Arlo Pro 4 Issues

[WC409]

Very bad first post, but, it is what it is. I am pretty savvy at figuring out  issues, but I am giving up on the Arlo Pro 4, after 6 days of fiddling, hours per day. The hardware is amazing, the mount, the battery holds up well. The camera quality of vids is excellent. However, the software is absolutely the most frustrating I have ever tried to work with. Problem I tried to resolve was that push notifications would work as expected, using my Samsung S21 Ultra 5g phone, until it did not. After a few hours of inactivity, I would get text type notifications, but no sound with them. Sure, rebooting phone would correct it, for a few hours, then right back to no sound on push notification. Yes, I worked with every setting possible in every area, phone and camera. A few times I thot I had it figured out that permissions was the issue, but quickly learned that this was not it. I even resorted to using a text conversion to email, used that as email notification, thought I was done, but guess what? I then got 2 texts for every triggered event. There was a little time delay for the notification to go thru that way, acceptable, but not when I get 2 texts every time.

I called tech support one time, and quickly learned that I am more knowlegable than they are. No help in complex issue like this.

I would rather send this complaint as an email to Arlo, but can't find anyplace to do that, so here it is for all to see. Here is what REALLY adds to my frustration level: I did a LOT of online research, and the Arlo Pro 4 seemed to always be at the top of the heap with glowing recommendations. The hardware IS great, but the software issues make it unacceptable to me. Just wonder how all the great reviews when buggy software makes the hardware useless?

My search for answers shows that the forums and www are FULL of similar complaints about software issues. My advice to anyone considering a Pro 4 camera, look elsewhere, unless your tolerance for frustrating troubleshooting is way high!

Arlo, you have a great product, but your software is killing us out here. I am done. Taking camera back to store, if they wont let me return it, I will take a sledge hammer to it.

[WC409]

So, I got weak, called tech support again. This time the support was way worse. Upfront, I told the gal that I had talked with tech already and need a top tier tech to address the lost notification sound. She just continued in limited english to ask basic questions and take me thru steps we have already visited. Tried tell her Please upgrade this case, but she just continued with the things that have already been tried.

After reading a 3 page thread on this problem, I fully get that Arlo does not have a clue what the problem is, tech support can not help and neither can Arlo.

As soon as I send this, out to the garage I go to remove the Pro 4 camera and back it goes to the store.

It is a nice product with issues that can't be solved. End of story. Hope ya'll have better success.

Very sad that such a nice cam simply can NOT be fixed at this point in time. Doubt I will ever try Arlo again.

[JamesC]

WC409,

The issue you describe sounds like a setting on your mobile device is suppressing the audible alert when the phone is idle after a period of time. Do you have any battery saving settings or third party applications enabled on the mobile device that could be doing this? Are any other applications behaving this way? Do you have a different mobile device you could test the Arlo app on to see if you experience the same behavior?

JamesC

[WC409]

James,

Thanks for your kind reply. I have seen your responses to other folks and I can tell you are truly trying to help folks.

I have spent 7 days trying to work this problem out on my Samsung S21 Ultra 5g, many many hours, sometimes even getting up in middle of night to try another setting.  Been thru every suggestion out there on the www, including changing battery settings. As far as I know, I don't have a 3rd party app that might be interfering. I agree with you that it is possible there is some hidden setting on my phone that is the problem, but I am more inclined to believe that the Arlo app is misbehaving. I say that becuz I have read thru the "push notification"  3 pages of threads on here, and for over a year this problem has persisted with no reliable work around or fix. Have not had an issue with any other apps, all notifications are rock solid for email, txt, etc.

My wife does have an S10 phone, but I am pretty much burnt out on this. I do not want the 15 days to go by, when I would for sure be unable to return the Arlo Pro 4. It requires hours to wait and see if the notifications work after phone/cam is idle, and my small business is kicking into gear right now, so time is running out.

I appreciate your response. I sure hope Arlo can get a handle on this problem as it seems to be pervasive and plentiful with lots of their products. Their tech support experience today is what really pushed me off the edge. I had a gal who only had a list of items to check, which I already did the day before. When I asked to go to top tier tech support, she ignored that and kept on with the elementary settings which I have been thru maybe dozens of times, not to mention that understanding her was near impossible due to accent.

I have taken the Pro 4 down and boxing it up tonight. Very sorry to have to do this, becuz I think the hardware is outstanding.

Thanks.

[WC409]

James,

Question for you. I have returned the Pro 4 version successfully.  If I were to buy a Pro 3 Floodlight version, would I likely run into the same push notification problems as I had with the Pro 4?

Thanks

[JamesC]

WC409,

The issue as described seems to be a problem with the mobile device or an interaction between the mobile app and software on the mobile device, not the camera hardware, so it's likely that you would have this issue regardless of which model camera you have. If you're able to reproduce the issue with another camera model, let me know and we can investigate the issue further.

JamesC

[WC409]

Thanks. Will contemplate whether I am up for more troubleshooting.....