Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight (FB1001) - very dim light with motion trigger

[MNUser11]

I have an Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight (FB1001). When motion triggers the camera and floodlight to turn on, the light comes on but is very dim...looks to be at the lowest 5% level.  I don't know when exactly this started but it seems to be within the last month or two.  I know it used to go to what I have it set to which is at 70-80%.  I can intervene while it's recording, just touching the brightness slider in the iOS app and it will get brighter.  When manually turning on the floodlight in the app, it will turn on at the brighness I select.  Here's what I've tried for troubleshooting with no change.

-Tried all combinations of camera settings in the app that can be changed

-Tested it with and without the outdoor AC power cord (I typically always have it connected)

-Tested it inside near my Arlo base station

-Power cycled the camera (remove battery, wait a minute, re-installed)

-Power cycled the hub

-Removed the camera from my system and added it back

Camera Firmware: 1.080.30.3_42_3516c1d (camera info says "no updates available"), Hardware: H6. 

It's connected to my Arlo Base Station: VMB4000r3, Base Firmware: 1.26.0.0_4712_12a0681

Is there anything else I can do to fix this?

Is anyone else having the same experience or insight?

Does Arlo staff monitor these messages where they will try & help me?

[StephenB]

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@MNUser11 wrote:

I have an Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight (FB1001). When motion triggers the camera and floodlight to turn on, the light comes on but is very dim...looks to be at the lowest 5% level. 

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Do you see "Library" in the app menu?  Or do you instead see "Feed" and "Dashboard"?

If you see "Library" go into the camera settings, and select "Light Settings".  Check the brightness setting in there.

If you see "Feed" and "Dashboard", then go into the camera settings and then select "Default Mode Settings"

[MNUser11]

Thanks for your reply. 

Along the bottom of the app I have "Devices", "Library", "Mode", & "Settings".  I've verified/changed the brightness in the light settings.  I have it at 80%.  There's no change.  The light still turns on very dim, equivalent to 5% brightness when triggered by motion.

I've heard of folks losing the custom modes.  I still have them and use them.  I don't want to lose them so I chose not to activate or upgrade when Arlo made the recent price/plan changes.  This issue with the dim floodlight has probably been going on since they made those changes.  But I'm not exactly sure when.

[StephenB]

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@MNUser11 wrote:

I've heard of folks losing the custom modes.  I still have them and use them.  I don't want to lose them so I chose not to activate or upgrade when Arlo made the recent price/plan changes.  

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Arlo will at some point migrate you to "Feed" and "Dashboard" - it is just a matter of when, not if.  The app actually has both "Library" and "Feed" - the one you get depends on how they have your account set up in their cloud.  So they can switch it, even if you do not make any changes in your setup.

While "Feed" has no custom modes (big miss by Arlo), they have said they will be adding them back (or something similar).  Hopefully that will be soon.   In the meantime, since you use custom modes, you should stick with "Library" as long as you can is the right path.

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@MNUser11 wrote:

Along the bottom of the app I have "Devices", "Library", "Mode", & "Settings".  I've verified/changed the brightness in the light settings.  I have it at 80%.  There's no change.  The light still turns on very dim, equivalent to 5% brightness when triggered by motion.

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Have you tried rebooting the camera?  (removing the battery for a few seconds, and reinserting it)?

A hardware reset might also resolve it -

1. removing it from your account,
2. opening the camera and pressing "sync" until the LED flashes amber (~15 sec),
3. adding the camera back to your account.

[chucklesleung]

I've got the same setup.  I did a the hardware reset and there is not improvement in the brightness of the light. I've tried playing around with all the settings in the app but no luck so far.

[chucklesleung]

So I just updated the app and I think that it may have solved the problem.

[pallepaf]

It’s not resolved, I have the same problem even though I’ve updated the app. It must be a firmware issue. Has there been a recent firmware update?

[MNUser11]

The app version has nothing to do with how the floodlight functions.  I can use my laptop to log in, mess with the settings, and the light will not react any differently to motion alarms.  It just doesn't make sense that the app version would affect the camera functionality.  I'm still waiting for an actual solution to this dim floodlight upon motion alarm.

[allBlacks]

I have 5 of these floodlights around my property and also noticed couple of months ago the light being emitted is a fraction of what it used to be.

I have mine set to 100% and powered by AC so should be maximum light. Did the usual resetting of hub&app, updating to latest release but no joy.

Convinced it’s software related as I changed my front floodlight for a new one recently as thought it was faulty but get exactly the same issue.

It might be just coincidence but when manually turning the floodlight on via the app I get much better light that when the floodlight turns on for an alert. The light is that low it’s hard to see what’s causing the alert. Would get better results using a torch.

Yet another Arlo software bug?

[BrookeN]

Can you please provide if you are on iOS or android, also can you please provide what firmware version those are on as well? 

[allBlacks]

Hi,

iPhone 16 pro max IOS 18.4

The newest floodlight Firmware 1.080-

_31.0_27_aac10aa

Base station VMB5000r5 Firmware 1.26.0.0_1912_12a0681

Iphone app version 5.7.5(9227)

As mentioned I have 5 floodlights that have worked flawlessly for a couple of years lighting my property up like a football field. That was until a couple of months ago when the brightness is a fraction of what it used to be. All set to 100%. Must be software as even my new replacement flood is doing exactly the same. Real shame as they were great.

[pallepaf]

iPhone 16 pro IOS 18.3.2

Floodlight Firmware 1.080-

_31.0_27_aac10aa

Base station VMB5000r4

Firmware 1.26.0.0_1912_12a0681

I have two floodlights that behave the same - dim light when triggered even though connected to power outlet, strong light when manually activated. Started to behave like this about one month ago.

[allBlacks]

Yes there is obviously an issue here that I had hoped would be fixed with recent build releases but no.

Given I fitted a new floodlight a couple of weeks ago thinking hardware problem and get exactly the same issue it must be software.

Is it possible the extra 30% brightness these floodlights are meant to get when AC powered is not being unlocked? Although that wouldn’t explain how the lights are brighter when manually activated via the app as opposed to when recording an alert.

come on Arlo, get this sorted. I have lightbulbs inside my house that are now brighter.

[StephenB]

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@allBlacks wrote:

Is it possible the extra 30% brightness these floodlights are meant to get when AC powered is not being unlocked? Although that wouldn’t explain how the lights are brighter when manually activated via the app as opposed to when recording an alert.

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It is possible, but the floodlight is quite bright when running on the battery.  So this doesn't really fit the symptoms.

[BrookeN]

I have sent this information onto our development team to investigate. I will update the community as soon as possible. 

[BrookeN]

Do you mind sending a link for one of the videos that show the floodlight on?

[allBlacks]

Sorry I’m not prepared to put links to views of my property on the internet and I’ve found raising tickets with Arlo customer service in the past to be a frustrating waste of time. Maybe one of the other affected users might.

i can however tell you that the amount of light coming off these floodlights is next to nothing when they are recording alerts which is really useful. Manual turning on the floodlight via the app is much brighter. 

I did notice if I set them to ‘pulsate’ it goes from full bright down to near nothing. It’s the near nothing level of brightness that is permanently on when recording an alert in normal mode.

[StephenB]

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@allBlacks wrote:

Sorry I’m not prepared to put links to views of my property on the internet

I believe @BrookeN was thinking that you'd send them via DM, and not post them publicly.  You can send a DM using the envelope icon in the upper left of the forum page.

[allBlacks]

After some thought over the weekend it’s with regret I’ve decided to replace all my Arlo cameras. I spend lengthy periods away from home with work and just can’t rely on this system to even deter intruders never mind actually capture alerts at my home.

its been a frustrating few years with what felt like endless hardware & software bugs that customer service were unable to fix or couldn’t be bothered escalating. The floodlight squealing sounds on the audio was reported here back in 2022 by another user and is still in all my old and new floodlights so have audio turned off. Brilliant. https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Pro-3-Floodlight/Arlo-Pro-3-Floodlight-Camera-constant-static-dis...

Anyhow the floodlights now with the brightness of a torch is enough for me. Good luck to everyone sticking with this system.