Arlo iOS App - 2.6.0 -20th October 2018

[Waymar]

Please can you return the basic camera to the position you had it before this update.  I liked to be able to see at a glance which camera had a low battery or had just been activated. It was previously visible on the devices screen without having to open each camera.

[Retired_Member]

My cameras went offline again today for no reason.  I have taken the batteries out then put them back into the cameras, rebooted the system, turned it off and on, and the cameras will come on then go off again.  It keeps saying to check my internet connection which is working just fine because I have no problems staying connected with my PC.

Another issue I have always had with the Arlo app is that it uses too much power and drains my battery much faster.  I've uninstalled it a few times on my previous phone and without the appthe battery doesn't drain as fast.  I put up with having to recharge often because there is no other choice when away from home.  I've been considering getting rid of my entire system and looking for a better camera system than Arlo.  I tried Canary before Arlo and quickly got rid of it.  It looks like Arlo will be next.

Stop breaking what worked before!  The small improvements made for this update added no value, and you may lose a lot of customers because of it.

[AvA110]

I have the same problem too after latest update on my iPhone.
The live view is not working. The still image from last Motion is also showing the very old one sometimes.
They really destroyed a very good product and made it completely useless 😞

[Iss]

I hate the new app. The features in the app don’t work it makes the product frustrating to work with. I have to use Samsung SmartThings to turn off the siren when it goes off. What gives!

[Dwww]

This app update has made my security system unuseable. If this INCOMPETENCE is what we have to look forward to, I WANT TO BE REFUNDED FOR THIS CRAPPY USELESS POS. 

[rowen]

I am not happy with the new app either. Going live on a camera the time last viewed does not change like it use to do. I may actually see the image change hours later while the time last viewed will show 5d instead of 6h. I do not like that the battery indicator is not on the same level as the camera picture. You have to dig down a couple levels. Why does the camera have to be connected to AC power to do anything with the activity zones? Most users probably have their cameras  powered with batteries. My batteries are less than a year old and two out of the six are going from 100% to 15% in three days of normal activity. On the average of under 5 minutes of recording time per week. Give me back the older app. It worked. Are the apps tested before they go out to the customer? I believe if the apps were thoroughly tested we would not have the issues we are having now.

[Lemondog7]

yes.  Bring back the icons. and a snap shot button to show immediate action at camera would be great! 

---

@Dunndeal3 wrote:
Bring back the status icons. They were never a distraction from the UX in the app. It was nice to get a quick glance at what was going on especially with the battery status. It would also be great to add a small snap shot button where you can tap it and get an updated screenshot of what's currently going on.

---

[Lemondog7]

---

Please hurry up.  Black Friday sales are coming up.  if you don't fix the IOS to the same standard and use it was in 2.5.5, I'm returning my Arlo system and buying something else.  For over a year I have been a very happy customer until you ruined the experience with the new update.  And have taken over a MONTH to even think about fixing it.  Put up or shut up.  We look at our cameras hourly.  Do YOU even use them?  Fix the IOS app UI please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@JessicaP wrote:

Hello Arlo Community, 
 
Thank you for sharing your feedback on the recent interface changes for iOS and Android devices that we rolled out with the Arlo App v2.6.0 update. We want you to know that we heard your concerns and our team will work diligently to address them. Your input is instrumental to ensure that our teams are able to continually enhance and improve your Arlo experience through each new update. 
 
Android users may already be aware that for the Arlo App v2.6.2 update the battery icon was reintroduced on the devices screen for each camera. We’re actively working on reinstating this feature for iOS devices.
 
Along with the changes to the battery icon placement, the Arlo App v2.6.0 update also included changes to several other status icons including signal strength, motion and audio indicators, quick filtering, etc. Our team is currently working to restore these icons to the main devices screen and we will provide an update when available.
 
We sincerely appreciate your candid feedback and look forward to continuing the conversation with our highly engaged community of Arlo users. 
 
Thank you,
Arlo Development Team

---

[RandyPortland]

I spent a lot of money to have a 5 camera system and the new App is miserably terrible.  

1) Titles at the top were great, at the bottom... awful.

2) I can't tell if there was movement on a cam or not any longer.

3) If I look at a camera's video history, I can no longer view those videos unless I open the entire library.  What's up with that?

4) Camera states last movement was days ago when it was moments ago.

5) Adjusting zoom doesn't work right.  I've burned through a battery trying to get it to set right. 

6) Finally, I paid almost $800 for an Arlo set up and it is nearly useless.  It's worse than Windows VISTA.  Terrible terrible terrible!!!

My question is, does anyone at Netgear bother to test these things before a release?  If so, then they should probably be fired.  There is no way a test group would have allowed this to be released... unless Netgear simply didn't care and rushed it to market in haste, which means poor planning.  

I have yet to get a legitimate answer from Netgear regarding using it with Homekit.  I'm about to dump the whole system and go with something that actually works.  Sorry to vent, but I'm pretty irritated right now by this poor service.

[Retired_Member]

Don't buy a Canary!!!

I had one for a whole week then returned it because it depended solely on Wi-Fi and since mine was being hacked constantly I missed a lot of opportunities for catching creeps breaking in.

Also the box didn't inform me that they changed their policy where subscription was required otherwise you might as well use the cameras for bookends.  That was another reason to get rid of it.  At least it's an option for Arlo and they offer free cloud space for a week.  Canary cameras didn't offer anything because it worked only on Wi-Fi.

Also the Canary videos are so fuzzy and out of focus you might as well be using a smudged lens or no lens at all.  The images are also very pixelated so if you're looking for a clear shot of a crook's face forget it.  You might as well draw their picture instead.

[McMason2]

We are losing hope in the system, and find we regret investing in 7 cameras after a horrid burglary. The updates, which have seriously impaired all regular users, happened while I was out of the country. Unfortunately, we imagined the worse - which caused great angst. No improvements have been made despite the outcry. Reverting to the last version is something I simply do not have time to do, and the system is simply no longer serving its purpose due to the flawed software updates - so unhelpful - so disabling. Simply going back to the version that actually worked, then taking into account the many thoughtful comments, seems like a sound business model. We will be forced to a new system very soon unless these changes are made. 

[AncientGeek]

---

@McMason2 wrote:

We are losing hope in the system, and find we regret investing in 7 cameras after a horrid burglary. The updates, which have seriously impaired all regular users, happened while I was out of the country. Unfortunately, we imagined the worse - which caused great angst. No improvements have been made despite the outcry. Reverting to the last version is something I simply do not have time to do, and the system is simply no longer serving its purpose due to the flawed software updates - so unhelpful - so disabling. Simply going back to the version that actually worked, then taking into account the many thoughtful comments, seems like a sound business model. We will be forced to a new system very soon unless these changes are made. 

---

Consider purchasing additional cameras from a second vendor that have different strengths than Arlo when it is working properly.  You might be able to feel better protected now without abandoning your investment in Arlo for the future.  Consider locations for outlet powered or POE powered cameras.  You can either add a second cloud system or one that records onsite to eliminate network outages as a weak link.  When Arlo gets fixed you will have a multivendor solution, leveraging the strengths of different systems and eliminating the single point of failure inherent in a single vendor cloud recording solution.

[Retired_Member]

I wish they would have the battery status percentage on the Devices screen instead of having to press the settings button located below the video on the right.  The battery indicator to its left with the lightning symbol through it doesn't tell me anything.  I'd rather see a percentage for remaining battery power instead of having to go to another screen to see it.

One other thing.  The next Arlo cameras should not have a black shiny front so every thief who walks in the door can see it.  That's what gave my cameras away at my last apartment because the repeat thiefs who kept breaking in saw them much easier.  The camera lens is already obvious.  The shiny surface gives it away even more.  I bought the black covers that wrap around the cameras, but some genius didn't think to include the front.  Poor design.  The original white casing was bad enough, but why a shiny front?  Whoever designs these cameras must not use them.  They have the wrong people working there.  Maybe they should hire some of their customers for testing.

[AncientGeek]

---

@Retired_Member wrote:

I wish they would have the battery status percentage on the Devices screen instead of having to press the settings button located below the video on the right.  The battery indicator to its left with the lightning symbol through it doesn't tell me anything.  I'd rather see a percentage for remaining battery power instead of having to go to another screen to see it.

The battery symbol with the lightning bolt through it means your camera is being powered from a power outlet or a solar panel at that time.  Personally I find that quite informative.  If my camera is solar powered, I can tell the solar panel is receiving sufficient solar exposure and the camera is above 32°, allowing the sun to charge the battery at the time I’m checking the status.  It is true, I then need to click on the gear (V2.5.5) to see the battery level, but my solar powered cameras typically stay charged and I don’t need to check except during extreme cold or prolonged cloudiness.  For a wall powered camera, the battery is likely 100% all of the time and the lightning bolt tells you your power outlet is working.  This could be handy in the case of a GFCI outlet which might easily trip or a power outage (assuming you keep your router and Arlo base attached to a UPS)

[Lost_Cowboy33]

The update rendered the live streaming obsolete...... had the cameras since January.... wish I could return them..... it’s been 21 days since this worthless update and still no update to correct the issues..... now this is a company that really cares about its customers....... I will not be recommending this product to anyone..... 

[HmongAppleSeed]

Hurry up and fix this crap. Paid hundreds of dollars and I can't even surveil my home. My app don't even  show all my cameras. Garbage. I will recommend everyone I know to NEVER buy arlo.

[millsjw]

Clearly the last version of the IOS app functioned. How tough is it to release the last app back to the App Store? If rollback is possible, why not post instructions?  Idiots.

[AncientGeek]

---

@millsjw wrote:

Clearly the last version of the IOS app functioned. How tough is it to release the last app back to the App Store? If rollback is possible, why not post instructions?  Idiots.

---

There is no process for down-revving an app as far as I’ve heard.  I successfully returned to 2.5.5 via brute force and it worked fine, but took some time.  If you have a back up of your iOS device from prior to the release of 2.6.0 (10/20, I think).  You can erase your device, (keeping the cellular plan), restore it from that older backup, while the apps are loading (second reboot) change the settings for app updates to manual (I changed app download also just to be safe), and after all apps have been restored, you can annually update every app except Arlo manually.  Once you are up to date on everything except Arlo, do a fresh backup so you have a fresh set-point for the future and don’t have to restore from so far back.  This all takes several hours, assumes you have an old backup and assumes you have little or no local data on your device that is not also on a cloud server somewhere.  I use iCloud for Photos, etc, so I was all set.

[Lost_Cowboy33]

Still no live video on iPad Pro after almost a month. this system is now useless.... please fix or give us updates on what progress that’s being done on the app update....... I would love to get my money back if nothing is being done since I now have a useless system... thank you..

[Retired_Member]

There’s no way Arlo will release the previous version app because it doesn’t support their Arlo Doorbell. 

[mikeg279]

arlo what gives.  Black Friday no way will I purchase any of your stuff. Your silence on this issue is deafening 

fix app please

[AncientGeek]

---

@Retired_Member wrote:

There’s no way Arlo will release the previous version app because it doesn’t support their Arlo Doorbell. 

---

I think the only way to do that would be to release it as Arlo Classic until the features we all need are added back into the main version.  That way folks who didn’t need the new product support could use the better version of the app.

[sybersnot]

Thank you. Finally a reason for not fixing this mess. Why can't they just come out and post this information. Nice to know. I'll quit waiting for Costco to get the doorbells in. Or if they did post it I missed it. Either way the new app is inoperable. I downloaded the earlier app and turned off auto update.

[phahn53]

How do I get the earlier version of the app? When I get an alert I cannot view it directly but must log into the app . The concerns I have are in line with the many posts I’ve been reading.
I’m not getting alerts on most of my. cameras and one camera I cannot set a zone, it shows a picture from a month ago and I can’t get it to update to set a new motion zone . I think the issues are that Netgear sold off the Arlo camera division and it is now traded on the stock exchange. I am sure with this sale came a new team of technical and development people that had little experience with the Arlo cameras and it’s users. Please fix the camera technology or revert it !!! Perhaps you can’t revert it because Netgear owns the old technology ?? Bad news travels at warp speed and you will lose your customers like lemmings jumping off a cliff !!!! I hate my cameras now..

[paddos]

Anyone tried new iOS app 2.6.2?

Can see they added status icons back but having several other issues. Mode page is completely blank ... still didn't fix two clicks to get to device settings .... plus several others.

Just me or others seeing issues?

[RChobby]

It works ok for me. IPhone 6, iOS 12.1.