Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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Custom alert sounds for Android/iOS

Really need to customize the notification sound.  For instance, I want to be alerted to motion on some cameras while sleeping, but the notification sound is not enough to do that because it is too brief and I just sleep right through it.  Would be nice to select an mp3, or at least provide some more aggressive options for alerts.  Perhaps even per camera custom sounds, as one can do with ringtones for different contacts.

Comments
bcrc
Aspirant

I don’t think it is possible to change the alert sound.

JCdM
Initiate

Hello

I tried IFTTT on my iPhone and it doesn't work properly, I explain :

- IFTTT call me when a motion is detected with the selected ring of my choice - very good - but

- IFTTT detects all motions -people - cats - leaves moving in the wind ... - so we are always disturbed for nothing and during the night it's not acceptable !

We choose Arlo for the IA selection function between a person and something else which is absolutely required outdoor !

If anybody knows a true solution for outdoor camera, I am very interested !

 

ogxm
Aspirant

JCdM,

 

the issue is with how alerts are generated. They are pre-processed by Arlo's backend. That's where all the magical (and paid for, via subscription) detection algorithm takes place. IFTTT takes the raw video and, unless you come up with a similar set of digital video filters, you will be alerted by anything the cameras detect.

 

If you have a hub with local storage you will get to see an identical record of what IFTTT reports on. There's no filtering and 'all motion' detected is saved on disk.

SimplyJC
Aspirant

JCdM,

it’s not ifttt that detects motion. It’s Arlo that detects everything and then apparently filters out what you don’t want to be alerted to. In other words, the camera senses everything but only alerts you to what you want to know about, whereas, ifttt receives the initial detection before Arlo sends it thru the filtering process. In my own experience at night, using ifttt, I’ve only been woken once by the growl of a cougar. During the day is another story. Ifttt triggers sometimes frequently because leaves, rabbits, birds, etc. are all active motions during daylight. So, while awake I’ll use iffft but I’ll turn ifttt off if I start receiving alerts I don’t want. Typically, Arlo does not alert me because I filter out what I don’t want to know. So if all I get is the ifttt alert without the Arlo alert I’ll turn off the ifttt alert for the particular camera. I’m awake, so I can hear the Arlo alert should it sound the default iOS notification tone. When asleep, I can’t hear the Arlo alert, it just doesn’t wake me. In summary, ifttt works for me at night. I was woken just that once in many months. To my knowledge there is no other solution to the ringtone issue in iOS devices. Maybe Arlo is a bit weak programming for iOS or possibly Apple won’t give them the control over the ringtones, who knows. I’ve not seen Arlo address what the issue is with iOS. 

SimplyJC
Aspirant

What I’d really like to see is Arlo give us the choice to receive a VOIP phone call with a recorded message concerning the alert, just like iftt does, only place the phone call when the alert has passed thru filtering, not before. Hopefully, Arlo programmers can see this suggestion and work on it. 

Dannybear
Master

I suggest it is not a lack of programming ability on Arlo’s part. My understanding is that the feature was originally available years earlier but was removed. There are plenty of methods available for programmers to implement the features but a lack of interest from arlo suggests that the issue is more monetary embedded so unlikely to be ever implemented.

JCdM
Initiate

Thank you very much for your answers OGXM, SimplyJC, DannyBear.

Yes you are right : the time the system must ring an alert (with a phone call it's better) is after the AI algorithm analyse the motion and decide it was a person.  And this right time can only be managed by Arlo I presume !

Well, I will continue to put some pressure on Arlo and wait for a better solution.

Thanks

swb52
Novice

I have 3 Arlo cameras and 1 Arlo doorbell.  It would be most helpful if the notification sounds could be customized for each camera.  Seems this has been mentioned several times before and a promise was made to do it.  Is this function in the making, and if not, why not?

I0Suser
Novice

I just bought my first essential doorbell camera.

 

UNFORTUNATELY I WILL HAVE TO RETURN IT, BEING UNFIT 4 PURPOSE (not ALERTING us with a QUIET LITTLE ding) rather than WITH a PR0PER D00RBELL S0UND!

 

USELESS - I’m (we r) 0NLY using apple devices S0 4 ARLO 2 say the push notification sound 4 IOS will be available SOON in 2017 - FOUR YEARS AGO & LONGER SINCE ISSUE WAS FIRST RAISED WITH ARLO IS AN ABSOLUTE JOKE!!!

 

WILL BE RETURNING THIS USELESS UNFIT FOR PURPOSE ARLO DOORBELL FOR A FULL REFUND!!!