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.

[DCS36]

After the update to the new iOS, camera’s no longer perform live feeds, just shows a picture of the last image the camera alarmed on/recorded. Multiple camera view is gone, which is disappointing! Time between the last recording and current time, no longer reflects the correct time frame on each camera in bottom left hand corner. (example: alarmed/video recorded on front door 15 mins ago, reflects last alarm/recording as 2 days ago). Not to mention there are lapses in alarm/recording, system did not record anthing for hours, which I know is not right, since one of our cams is watching a very busy street. 

Already tried rebooting everything multiple times, but issues remain.......... I have since turned off automatic updates on my devices, just wish I could go back to the old version of the app. 

One of my neighbors has a Nest system, I sure was impressed with it! Think I may sell my Arlo stuff (take my losses) and purchase a More reliable system......... A year of grief is long enough!

[AncientGeek]

Try forcing the app to close on your iOS device.  I had the same issue, but managed to get it to work after doing a force close...flicking the app upward.

I own Arlo, Nest, Axis, LogiCircle, and other cameras.  Over 50 cameras in all, monitoring four locations.  They all have pros and cons.  Arlo has the best combination of geofencing, rules and schedules and the most flexibility in terms of power...battery, solar, wired.  Nest does great full time recording and I really like their newer Outdoor IQ cameras.  But they require access to a power outlet, so they are not quite as flexible in terms of location.  Axis does local recording and doesn’t use network bandwidth for recording as a result...and will record when the network is down.  Nest won’t do that.  Arlo does it via USB on the Pro base station or embedded MicroSD card in the Q-Plus.  Q-Plus and Axis will do power over IP, but Nest doesn’t.  At least not natively... perhaps with some 3rd party gear.  Axis cameras start at a higher price and require more work to get them to do notifications.

i tend to use two or three of these platforms at each location to leverage their relative strengths 

[DudeDad]

The fact that the new arlo icon is listed ahead of bug fixes, that says it all -- NO THOUGHT.  

1.  I pay for premiere so that I can use activity zones running on battery.  Now, I get constant pop-ups for each camera telling me that there's no AC power and that activity zones are disabled.  Did anyone test this terrible update?  Did you use actual users?  

2.  The moving of the battery and wifi icons to a submenu that requires 2 taps per camera is a fireable offense.  Whoever said "hey, let's take the useful info that all users check daily and bury them in sub menus" should be fired.

This is a terrible update...you made problems where none existed.  Tell my what I am getting with premiere?

[adraper12]

I have 2 arlo baby, plus a Go and Pro2 cameras. I have no volume on the baby monitor. I can’t hear them on a baby monitor!!! Kind of important it’s why we have it!! Was working great till the app updated to 2.6.0 today!!!

[DudeDad]

Nothing says "enhanced user experience" than the attached pic

[adraper12]

Same here to on all 6 of my Pro 2.

[DCS36]

Thanks for the info AncientGeek! I had to add an extra step after forcing a quit on the app, which was to reboot my device as well. At least live view is back now, so that is helpful!

I run several different camera systems as well, you are right they all have their pro’s & cons…… Unfortunately, Arlo has been the least reliable system for us. 

Thanks again for your help!

[AncientGeek]

Happy to help.  Good luck and enjoy!

[RChobby]

Total fail, Arlo. Grade is F on this update. Please give us the old version back, this is horrible.

[marcusl]

Well - i have an arlo baby and now have lost ALL SOUND. 

Well done Netgear - my baby monitor is now useless. 

[Jtxnet]

I have been a customer of the Arlo system since the beginning, have three base stations, and the max quantity of cameras allowed by the top plan.   I mention this only to point out that I do have some experience with the product.

So today after this 2.6.0 app update I decided to join this forum to join in the chorus of complaints about the UI change that now requires two clicks to get to actual camera status, then you need to click out and go through the same for each camera.  With many cameras this is a real time waster.   My typical routine was to open the app and do a quick scroll through my cameras to see activity, wifi, and most importantly: battery status. Now this nightmare!

I remember when there was briefly an Arlo app release that had the preview image so dark it was nearly unusable.  Many customers complained with “what were they thinking?” type of comments and Arlo quickly responded with a fixed version.  I thought to myself “well they really learned their lesson on that one.”   Now, however, this change must be THE “what were they thinking” moment for the Arlo app with its “anti-user” UI change.

I realize the developers work hard and have the best intentions, but for the future please focus on bug fixes, new product support, and refinements that make it easier for the users.   I look forward an updated Arlo app. that returns us to the elegant simplicity of the original UI.   Thank you!

[AncientGeek]

Jtxnet:  I remember that release also.  I was one of those who reacted.  I also remember the day in 2016 when Arlo pushed out a firmware release that removed 5 of my 10 cameras from my system shortly after I arrived in Italy on a 10 day holiday.  I explained my anger and my situation in detail and was then instructed to move my cameras close to the base station and resync them.  No problem, I’ll fly 4,000 miles back home to do that and then fly 4,000 miles back to Italy.  I just shook my head.  I was building a house at the time and the cameras were critical to my keeping track of progress while I was away.

[Jtxnet]

AncientGeek:  Indeed it seems release managers, QA types, etc. at Arlo need to get closer to understanding the real world for their customers.   Example 1: many customers that have a significant quantity of these cameras have them mounted in outdoor locations that require a ladder to change batteries so when camera firmware updates come along (which really hammer the batteries) I do appreciate that there is hopefully an important improvement in that firmware, but do not look forward to having to replace batteries earlier than normal.  So my view is that unless there is a critical security issue the camera firmware updates should be restricted to once or twice a year maximum.  Example 2: for at least the past year or so changing camera modes for one base station will result in a random camera on another base station falsely detecting movement, recording, and wasting battery life, Example 3: Depending on the number of mode changes per day the base stations seem to require a reboot every 1 to 2 weeks or they loose camera connections or go off line completely, and if you have multiple base stations you need to wait about 10 minutes between those reboots or after the reboot some of the cameras will not reconnect so multiple reboots are required to return all cameras online.   I think we all appreciate how amazing the Arlo system is I just wish they would focus more on product, app, and firmware QUALITY improvements to the user experience for real customers.

[RM36]

I agree.
I bought 4 cams and what a mistake!
Tree branches set them off.
Bugs set them off
Cars set them off yet people have coe to my door or walked in my property & never once were they captured on cam.

[AncientGeek]

RM36:  I have cameras from Arlo, Nest, Axis and Ring.  They all react to motion from branches, bugs, fast moving clouds on sunny days, etc.  False alarms outnumber useful alarms by 100 to 1 for me.  However, missing real people is a problem.  Part of the problem for Arlo wireless cameras is the time it takes from the motion detection event until the camera is on.  There is a delay that can be significant.  The angle of the motion is also critical.  Objects coming straight at the camera are harder to detect than objects crossing in front of the camera.  When possible, it is handy to use cameras in pairs, so motion detected by one camera records on two or more cameras with overlapping or adjacent fields of view.

If you have access to power outlet or a network cable, the Arlo-Q Plus (POE or direct powered) or Arlo Pro2 with a power cord attached can add seconds of recording at the critical front of of motion recognition.  Nest and Axis cameras also do this well since they must be powered by wire rather than battery.  Battery operation prohibits continuous recording which is needed to capture a few seconds prior to a motion event being detected. Short of that pairing cameras does improve your chances of capturing what you need to see.

[Jtxnet]

RM36:   Not making excuses here for Arlo, but I have many of these cameras outdoors and have learned the hard way that there is an “art” to both camera placement and motion sensitivity settings that sometimes takes many trial and error interations to get right.   For example in one area I have had to place two cameras: one not to get a view of the intruder, but to trigger another camera that is placed in a better position to get an ideal view of the intruder yet by itself would not trigger on head on motion.   There are plenty of posts in the community forum that explain all the user lessons learned and things to consider.   I for one have spent more ladder time than I would have preferred, but after some time my system works great and my ladder time only comes at battery change time.  Hopefully Arlo will quickly return the prior UI in app that they botched in 2.6.0 and I will be back to a normal operations.  

[sybersnot]

Yes I agree it sucks.. a lot.

[jamesglewisf]

This thread is really about how they screwed everything up with the latest software release, not camera placement.

[bkinyoun57]

Same issue here!!   All my cameras now show this message:   "AC Power Has Been Disconnected From Your Arlo Device. Activity Zones Are Currently Disabled".  I have been live chatting with Arlo support and they refuse to even read the reviews/concerns on their own forum.  The are USELESS!!  They better fix this ASAP or I will be changing systems and asking for a total refund!!

[sybersnot]

I was going to buy 3 more cameras to replace my old one with no sound...but not now. Glad they scewed up the app today instead of Monday. They don't care about their users.

[AncientGeek]

Sybersnot:  I haven’t seen any wire free cameras I like better...even with the occasional major screwup from Arlo.  If you can power your cameras with a wire, you have several decent alternatives.

[Iamspartacus8]

To like the cameras. This is about the counter intuitive app update. B4 I could see all my cameras on device tab without scrolling. Battery WiFi records for each on one screen.

Now I can only see the main without scrolling . No bat , not # notifications, WiFi strength etc . Those are multiple clicks away.

Really other than the new logo , can’t see how my user experience has been enhanced . Just the opposite.

Can we get a way to roll back? Can you make the device screen view personally customizable?

Arlo I’m sorry but you really missed the mark

[Lemondog7]

Totally agree. The new UI is NOT user friendly anymore.

[Lemondog7]

Totally agree with you that the new app ‘upgrade’ is a total failure.

[Lemondog7]

Yes. New update destroyed usability. Last version UI was great. This version, terrible. Everybody.....don’t update if u want to use your cameras and app.