Always Enabled. This is on a Pixel 9, Android 15 with the latest Android app, 5.5.2.

@JamesC , @ShayneS , @BrookeN any comments?

Re: Automation not working

StephenB — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 21:15:09 GMT

@jguerdat wrote:

However, I just tried editing my leaving home automation and that doesn't work. There's an Enable as well as an Always Enabled selection but choosing either one has no effect - it always remains as Always Enabled. This is on a Pixel 9, Android 15 with the latest Android app, 5.5.2.

With iOS there is an "Always Enabled" comment at the bottom, but there is no "Always Enabled" control. If you want that, then you need to select all three modes in the "Enabled" section.

I just tried changing that on my own "Leave" automation, and it worked fine for me. That is running iOS app 5.5.2 (9042) on an iPhone 12 mini running iOS 18.3.1

Re: Automation not working

alex_loo — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 22:03:35 GMT

@jguerdat wrote:
In the top box that now says Arm Away but was originally named Always Enabled, enable all modes. However, I just tried editing my leaving home automation and that doesn't work. There's an Enable as well as an Always Enabled selection but choosing either one has no effect - it always remains as Always Enabled. This is on a Pixel 9, Android 15 with the latest Android app, 5.5.2.

@JamesC , @ShayneS , @BrookeN any comments?

following ... in case this is a new bug with 5.5.2

Alex

Re: Automation not working

Hartleyvale74 — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:55:17 GMT

I don’t see any ‘always enabled’

section. This is really the dumbest app ever made. Why did they change it? Worked perfectly fine in the last version.

Re: Automation not working

StephenB — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 13:45:22 GMT

@Hartleyvale74 wrote:

I don’t see any ‘always enabled’ section.

This is what I am seeing in the iPhone app:

No "always enabled" control, just a statement saying that "always enabled" is the default. I find the second sentence to be more confusing than helpful. The net here is that you can see what automations are enabled for any mode by looking at the screen for that mode. Whenever you enter that mode, all automations are either enabled or disabled per that screen.

If all three modes are selected, the main automation screen will say "Always Enabled". If only some are selected they are listed (e.g., "Arm Home, Standby").

Re: Automation not working

jguerdat — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 14:29:27 GMT

Here's what I see in the Android app when selecting the Always Enabled section from the main automation screen. The 2 "selections" don't do anything.

Re: Automation not working

StephenB — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 14:32:13 GMT

@jguerdat wrote:

Here's what I see in the Android app when selecting the Always Enabled section from the main automation screen. The 2 "selections" don't do anything.

Clearly broken.

Can you still enable/disable the automations using the mode screens?

Re: Automation not working

jguerdat — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 14:34:00 GMT

Yes - there are toggles for each automation while editing modes.

Re: Automation not working

StephenB — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 17:56:32 GMT

@jguerdat wrote:

Yes - there are toggles for each automation while editing modes.

GTK. Maybe they are thinking it would be less confusing if the automation lists were just in one place???

Re: Automation not working

alex_loo — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 21:05:37 GMT

@Hartleyvale74 wrote:
Trying to set up geofencing g automation when I leave a location, but it just won’t work.

any ideas?

with your 2nd screenshot, "Away" is enabled only for "Arm Away". This is wrong (if you are already in ARM AWAY, why do you still need to change mode to ARM AWAY? 😉) Try change that to include both STANDBY and ARM HOME.

Alex

Re: Automation not working

alex_loo — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 21:21:59 GMT

@jguerdat wrote:
Here's what I see in the Android app when selecting the Always Enabled section from the main automation screen. The 2 "selections" don't do anything.

is this 5.5.3?

As pointed out by @StephenB , ARLO may have decided to keep this enabling/disabling at only one place --- the toggle switches under mode screen. This may be a good move, given:

the flexibility of allowing user to edit this from mode screen OR under each automation has proved to be adding just confusion, instead of any value (even though personally I prefer the "older" design)
the wordings/explanatory text have been confusing users

If above screen is the newly (and clearer) way, then again the wordings are still confusing. This screen should not longer be called ❌EDIT❌ Enable!

Alex

Re: Automation not working

StephenB — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 23:48:16 GMT

@alex_loo wrote:

As pointed out by @StephenB , ARLO may have decided to keep this enabling/disabling at only one place --- the toggle switches under mode screen. This may be a good move, given:

the flexibility of allowing user to edit this from mode screen OR under each automation has proved to be adding just confusion, instead of any value (even though personally I prefer the "older" design)

the wordings/explanatory text have been confusing users

If above screen is the newly (and clearer) way, then again the wordings are still confusing. This screen should not longer be called ❌EDIT❌ Enable!

Actually if they are shifting to only enable/disable the automations via the mode screen, then they don't need this screen at all.

Re: Automation not working

alex_loo — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:01:28 GMT

@StephenB wrote:
If above screen is the newly (and clearer) way, then again the wordings are still confusing. This screen should not longer be called ❌EDIT❌ Enable!
Actually if they are shifting to only enable/disable the automations via the mode screen, then they don't need this screen at all.

agree. Just lazy if not senseless UI design change.

Alex