Recordings from some cameras not available in library

[Wings-]

I recently upgraded to Arlo pro 4 cameras. I do not have a subscription. As these no longer come with any free cloud storage, I added a USB stick to my base station for local storage.

My issue is that recordings from a couple specific cameras are never available in the library on the app. The recordings do exist on my local storage, tested by removing the USB stick from the base station and viewing its contents on a PC. Recordings from my other cameras do show up in the library. I have 6 cameras total, and this issue occurs with at least 2 of them.

[DannyBearAgain]

The older cameras were likely bundled with the 7days free cloud storage, the newer cameras need a subscription plan to record to the cloud library. It is likely that the camera trial subscription ended for the newer cameras. 

[Wings-]

I have local storage though. Are local storage videos not viewable in the app?

[DannyBearAgain · Accepted solution]

Viewing access to local storage is only available via the mobile app, not the web browser and only if you have a arlo smart hub vmb4540/5000. Also not shareable to granted users and viewing in app requires you to download to your mobile storage to view so no thumbnails are shown.

[Mamil]

I came here for the same thing.  I was able to see video from the app, up until the day the free trial on my new 2k spotlight camera expired, then suddenly new videos from the spotlight camera no longer shows up in the app.  So my base station (VMB4000) obviously has the functionality to allow this, but Arlo blocks it.

[StephenB]

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@Mamil wrote:

I came here for the same thing.  I was able to see video from the app, up until the day the free trial on my new 2k spotlight camera expired, then suddenly new videos from the spotlight camera no longer shows up in the app.  So the base station obviously has the functionality to allow this, but Arlo blocks it.

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You were seeing videos stored in the Arlo Cloud before the subscription expired.

What base station model do you have?

[Mamil]

VMB4000.  

No, they were not cloud only, I can still see the older footage from the spotlight camera on the USB stick plugged into the base station. But as soon as the trial period for the spotlight camera ended, that camera stopped recording to the USB stick, even though it is still sending me notifications of motion detected.  Meanwhile, my two other older model cameras are still recording everything to the base station/USB, which are viewable in the app.

Basically, without a subscription or a new base station, that fancier new camera is now good for live view only.

[DannyBearAgain]

@Mamil ,

The vmb4xxx Base stations with USB storage device installed should store backup  recordings for all cameras.

The base station USB backup recordings are not accessible by the arlo app, the USB needs to be removed and recordings viewed on a pc.

The smart hubs VMB4540/Vmb5000 can provide in app view access to backup recordings with limitations. You need to download the file to the mobile to view.

Try removing the camera that has the expired subscription from the arlo account and readd again to see if the recordings to the backup USB begin working again.

Any early model cameras will have 7days free cloud storage bundled so recordings should be viewable from the arlo library.

[Wings-]

This has really made me regret purchasing new cameras. I don't need the vast majority of the fancy features offered by a subscription, and paying for one isn't on the table. I expected to lose cloud storage. I did not expect to lose the ability for my granted users and I to view recordings via the app.

The information that this would happen isn't available anywhere reasonable, and the automatic subscription trials kick in to hide what's going on until after the return window on new cameras is closed. Arlo is making a subscription pretty much required now, despite the cameras themselves being very pricey.

Super shady business practices. Arlo should seriously reconsider this functionality choice.