Essential Wire Free Spotlight local recording only

[Dnt13]

I added my Essential Wire Free Spotlight to my Pro 4 Base Station for local recording only. No subscription.  How can I get the Essential Cam to appear in the Library?

[jguerdat]

Since you see Library to view videos, there should be a pull-down menu at the top that allows you to choose the hub's local recordings. Of course, that means you already have local recordings set up in the hub settings. DO you have that set up?

[Dnt13]

Yes, I have that all set up.  The Essential records audio/video to a memory stick on the Station and I get notifications on my phone when there is motion.  My issue is that the Essential camera does not appear in the Library in the Arlo Secure app on my i-phone so there are no clips to view in the app on my phone.  When I add the Essential Cam to the base station, I also get a pop up that wants me to buy Cloud storage. I can’t close or bypass that popup either. Thoughts?

[jguerdat]

You don't mention which base or hub you're using. Only the VMB4540 and 5000 SmartHubs support direct local recording access. If you have a 4000 or 4500 base you have to eject the drive from the base for viewing on a computer. 

The cloud storage popup may be due to your usage of activity zones which require either a subbscription or the cameras being connected to AC power.

[Dnt13]

Ok, I do have a 4000 hub. Correct, I am able to eject the drive and view the A/V recordings.  i also have a Pro4 camera on the same hub.  I found  it odd that the Arlo Secure app allows previewing clips from the Pro4 cam but not the Essential cam.

[jguerdat]

Check your subscription status. It would likely show that you have the trial sub for the Pro 4 so what you see are cloud recordings, not local ones. When you eject the drive for viewing on the computer, do you see recordings for both cameras?

[Dnt13]

No subscription.

Yes, when I eject the drive from the hub, I can view the A/V recordings from both the Pro4 and the Essential camera on my computer.

[StephenB]

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@Dnt13 wrote:

 i also have a Pro4 camera on the same hub.  I found  it odd that the Arlo Secure app allows previewing clips from the Pro4 cam but not the Essential cam.

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Are you certain this is a Pro 4 camera, and not a Pro 2?

[Dnt13]

Oh! My mistake; it must be a Pro 2. Regardless, brief pre-view clips of the Pro cam recordings accumulate and are accessible in the app Library but there are no clips from Essential cam recordings in the library.

[StephenB]

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@Dnt13 wrote:

Oh! My mistake; it must be a Pro 2. Regardless, brief pre-view clips of the Pro cam recordings accumulate and are accessible in the app Library but there are no clips from Essential cam recordings in the library.

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Which is exactly what you'd expect if the Essential isn't in a subscription plan.

The Pro 2 was sold with 7 days of free cloud storage, new camera models like the Essential don't have that.