Geofencing stopped working

[M19add]

Hi, I’ve been using my Arlo pro 2 system for a while now with geofencing arming and disarming the system as I come and go. But more recently the system doesn’t recognise that I’ve left home. So the alarm stays disarmed. My gps system is working fine on other apps like Hue - my lights come on when I arrive home. Both my Arlo app and my iOS are fully up to date.

Thanks.

[ShayneS]

HI @SecurityService @CarpoDK

What Phone/Device, OS are you experiencing this issue with? Can you verify that you are on the IOS Arlo Mobile App 2.7.6.

[Dannybear]

@ShayneS
I mentioned previously in this thread that I had experienced the similar geofencing issue on iOS App v2.7.5 at the same time as the later update was released along with the others.

I just realised that while my iPhone 5s had not been updated, my partner’s iPhone 5s had automatically updated to v2.7.6 along with an iPad Air 2. (The auto App update setting changed was likely made by a previous apple’s iOS update.)

As our devices use the same login account as my iPhone, this would explain why it impacted my geofencing operation.
It is working again after the usual workaround. I have since updated my iPhone to v2.7.6 without issue.

[AncientGeek]

I had a problem with geofencing yesterday.  My wife’s phone had upgraded automatically, but she had not used the Arlo app on her iPhone.  She tends to use it on her iPad, so she had not reauthorized the Arlo app to use her location and her location became unknown.  Oddly some of my Arlo Q Plus cameras behaved like she was out of Zone and some behaved like she was in Zone even thought the all said here location was unknown.  I had her login and grant permission, so it was an easy fix.  Usually I try to grab her devices and take care of these “admin” tasks, but I forgot this time.

[JelloX]

I too have geofencing issues with 2.7.6. I have no problem with my iPhone however my wife used to have regular “unavailable” status with geofencing. A usual untick save then retick save for her iPhone got her back In Zone. It became very stable when our iPhone names were changed to have no spaces or characters and using IFTTT with Life360.
No matter what I try but cannot get her iPhone In Zone with 2.7.6 version.
We both have iPhone 8’s. updates to 12.2 and both phones have Arlo 2.7.6. I’ve checked IFTTT and Life360 is working ok and numerous times I’ve untick/saved - tick/save and cannot get her iPhone In Zone.

[JelloX]

I’ve resolved the issue.
In iOS settings for ALLOW ARLO TO ACCESS had Location set to Never. Changed it to Always and wife’s phone is now In Zone. I normally check this setting when I have Geofencing issues and it’s always been set to Always allow access to location. For some reason 2.7.6 set it to Never. Strange as this is the first time I’ve seen this setting being altered automatically.
Hope this may help others.

[AncientGeek]

V2.7.6 made us reauthorize location services, so it would have been easy for your wife to say no without considering the consequences 

[howarmat]

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@AncientGeek wrote:

V2.7.6 made us reauthorize location services, so it would have been easy for your wife to say no without considering the consequences 

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Right this might be a problem for many.  I know it popped back up for me as I uninstalled the app and such but I remember it also popped up after install of newest version

[JelloX]

Yes ancientgeek looking back at your previous post you did mention re-authorizing location on the Arlo app. Thanks for confirming the issue. Wonder why they did this when my wife had already authorized location access previously?

[AncientGeek]

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@JelloX wrote:
Yes ancientgeek looking back at your previous post you did mention re-authorizing location on the Arlo app. Thanks for confirming the issue. Wonder why they did this when my wife had already authorized location access previously?

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I assume there are rules governing Apple app developers which require them to seek authorization based on what they change in the app from version to version.  Otherwise an unscrupulous developer could seek approval for V1 based on certain published functionality and then keep that authorization while dramatically changing what the app does with that permission.

[Dannybear]

@AncientGeek,
It may have been a unexpected consequence of adding home data access.
Having said that it pains me to try and understand why it was released without a note to reapply the permissions.
I didn’t update my phone arlo app but changed my permissions regardless so this must be server side issue.

[AncientGeek]

V2.7.6 does request permission as soon as it is run.  Obviously it can’t request permission until it is run and I suspect the permission had to “fail safe” to “never” until it was explicitly granted by the user.  Perhaps an email message to customers would have been a way to disseminate information about the implications of this requirement on geofencing.

[CarpoDK]

The problem is both on iOS app 2.7.6 and after the update to 2.7.7.

All settings ar correct - and I am in the geofencing zone but the app goes to away mode - and this is wront according to the setting ("Home" is disarmed and "Away" mode in my setting is armed)..........

[AncientGeek]

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@CarpoDK wrote:

The problem is both on iOS app 2.7.6 and after the update to 2.7.7.

All settings ar correct - and I am in the geofencing zone but the app goes to away mode - and this is wront according to the setting ("Home" is disarmed and "Away" mode in my setting is armed)..........

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Have you tried the workarounds mentioned previously?  Verify your device status in geofencing settings to see what Arlo devices Arlo is using and what is says about those devices with regard to In Zone, Out of Zone or unknown.  If the right device(s) are checked, but the status is wrong.  Remove the check mark, save, go out of the app and come back in and add the check mark back again and save.  Someone also mentioned checking the Apple Maps app, but I’m not certain that is related.  It would be a good confirmation that at least your phone knows your correct location, even if Arlo doesn’t.

[CarpoDK]

Thank you for help.

Arlo is working again for me 🙂

[wsscott]

No luck for me now for about 2-3 weeks.  I'm running Arlo 2.7.7.  IOS 12.2.  Had been working fine for probably a year, now very erratic.  I have 2 iPhone 7's.  A real pain.  I've done all of the stuff that's been discussed but doesn't seem to hold the settings.  I don't know if there's anything in the Reset section of IOS that would help or not.  A solution would be greatly appreciated.  I had really been please with the way it had been working for me.

[AncientGeek]

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@wsscott wrote:

No luck for me now for about 2-3 weeks.  I'm running Arlo 2.7.7.  IOS 12.2.  Had been working fine for probably a year, now very erratic.  I have 2 iPhone 7's.  A real pain.  I've done all of the stuff that's been discussed but doesn't seem to hold the settings.  I don't know if there's anything in the Reset section of IOS that would help or not.  A solution would be greatly appreciated.  I had really been please with the way it had been working for me.

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My only other thought is to deinstall the app from both phones, restart the iPhones and reinstall the app.  Make sure you allow the Arlo app to do location tracking “always”.  Make sure both current devices...not some legacy device that Arlo still, displays in geofencing for some odd reason...like a previously damaged and replaced iPhone of the same model....are checked in the “Enabled Devices” section.  Make sure you are both logged into different Arlo accounts...one with ownership and one with shared access.

I can’t think of anything else unless there are some odd router settings that would prohibit location reporting, but you could test that by turing off WiFi on your phones as along as you have some cellular signal in your home...to see if that changes your location.  Also confirm your location in Maps just to be sure the phone knows it is home...which it very likely does.

[wsscott]

Here's a thought, I recently replaced both of my iPhone 5's with the iPhone 7's.  As I think about it, the issue probably started with the new devices. They were setup based on the backups from the 5's.  You can't delete devices from the list in Arlo Settings, but the new phones appear to have taken over from the older devices that were replaced.  I say this because I have different names for the new devices and they show up in the Device List with the new names, but the older devices don't appear in the list of devices.  I wonder if that's what's causing the problem.  Thoughts?

[ShayneS]

The development team is working on an app release that addresses several geofencing issues being reported by users. We hope to have that app update available soon. 

[AncientGeek]

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@wsscott wrote:

Here's a thought, I recently replaced both of my iPhone 5's with the iPhone 7's.  As I think about it, the issue probably started with the new devices. They were setup based on the backups from the 5's.  You can't delete devices from the list in Arlo Settings, but the new phones appear to have taken over from the older devices that were replaced.  I say this because I have different names for the new devices and they show up in the Device List with the new names, but the older devices don't appear in the list of devices.  I wonder if that's what's causing the problem.  Thoughts?

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interesting....seems like it might be related.  If you have not already done it, I'd try removing the app, power cycling the phones and reinstalling the app and allowing Arlo the permissions it requests... as I mentioned above.  If that doesn't help and you have tried all of the other suggestions, perhaps you will need to wait for the update as suggested by Arlo.

[wsscott]

I think I'll wait for the update and see if that works.  Thanks for your input.

[gingeneer]

Any updates on the geofencing issue?/  Using iOS and have been using geofencing for over a year, no real problems.  Recently noticed I stopped getting in/out alerts and looked at geofencing - sure enought my position is accurately pinned OUT of the area but geofencing is NOT armed,  I try switching the mode and the back to geofencing and get a "geofencing at home" even though the map (correclty) pins me outside the area. 

Big problem, the app recognizes I'm out of the area but will not arm system.  I have had this running for >1 year without changing any parameters so it is a software issue.  Will use iftt until arlo decides to offer support for its problem.