Motion alarm can barely be heard on Essential Camera with spotlight; not loud as it was previously

[MG4]

Arlo pro 4 siron's volume low when motion activated. This used to work fine. Siron 's volume is loud when turned on manually, but low when alarm is set.

[ShayneS]

The Arlo development team is currently investigating this issue. We will provide an update as soon as we have more information to share with the community.

[Dannybear]

If you’re referring to the cameras with internal siren that’s connected to a base station, try changing the camera to connect directly to the local wifi network instead as a workaround until the base station firmware is fixed. 

[Angie4924]

My Essential Spotlight camera (VMC2030B) was purchased in July 2022.  The motion detecting alarm has been very loud and worked good until recently .  Now, it can barely be heard.  But, the siren feature works fine and is loud.  I have reset the camera; charged it to 100%, but still no luck.  I am using a Pro base station and my 3-month subscription is still valid.  I have a Pro camera on the same Pro base station without any issues.

[RegularJoe]

Are you saying an alarm would emanate from the camera?

Oh, I see what you're saying.. what their system calls a "siren".. that's what your saying used to be loud!

  I turned mine on, once, just to play with it.. and it wasn't very loud. I wasn't under the impression that it's volume could be made louder.

  Heck, I don't think the function that allows you to speak from your phone to the camera is loud enough for a person to hear unless he's standing right by it.

[MG4]

Arlo support asked me (email from Prasanth) to create a custom mode in Smart Hub. I created the customer mode, set up motion trigger, action, recording settings, and notification. Still experiencing the same issue. The siren's volume very low when camera is added to the Smart hub. a new custom mode did not help.

I am wondering why can't support team test this in their lab?

Also, they are asking me to contact the support team from within the Arlo app. Unfortunately, since I am still on my three month trial period, the support info not available (only pointing to the documentation and Arlo product). How come Arlo support doesn't know that?

I cannot even reply to the email.

This is like a nightmare. I am in IT business and supporting large numbers of users. If I do respond like this, I will definitely be fired in no time!

I am giving up if this issue will ever be resolved. As it has been mentioned in previous post, this has been lingering since 2019.

Sorry to see such a great product, yet I have to go though this to get a feature of product working.

[maddog1000]

Arlo Pro 2 floodlight camera siren will not activate when triggered by the motion detector.  However, it will sound loudly when activated manually.  Do I have an incorrect setting somewhere?

[StephenB]

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@maddog1000 wrote:

Arlo Pro 2 floodlight camera siren will not activate when triggered by the motion detector.  However, it will sound loudly when activated manually.  Do I have an incorrect setting somewhere?

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Have you checked the rule for the camera to make sure the siren is activated when the camera detects motion?

• https://kb.arlo.com/42/What-are-modes-and-rules-and-how-does-Arlo-use-them

FWIW, the only floodlight model is the Pro 3 floodlight.  Other cameras have spotlights, but not a flood.

[StephenB]

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@MG4 wrote:

Also, they are asking me to contact the support team from within the Arlo app. Unfortunately, since I am still on my three month trial period, the support info not available (only pointing to the documentation and Arlo product). 

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Actually that's not true - you are entitled to phone support during the trial subscription.  

Try going in to the support section of the app (not my.arlo.com) and select a camera that has a subscription (paid or trial).  Scroll down to the contact section and you should see a phone icon you can use for phone support.

[MG4]

Hello Guru,

You have mentioned: "select a camera that has a subscription (paid or trial)", my question is: why should I pay for the subscription while still under the three months trial? I was planning to subscribe after the three months trial is over.

I remember a post while back saying the minute you subscribe, Arlo will start changing you, regardless of how much trial period left.

[StephenB]

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@MG4 wrote:

You have mentioned: "select a camera that has a subscription (paid or trial)", my question is: why should I pay for the subscription while still under the three months trial?

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I said paid OR trial.  If you have a camera with a trial subscription, just select that one.

[ShayneS]

Is the siren not being triggered or activated but the volume is extremely low?

[maddog1000]

Yes, it is extremally low!

[MG4]

What is a trial subscription?  Am I automatically subscribed while in 3 months trial? Or, I need to subscribe specifically?

 Don't I get charged if I specifically subscribe? However there is no option to contact Arlo from the App.

BTW, why can't you contact me? I cannot find any support phone number for Arlo

[StephenB]

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@MG4 wrote:

BTW, why can't you contact me? I cannot find any support phone number for Arlo

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I don't work for Arlo.  My only way to connect with you is through the forum.

Arlo doesn't publish a phone number for support.  Phone support normally is through the app (not my.arlo.com).  Did you try the steps I provided above?

Try going in to the support section of the app (not my.arlo.com) and select a camera that has a subscription (paid or trial).  Scroll down to the contact section and you should see a phone icon you can use for phone support.

Just pick the camera with the problem if you are in the 3 month trial.

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@MG4 wrote:

What is a trial subscription?  Am I automatically subscribed while in 3 months trial? Or, I need to subscribe specifically?

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"3 month trial" is the same as "trial subscription".   You should have been opted in automatically when you onboarded the cameras.  If you go into the subscription area of the app, you should see the trial subscription status there (perhaps in manage cameras).

[ShayneS]

This issue has been identified and a fix is coming soon. I will provide more info as soon as I can. 

[Ckirby]

I also have recently had the same experience with my Pro 4 camera. Siren is set at 100% volume and is barely audible when camera is motion triggered but loud when manually triggered through the app. Was normal loud volume when motion triggered on 09-14-2022 and when siren was next set for activation (again at 100%) and was motion triggered on 09-21-2022, the volume was barely audible. My cameras are also connected to a Smart Hub. Was there a firmware update during that week period for cameras and/or Smart Hub that would be causing the low siren volume problem? 

[Ckirby]

Just saw your post about the fact the problem has been identified. How will you be communicating to the Arlo community about the solution so we can keep an eye out for your answer? Through this thread or a general email or other means? Thank you for helping with this issue. 

[ShayneS]

@Ckirby

Per my previous post, I will provide an update to this thread when the update has been released.

Thanks 

[Iamikec]

Thanks I recently started having this issue with an Arlo pro 4 camera, it’s a pain as the siren when working normally does a great job scaring deer away

[ShayneS]

@Iamikec

I completely understand, hopefully we can start scaring the deer away soon! 

[MG4]

Any update on this, please? When will we see the fix for the siren volume issue for cameras added to Smart Hub?

[ShayneS]

The issue has been identified and an update is being planned for release soon.

[DavidNorris]

I have 3 Arlo Pro 3 cameras around my home. I have the siren Volume set to 100%. When I activate the siren manually the sound is loud as expected. When I set the Custom Mode that I configured IE: 'Siren Mode', where I have rules for each camera to activate the siren when motion is detected then the siren is so low I can barely hear it. I have reset the cameras, deleted the mode and re-configured my custom 'Siren Mode', but when when motion is detected the Siren volume is low. Tested activating the Siren for each Camera manually and the sound is loud as expected. I have spoken to tech support and they asked me to delete the device from the App, Reset the camera to factory settings by clicking the button on the camera and then adding the the device again. Which I have done. Still the Volume on the Siren is so low it is almost inaudible. The System has been working working great for the past 2 years. This has occured in the last 2-3 weeks. I think there is bug in the software. Please help, the system is not very useful if the siren volume is not even audible. Thanks, please assist.

[Dannybear]

All you can do is check the custom mode’s camera rule has the siren set to max and wait for arlo to fix the bug.

[Zbrit00x]

I have multiple locations using Arlo 4 cameras with base stations. They were great, when a camera would trip due to motion, audio etc the siren would be extremely loud. This was a few months ago.

Fast forward to now. When the siren triggers due to motion, audio, you can barely hear the siren. If you use the app to manually trigger a siren (which defeats the purpose of the auto siren and notifications), the siren is the correct loudness.

All cameras which are on separate base stations in entirely different cities and were affected overnight it seems.

I’ve had some cameras for months, some for years. They all have the same issue. 

[Dannybear]

You’re meant to contact arlo customer support to raise awareness that their supplied equipment is not working with their supplied firmware and software that you are paying them to use.

look in the arlo app settings page, select support and choose the equipment you have to see what support your entitled to receive.