topic Re: My Experience With Arlo in Arlo Secure

My Experience With Arlo

TheseCamerasSuk — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:15:03 GMT

Avoid this company like the plague! They are horrible, and ignore every support request. They cannot keep the cameras functioning, yet have zero help and zero concern for customers. They will take your money, continually increase coats, and completely ignore you when you have a problem. Avoid Arlo!!!

Re: My Experience With Arlo

BrookeN — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:48:27 GMT

I apologize you are feeling frustrated with the support you received. That is not at all how we want our customers to feel. I looked into any support cases you have opened and I see one from today 4/30. I see you were reaching out regarding your smart notifications. Can you explain more about the behavior you are seeing? I would be more than happy to help you.

Re: My Experience With Arlo

TheseCamerasSuk — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:13:31 GMT

Do not waste my time. There is a reason you have a 1.4 on the Google ratings and every comment on every Facebook post is similar to my experience. Arlo is a horrible company.

For the hundredth time, my smart notifications are not working. What happened to them? I have asked this question multiple times, and been completely ignored so far. Fix it, or I will continue blasting you online.

Re: My Experience With Arlo

StephenB — Fri, 01 May 2026 12:44:17 GMT

@TheseCamerasSuk wrote:

For the hundredth time, my smart notifications are not working. What happened to them? I have asked this question multiple times, and been completely ignored so far.

Not here. You've only made 4 posts (earlier ones posted 3 years ago), and this is the first time you've said smart notifications aren't working.

What have you checked so far? Assuming you have a subscription, you should press on the profile in the upper left of the app, and look in there for the smart detection settings. In my app, this is under "Arlo Intelligence" - that is fairly recent, so you might see the settings under a different menu (still in the profile somewhere)

Re: My Experience With Arlo

TheseCamerasSuk — Fri, 01 May 2026 13:21:30 GMT

I have asked for support, tried to get answers through the chat, and now I'm at the point that Arlo is on the way out for me. Don't pretend that this latest update is not a complete disaster. Read some comments on t=any of the Arlo FB pages. Go to Google Maps, look up the Carlsbad office, and read those reviews. Arlo is the worst.

I understand technology pretty well. I see the settings, and why would they have changed anyway? They do not work. It is that simple, and Arlo doesn't give a damn enough to respond to customers. I am currently looking for alternative options, like nearly every customer out there.

Re: My Experience With Arlo

StephenB — Fri, 01 May 2026 13:30:57 GMT

@TheseCamerasSuk wrote:

I have asked for support, tried to get answers through the chat,

If you are in the US or Canada, you can also call 1-877-427-5680 6:00a.m. - 8:00p.m. PST

@TheseCamerasSuk wrote:

I see the settings ... They do not work.

FWIW, They do work with my cameras.

Re: My Experience With Arlo

BrookeN — Fri, 01 May 2026 16:26:53 GMT

@TheseCamerasSuk are you seeing generic motion detections instead of person and vehicle detections? If so, when did this begin? Are you on iOS or Android?

Re: My Experience With Arlo

TheseCamerasSuk — Fri, 01 May 2026 17:07:22 GMT

StephenB, I really don't care what YOUR cameras do. I'm sure you have the most expensive subscription. I do not want the AI garbage, and I do not appreciate it being forced down my throat.

Re: My Experience With Arlo

TheseCamerasSuk — Fri, 01 May 2026 17:19:52 GMT

I am using iOS with all the latest updates to operating system and app. I'm even careful to install the latest iOS update before updating the app. This is not on my end. When I go to settings and try to look at the Smart Notifications (not the AI recognition settings) for each camera, the page for each camera is completely blank. Screen shots are attached, but the attachment here may not be working either. Big surprise there...

The last time Arlo notified me of a person, animal, vehicle was April 26, which was the same day you billed me for "subscription". This is not likely coincidence.

I also can no longer view a camera and activate the alarm while viewing the camera. It takes me to a page to "upgrade", then I have to pick it again and again, and at that point I am no longer viewing the camera. So if I need to activate the alarm, it is almost useless. This is part of the Arlo "improvements".

Your company is failing miserably.

Re: My Experience With Arlo

BrookeN — Fri, 01 May 2026 18:05:42 GMT

Looking into the settings there is nothing set up for the smart detections. You have everything on off. Can you try following these steps and see if you are able to get those on:

To set up Smart Detection:

Launch the Arlo Secure App and tap Devices.
Tap the Device Settings icon for your Arlo device.
Tap Arlo Intelligence.
Tap Smart Detection.
Tap the switches under VIDEO OBJECT DETECTION to toggle People, Package, Vehicles, Animals, Fire, and All Motion on or off.
Tap the switches under SOUND DETECTION to toggle Smoke/CO Alarm, Gunshot, Scream, Dog Bark, Glass Break, or All Audio on or off.
Note: When any Sound Detection categories are enabled, the camera will add an audio trigger rule to the Arm Away mode and will record any audio triggered events to the Feed. You will only be notified of the specific sounds selected in Smart Detection.

Re: My Experience With Arlo

BrookeN — Fri, 01 May 2026 18:08:01 GMT

Can you please also power cycle the base station?

Re: My Experience With Arlo

TheseCamerasSuk — Fri, 01 May 2026 21:05:51 GMT

I have been through every setting, even after all the updates and rebooting the phone, but it is not there. Here is a screenshot of my Device Settings. There is no "Arlo Intelligence", and I have been through every setting and optin multiple times. I run a technology department. This is not on my end, and it is not a setting that is available. The last images I sent you in the previous message are where the settings SHOULD be, but they are not there. The image attached here is my device settings. It is not as you describe. I tied to reboot my hub this week from my phone, but it would not respond (another new problem). I'll try it again when I am at home. Even if that corrects this problem, it will not correct the other problems.

This is an Arlo problem created by Arlo for the purpose of forcing us to your new higher priced subscription. At the very best it is a disaster for customers like me because Arlo did not ensure that we could continue using the products. It's infuriating, and I am looking for new cameras.

Re: My Experience With Arlo

StephenB — Fri, 01 May 2026 22:41:45 GMT

@TheseCamerasSuk wrote:

I have been through every setting, even after all the updates and rebooting the phone, but it is not there.

Going back to this screenshot you posted:

when you press the > next to each of the cameras

Are you seeing a list of available detections?
Are those detections turned on?
If they are off, can you turn them on? If not, then what happens?

The way I read your earlier post, you just see a blank screen when you select the camera there. I want to confirm that. Also, I am wondering if you also navigated to that screen via my.arlo.com using a PC browser.

FWIW, I agree that it would be better if the detections were enabled with the other camera settings. It is confusing and IMO not intuitive to have them in separated out.

Re: My Experience With Arlo

TheseCamerasSuk — Fri, 01 May 2026 22:55:33 GMT

Look at the other screenshot posted with that one. That is what happens when I click one of the cameras. Nothing. Blank screen. The settings are not available.

Re: My Experience With Arlo

StephenB — Fri, 01 May 2026 23:29:01 GMT

@TheseCamerasSuk wrote:

Look at the other screenshot posted with that one. That is what happens when I click one of the cameras. Nothing. Blank screen. The settings are not available.

Got it.

And you are also seeing this using my.arlo.com on a PC?

I'm tagging @BrookeN , just to make sure she sees your replies.

Re: My Experience With Arlo

TheseCamerasSuk — Mon, 04 May 2026 16:46:39 GMT

After searching for a ridiculous amount of time to find this page on pc, this is what I get. That's interesting, because they've been working for several years, and I just bought a new camera about a year ago. What a waste of my time and money that was. I don't understand why a tech company cannot see this problem and fix it. It should not require so much of MY TIME to fix YOUR PROBLEM, while you continue to BILL ME for services that DO NOT WORK.

Re: My Experience With Arlo

StephenB — Mon, 04 May 2026 18:40:49 GMT

@TheseCamerasSuk wrote:

After searching for a ridiculous amount of time to find this page on pc, this is what I get. That's interesting,

Your devices do support smart detection, so something is quite odd there.

You should see the that screen in the same place in the app - does it show the same error?

I'm tagging @BrookeN , as she can see details in your account that might help.

Re: My Experience With Arlo

BrookeN — Mon, 04 May 2026 18:49:55 GMT

@TheseCamerasSuk I sent you a Dm. Your cameras should support smart detections. Can you please respond to the message I sent you at your earliest convenience?

Re: My Experience With Arlo

TheseCamerasSuk — Mon, 04 May 2026 18:59:11 GMT

I did respond, and "John" did call me, and left a message.

This is simple really. Arlo broke everything. I did nothing to cause it. Arlo is still billing me monthly for services that do not work, and I am sick of this ridiculous back and forth that takes me nowhere. I'll look for "John's" call again, but my confidence in Arlo is at an all time low, and I don't expect him to fix anything. I'll spend a stupid amount of time trying to explain the problem to a person who probably doesn't even understand how the cameras are supposed to work, then back and forth with the scripted robot-like responses, showing him that it is not user error, and I will still have broken cameras with a monthly bill.