New Arlo app - no custom modes

[ctcinsj]

Arlo, for whatever reason, decided to remove one of the best features of the Arlo application - I can't believe how bad the product management team is at making such a bad, horrible decision.  If you are listening to the users, please add that feature back as soon as you can, else Arlo will be losing lots of users.,

Frustrated user who was relatively happy with Arlo before this, now I'm just a very, very unhappy customer.  

Other's in community, please chime in.

[JamesC]

Thank you for the feedback. The development team is currently reviewing all feedback about the new user interface so we can further enhance the experience in future updates. Stay tuned. For more information about how modes and routines work in the new user interface, see here: https://kb.arlo.com/000062777/About-Arlo-Routines-Modes-Rules-and-Automations

JamesC

[ctcinsj]

Also - previously, each mode allows you to customize each device in each mode for motion sensitivity, the new app even with the 3 modes, does not allow that.  Why does Arlo remove functionality which made Arlo great - now it's only frustrating for us users.  so sad. 

[Socalrunnergirl]

Two months later and still no custom modes. I was forced to update and now have a user experience that is useless. Without custom modes we are going to have to dump all our arlos and move to a new system. 

[MrBuffer]

Absolutely ridiculous that this feature got removed, my 25 arlo cameras are pushing notifications to my phone every second because custom modes are gone.  How do these companies keep beta testing their garbage products on users and getting away with it!?  I think we all need to leave negative reviews for the cameras that forced this app upgrade, maybe then Arlo will fix this faster.  For me the Arlo 5S forced the upgrade to this junk app.

[Dontbuyarlo2]

Your new app sucks, the old app was fine. And why can’t I access my old cameras with the new app and why can’t I revert it the old app in that case? Who do I go to with since you don’t even offer live support. You need to fix this ASAP. This company is going to **bleep** in no time. Look at all the  bad reviews on Costco. 

[SMaffei]

This new Arlo app is absolutely horrible. I have 17 cameras that were all working perfectly until one went bad out of warranty. When I purchased a replacement, I was forced to upgrade the app with no ability to revert. All my custom mode settings and individual camera control went away.  I now have a very expensive almost entirely useless system.  I have already spent a number of hours trying to figure out how to get the same functionality I already had.  I see a number of people affiliated with Arlo in this forum stating that you can do lots of the same things, but you have to go search on how to do it or work around the new functionality. All I want is the old user interface back. I have never seen a poorer, less customer-focused UIX rollout or a more blatant attempt to charge more in subscriptions based on the number of base stations you have.  Shame.  

[Bebo70]

I join to this complain. The new app and features are horribles and a significant worsening in the performance and user experience. Is someone from Arlo taking in consideration user’s comments?

[depiermi]

Agree with the comments that the new app is inferior. The old app allowed monitoring of my two locations and now through chat support being told need another subscription, one for each location. Another deficient difference is I could arm hubs individually. Now the whole location gets armed.

Anyone know how you can actually talk to a real person for Marlo support?

[StephenB]

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@depiermi wrote:

Anyone know how you can actually talk to a real person for Marlo support?

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You need a subscription or a product still under warranty.  

Then use the support center in the app (not my.arlo.com) - there is a phone option in that section.

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@depiermi wrote:

The old app allowed monitoring of my two locations and now through chat support being told need another subscription, one for each location.

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FWIW, this was in the old terms of service, but not enforced by the app.

Personally I think they should allow 2 locations with one subscription, but require an additional subscription if you have more then that.

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@depiermi wrote:

Another deficient difference is I could arm hubs individually. Now the whole location gets armed.

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Whether that's a bad thing depends on your setup.  If you have wifi-connected cameras, you had to control them individually in the app with "Library", which is cumbersome if you have a lot of cameras.

But some things are clear:

• they need to put custom modes back
• scheduling+geofencing needs to work (and be simple).

[Bebo70]

Is there a way to send an email to someone in order to comply with this very poor app features? Otherwise i think that the only way is to write very bad reviews on Amazon and on the various app stores. I think that, as customers, we have to react.

Clearly this step backward in app and features has been only triggered to increase revenues from customers. Now in order to maintain two different "virtual locations" in the same house I have to pay more than 200 euro per year and i don't have anymore the same features than before. Far too much for this poor service! 

[oddballarlo]

I was about to buy a few more camers, but then discovered this when I couldn't share the cameras with my wife because my account still has the old app. Looking for an alternative now. When a company ignores it's customers and intentionally downgrades a product, they're absolutely a do not buy.

[StephenB]

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@oddballarlo wrote:

I couldn't share the cameras with my wife 

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FYI, Arlo has allowed simultaneous logins for a few months now.  So one option is for both of you to share your account credentials.

[Bigdogtec]

Well its 2025 and the app hasn't changed!!  It's time to move on from Arlo which sucks because I've been with them for quite a few years.  And all because they won't fix an app!!  Why won't you just update the app with the features we had before??  Come on ARLO!!  The amount of money we pay for the equipment and now have to pay higher monthly fees and for what. A junk App!!  Soooo frustrating!!!  

[Socalrunnergirl]

We moved to Eufy and love it! 

[Cpcp]

just wasted 1 hour on the phone with "support" trying to tell me the 3 modes are fine I had like 15 modes before this is ridiculous I begged for my old app back that i just had one hour ago they clam cant do it I call BS. I can not use this system with the 11 cameras I have with 2 useless options I have many sides to the yard as well as inside and if I use standby as an option I have NO WAY TO DISARM the cameras without physically turning them off - can't make this up the stupidity!! I asked 10x why would you do that to no answer, just sucks to get rid of 11 cameras for a now unusable application for my needs. I am MAD

[Bigdogtec]

It really sucks!!  I've been looking into a new system. I can't function with the new UI!!    Sounds like arlo knows the issues legacy customers are having and has known since at least July 2024 and still hasn't made any changes for us to continue with what we are used to. After many many years with arlo, I think it's time to cut ties and find a new system.   It sucks but you gotta do what ya gotta do. 

[HenryJSullivan]

I've been in IT for the past 30 years.  Once I saw upgrade and noticed the problems with the mode, I've refused to upgrade because of this exact same problem.  We have cameras on timed schedules for modes and noticed the new configuration is horrible.  Not sure who would have made this horrible decision for the company, but in my opinion I would have fired them on the spot.  Additionally, I've seen several posts where they have had to downgrade accounts because of this bad decision taking place.  If you don't get the right person on the phone, have the issue escalated up until they get it resolved.  If they force us to upgrade the platform a lot of customers are going to have to cancel their subscriptions at $300/year.  We have over 12 cameras as well with 1-2 backup cameras.  So we have over a $4000 investment just in equipment alone.  The only concern now is the security patches that have been applied to the system without being able to upgrade.  That would hold back the environment from being secure for customers.  How does that make sense over 6 months of not getting this resolved?  Customers should be put 1st and Arlo really should take this seriously.

[JamesC]

We’ve heard your feedback, and the development team is working hard to deliver a similar custom modes experience that legacy users have come to enjoy while maintaining all the new improvements and features included in the latest version of the Arlo Secure App. We will keep the community up to date as we approach the release of this highly anticipated feature.

Thank you all for your continued feedback in helping make the Arlo experience the best it can be!

For more information about the latest Arlo Secure App, see here: https://www.arlo.com/en-us/new-arlo-secure-app

[HenryJSullivan]

That is all we have heard is this standard response.  Why dont they leave the prior existing ones there?  Is there an expectation of what is truly going to be done to accomplish this problem?  We have been waiting for a really long time already.  Please advise

[Cpcp]

Everyday I can't utilize the cameras as intended is too long. I can't spend my time messing around with 11 cameras all day everyday to get what I need. There isn't going to be much time before I get a new system that I can utilize after years of these arlos cameras and subscriptions.  Apparently this has been an issues for months and months for others, 

leaves me not much hope for a fix in the near days

[knight133]

I agree 100%. Not only are there no custom modes, you cannot remove the notification when switching between modes which is WONDERFUL when I get up at 5:30am and disarm the system and it notifies my SLEEPING wife.

I am extremely unhappy with these changes and this is NOT what I signed up for or am paying for, not to mention, there was NO prior warning about these changes which could be construed as a breach of contract since I paid for a year of service with no knowledge of these changes which would have changed my plans.

If they do NOT revert back to their old system I will cancel and go with simplisafe or some other system I can have granular control over. It's almost like they are saying, here this is what you get whether you like it or not.

[Bebo70]

Could someone suggest an alternative to Arlo (WiFi and rechargeble)‽ As i wrote before the change is only aimed at increasing subscriptions forcing the user to create multiple subsystems in order to have the flexibility to manage different scenarios. They deserve to loose customers. The real problem is not only paying more but also that the new app sucks!