topic Re: Spot light problems in Arlo Ultra

Spot light problems

Gavin_b — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 17:17:37 GMT

Im having a few different problems again, so new problem new post.

Everything as always worked until the last few weeks

When my camera triggers a recording my spotlight do not come on, check settings the spotlight is off but when you turn it back on it also switches on the night vision and when you view the camera its very dark and blurry, so if I then turn off the night vision it will also turn off the spotlight again which is very annoying.

I have never had this problem with the spotlight before and it seems the arlo cameras are getting worse over time.

Anyone else had this problem?

Re: Spot light problems

Gavin_b — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 17:19:44 GMT

@ShayneS

Re: Spot light problems

ShayneS — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:41:57 GMT

@Gavin_b

When you live stream, you have to manually turn on the spotlight with the flashlight logo to illuminate the background.

Re: Spot light problems

Gavin_b — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 10:58:23 GMT

Yes I know this it how you turn the spotlight on.

My problem is the spotlight aint coming on when it triggers a recording

Re: Spot light problems

StephenB — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 17:21:42 GMT

@Gavin_b wrote:

My problem is the spotlight aint coming on when it triggers a recording

Can you turn on the spotlight on this screen?

Re: Spot light problems

Gavin_b — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 18:42:29 GMT

Yes I can but it also turns on the night vision aswell at the same time which it has never done before, but if I turn the night vision back off it will also turn the spotlight back off too.

So my camera is useless at night.

Re: Spot light problems

StephenB — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 20:12:22 GMT

@Gavin_b wrote:

Yes I can but it also turns on the night vision aswell at the same time which it has never done before, but if I turn the night vision back off it will also turn the spotlight back off too.

So my camera is useless at night.

Turn both on.

There will be two options under "Night Vision"

"Black & White"
"Color"

Select color and the spotlight should come on when the camera triggers after dark.

Re: Spot light problems

Gavin_b — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 20:35:54 GMT

Yes thats correct

But while there is no recordings its in black and white and really dark.

Its never been like this before, I could always have this with spotlight on and always in colour.

Why is there another problem again.

Re: Spot light problems

StephenB — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 20:40:14 GMT

@Gavin_b wrote:

But while there is no recordings its in black and white and really dark.

Not sure what this sentence means.

But the settings above are the ones you need to use to get the spotlight to turn on when the camera triggers and records at night. They work on my own Ultra cameras.

Maybe try moving the camera into a dark room or closet as a test, and then trigger it (moving in front of it), and see what happens.

Re: Spot light problems

Gavin_b — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 20:52:09 GMT

Right if the option for the spotlight and night vision is off the camera will always view in colour but if a recording happens at night no spotlight will come on.

And if I was to select in the options to have the spotlight on while recording it will also select night vision on too

And view in black and white

Until there is a recording.

If I then turn off the night vision so it will view back in colour it will turn off the spotlight option again..

Re: Spot light problems

StephenB — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 21:44:37 GMT

@Gavin_b wrote:

And if I was to select in the options to have the spotlight on while recording it will also select night vision on too

And view in black and white

Until there is a recording.

Which is as it is supposed to work. When live streaming at night, there is a spotlight icon on the video that you need to select in order to turn the light on. It is not automatic.

Re: Spot light problems

Gavin_b — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 09:44:52 GMT

It haven't been like this before though, i don't want the night vision on

Re: Spot light problems

StephenB — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:03:47 GMT

@Gavin_b wrote:

It haven't been like this before though,

Mine has always worked this way (years).

@Gavin_b wrote:

i don't want the night vision on

It would only use IR for recording if the spotlight doesn't come on. Since the settings I gave you will turn the spotlight on, it should work as you want - as long as you turn on the spotlight manually while livestreaming at night.

Re: Spot light problems

Gavin_b — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:57:05 GMT

Well i must of been lucky then, even in the night it would always view in colour and the spotlight would come on when there was a recording and stay in colour.

It would never be in black or white