Help with geofencing, scheduling, and new app

[baumbachaflocka]

The old app worked great with geofencing, it would not arm unless every device left the area. Now it always arms if just 1 person leaves. My system is configuration is the following: anyone arrives> standby, everyone leaves> arm away

They are both set to always enabled and I have made sure that both my devices are setup correctly with always allowing precise location, notifications and do not have battery saver on. Its so frustrating because the old app worked great and the new one is so bad and we were forced to switch when we added the new cameras.

More info there is 1 iphone and 1 android phone used for geofencing, I have it set to the largest area and no other automations except for the geofencing ones.

[ShayneS]

Hi,

Can you try utilizing this setup for your schedules with the Arrive/Leave feature and let me know the results?

1. Select Routines > Automations > Select the (+) to create the desired schedules (When created, schedules will be listed under the Schedules section)

2. Create and enable the Arrive automation under > Select Automations > Select the (+) > Add Action > Change Mode > Select Standby > Next > Add an Action > Enable/Disable an Automation > Select the desired schedule > Next > Select Enable > Next
                             
3.  Create and enable the Leave automation under > Select Automations > Select the (+) > Add Action > Change Mode > Select Arm Away > Next > Add an Action > Enable/Disable an Automation > Select the desired schedule > Next > Select Disable > Next  > Save
                     

When completed you should see your options listed under the Arrive/Leave section under Automations

Thank you 

[StephenB]

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@jcrain wrote:

how do we get the app to test our location using geofencing and enter the correct mode (Away if not home, Home if at home)?

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You don't.

Have have you tried the instructions in post 4 here:

• https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Secure/Arlo-Pro-5-Setting-up-Geofencing-and-Schedule-Routines-to-...

Arrive/Leave:

Home Anyone Arrives > Always Enabled, WHEN Anyone Arrives THEN
   Home Nighttime > Enable
   Home Daytime > Enable

Away Everyone Leaves > Always Enabled, WHEN Everyone Leaves THEN
   set Arm Away (Mode)

[jcrain]

I have entered that setting that and will see what happens in the next 24 hours.

If that is how to set this up, then that is completely counter-intuitive to me, based on the UI design and previous app versions. I would never have tried that approach...Let's see!

[StephenB]

Note also post 8 in the same thread

• https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Secure/Arlo-Pro-5-Setting-up-Geofencing-and-Schedule-Routines-to-...

In the 'Day' automation:

'Day Time' = Arm Home [or whatever mode you want];
Schedule > When: > Sunrise or Custom time
CREATE THIS EXCEPTION ~ 'Then' = 'Leave*' automation is set to ENABLED.
That way, if you go out, through the day, it will trigger your 'Arm Away' mode. If you come back, it will switch to 'Arm Home' mode [or whatever modes you want to select based on how you use your modes].

 

In 'Night' automation:

'Night Time' = Arm Away [or whatever mode you want];
Schedule > When: > Sunset or Custom time
CREATE THIS EXCEPTION ~ 'Then' = 'Arrive*' automation is set to DISABLED.

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@jcrain wrote:

If that is how to set this up, then that is completely counter-intuitive to me

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Agreed.  The basic principle is to selectively disable/enable automations.  The logic you need to get the behavior you want when you combine geofencing and scheduling is too complicated.

The approach in the old app was flawed too, and many found it confusing.  But IMO this is harder, not easier.  It needs to be redesigned.

[jcrain]

Doesn't work. 😞

At sunrise, the mode stays on Arm Away, so I have to manually switch it to Arm Home. Also, I don't get notified about anything even though I've asked it to.

To confirm, the current setting is:

Geofence arrive home -> Always enabled.

WHEN Anyone arrives

THEN Arm Home, All on at night (11pm) - Enable, All off at dawn (sunrise) - Enable, Send notification.

[jguerdat]

I've tried using those settings and found it didn't work. I'm not sure why it works for some and not others but I have to use Change Mode for my schedules.

[jcrain]

OK, I can find no way to get geofencing to work after a schedule expires. So I've gone back to basics and accept that the app won't actually work the way it used to, or how I need it to.

I now tell the app to return to Arm Home at the end of the night schedule and if I ever leave the house during the schedule I will manually switch it to Arm Away. 

Arlo Support is frankly useless. They repeatedly send links to the same articles over and over without actually understanding the problem.

[ShayneS]

Hi @Bah0482 

Are you still experiencing this with Geofencing?

[jcplonghorn]

YES. Same issue going on months now. 

[ShayneS]

@jcplonghorn Thank you for the update. The team is still looking in to this. I will be sure to update this thread as soon as I can. 

[jcplonghorn]

Ok thank you. It’s completely broken the way it is. I have to keep the inside cameras disabled. I pray I don’t get robbed or worse because nothing will be recorded. 

[jcplonghorn]

Incidentally, if Arlo would agree to work with third-party assistants like IFTTT and Zapier, we would have easy workarounds for all the missing and broken Arlo features. But you don’t. Why is that??

[jcrain]

I now have an official answer from Arlo, which at least puts me out my misery.

From Arlo Support:

"I understand that you already took the troubleshooting steps that were told to you in your previous interaction with us. Thank you for the information that you shared. I have checked this case with our team, and it was recommended to either try to set up one of the schedules or the arrive/leave because if you use both, it will not work. With that, kindly select your preferred routines to set up."

[StephenB]

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@jcrain wrote:

either try to set up one of the schedules or the arrive/leave because if you use both, it will not work. 

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Clearly something they need to fix...

[jguerdat]

Strange. It works here with both although with a caveat or two...

[ATNo]

Have the same problems.

[Huskyfan]

Or with apple home.    Every geofence device that is designed to work with apple Home works flawlessly.  I’m a new Arlo user.   The app and the reliability of its geofencing is an abysmal failure.   To the point of worthless. 

[Huskyfan]

What good is a system they does not reliably arm and disarm?   What good is a system you think can be trusted, but cannot.  What good is a security system that creates multiple opportunities for false alarms?    No good at all.  Junk.   A system that goes unused due to reliability issues.

[Bah0482]

I don't think it's a coincidence, but the same day you sent this message it worked for the first time. So far for a few days arm away, and arm home have been changing correctly with geofencing. I'm guessing arlo fixed something. However I still get the same message from the old app on top of the message from the new app when coming/going for geofencing 

[jcrain]

@jguerdat Can you share?

It wouldn't be the first time Arlo have provided the wrong answer! 

[jguerdat]

All I can say is that use of both schedules and geofencing is working here. The biggest fly in the ointment for me is  that when away the schedule still changes the mode from Arm Away to Arm Home. Not a biggie in my case and, since I'm used to it, I just manually set the mode. I've made a change to my geofencing automations so Arrive enables the nighttime schedule as well as the mode change (thus I have 2 actions - one for mode change and a second one for enabling the nighttime schedule) as well as setting Leave to change modes to Arm Away and also to disable the daytime schedule. Since I'm rarely away when the daytime schedule causes the mode to change regardless of my being away, I'll have to figure out some way to test whether this is useful.

The lack of documentation for the options for automations is a problem...

[lwthomas1]

I ma converting to the Pro5 S cameras and trying to setup the Geofencing and scheduling to work together similar to the old way which has worked well for the past 6 years However,  it seems this is like some sort of rubix's cube to

setup. I have 4 test cases to get working. They are:

2 Schedules, Daytime(Unarmed) and Night time (Armed) schedule

Leave during daytime schedule (unarmed) and arm - Upon return during daytime schedule (Disarm)

Leave during daytime schedule unarmed and arm - Upon return during night Time use nighttime schedule (Armed)

Leave during night time schedule armed and arm - Upon Return during night time stay in (Armed) mode

Leave during night Time schedule armed and arm - Upon return during Daytime schedule (Disarm)

I was able to get 3 of the 4 to work correctly. However leaving while the night time schedule is active and arriving back during the night timer always seems to result in the system returning to disarmed.

Has anyone got this type of configuration setup and wiring correctly for all of these modes/cases?

Thanks.

[jguerdat]

I'm trying an extra action to help resolve an issue where my system reverts to the schedule when I'm still away (should stay in Arm Away but changes to Arm Home at the specified time). See if this helps:

For your problem routine, try using Add an Action and use Enable/Disable an Automation. Enable your nighttime schedule. Be sure to save the action as well as the routine. Does that work for you?

[lwthomas1]

The Problem I am having is if I leave while it is running the night schedule and I return home during the night schedule it sets the status to home which disarms the cameras even though it is still on the night schedule. When I leave during the daytime while it is running the daytime schedule it arms away when I leave and if I return during the daytime schedule it sets the status back to home correctly. I do have an exception set on each schedule. The one to "Disable arrive home" does not seem to be working.

 

 

I have attached the entries for both schedules.

Thanks, Larry

[jguerdat]

I was suggesting adding an action to the geofencing (Arrive/Leave) automations, not the schedules. Delete the schedules' extra action and add them to GF.

[lwthomas1]

Can you be more specific on what you would add where?

Thanks.