Pro 5 - camera lens suddenly pointing in a different direction…up

[Mablo]

I have an issue with 3 cameras (2x Pro 2, 1x Pro 5S 2k) connected to a Hub 4540, all displaying the same issue.

Every few days, I will log in and see that my cameras have not noticed any motion recently, and when I click the live camera feed, I get a very zoomed in image to maximum for all 3 cameras, showing roughly 10% of the image. When I go to video settings and view the pinch to zoom in the Android app, only 2 sides of the blue box are visible, as if the box is extending off the screen. If I pinch to zoom to the full window, then it will reset the video feed to normal. I also set Power Management to "Best Video" as my cameras are all plugged in, and every time this error happens, this setting has been changed back to "Optimized" - which also turns off 2k recording on the 5S.

Unless I open up the app every hour or so just to check, there will be overnight or a day or two (possibly longer) where the recording on all 3 cameras is too zoomed in to detect any motion, or for a CVR plan to record anything.

I note that on the Android app, you can't solve the issue, since if you go to Video settings for a model Pro 5S 2K camera, it just crashes the app... very useful. So that has to be corrected either by restarting the Hub (after 2-3 restarts the video feed zoom will reset), or using the desktop browser interface to view video settings and change zoom (and Power Management).

Has anyone else had a similar issue? Issue with video settings screen after changing setting had a similar issue in the past which was solved with an update that obviously has never resolved my issue. Other help topics about zoom-in are all people who had a once-off problem of having accidentally clicked to zoom.

[ShayneS]

Hi @Mablo 

Have you tried removing and reinstalling the Arlo app? 

[Mablo]

Uninstalling and reinstalling the app does not change the behaviour of trying to access 'Video Settings' for the 5s 2K crashing the app.

I have uninstalled the app completely, and have started only using the desktop web portal (my.arlo.com) to view the cameras, to identify if the zooming in issue is more likely app related or Hub related.

[ShayneS]

@Mablo 

I have escalated this for you and Support will be reaching out as soon as possible.

[Mablo]

Thank you, I have received contact from the support team and will update this thread for the community if the issue is resolved.

On the topic of the error, I am more confident now that it is related to the Android app. I uninstalled the app from my device (Google Pixel 6 Pro), and for a week, only using the my.arlo.com dashboard, there was no issue, however my partner used their device (Google Pixel 4a) to check two of the 3 cameras this morning, and seems to have immediately caused the issue on the cameras. Link to screenshot, even though the one camera does not display as zoomed in, if you try preview it is also zoomed. I will speak with Support and see what they can offer.

[Arlo-help2]

I have a pro 5 camera that is a little over a year old and it is pointed in the direction of the back of our house. It’s still pointing in the same position (hasn’t moved) but the lens is now picking up the sky and up to the left.  It appears the internal lens has malfunctioned.  Has anyone had this happen?  Can it be fixed?

[StephenB]

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@Arlo-help2 wrote:

It’s still pointing in the same position (hasn’t moved) but the lens is now picking up the sky and up to the left.  It appears the internal lens has malfunctioned.  Has anyone had this happen?  Can it be fixed?

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Likely you've already checked this, but just in case...  Have you made sure the camera wasn't accidentally zoomed in?  It will stay that way until you zoom out again.

[Arlo-help2]

I do not have auto zoom and tracking on.  I toggled it on and then off just to see if that might be the issue and try to unstick it.  Don’t think it did anything.  We have taken the camera down at the moment (Beryl headed our way). This does look like it could be zoomed it……not sure how to fix it…

[Arlo-help2]

It appears that toggling on and then off the zoom and tracking feature has fixed the camera.  It is now showing the view properly and is not zoomed in.  So it is now working.

Thank for the suggestion to check the zoom function.  Since I have never had that option ON for any of my cameras I didn’t think of that.  Now how it zoomed in and got stuck there ….that is a mystery.  It happened on July 1st when camera detected motion.  Weird…..

[Bica]

I am having this exact same issue.  Four (4) cameras: (2) Arlo Pro 4 X & (2) Arlo Ultra 2 XL.  All four zoomed in and to the upper left yesterday and I can't figure out how to resolve.  Primarily using Desktop, Pixel 6 and Samsung Galaxy devices to view.  It will allow me to zoom in further than shown, but can't zoom out. 

[ShayneS]

@Bica 

Does this symptom only occur over the web browser?

[Bica]

Hi ShayneS....  No, they occur on all devices: mobile app on multiple devices as well as web browser from multiple devices. 

It is although the cameras have all been recalibrated so that zoomed out is actually drastically zooming in and to the upper left.  When I attempt to open any of the cameras, they open zoomed in.  When I click on the zoom in/out magnifying glass button, it will allow me to zoom in even further, but will not allow me to zoom out at all.

Additionally, I received a message mid-afternoon asking me to check whether the auto zoom and tracking are enabled.  I am not seeing 'auto zoom' nor 'tracking' anywhere on the app, settings, web browser, etc.  Clicking Video Settings will only allow me to adjust the Video Brightness....  Please note that this is a family business and we work together on all.  While I am more of the tech person, my brother actually setup this account initially, so maybe he has different features / admin abilities.  I have a message out to him to review, but know that he has had a very busy day and has been unable as of yet.

[StephenB]

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@Bica wrote:

While I am more of the tech person, my brother actually setup this account initially, so maybe he has different features / admin abilities. 

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If he did the setup in his own account, then he has a lot of settings you don't have.

If you are the person engaging with support, it would be best if you had his Arlo account credentials (email + password).

[ScorNinja]

I'm having the same issue that started overnight. Woke up to 1 camera zoomed in to top left corner. Just earlier a second camera also zoomed in.

No zoom tracking settings are enabled. I was able to zoom out the 4k camera, but I can't adjust the other camera Arlo Pro 2 I think. Pinch and zoom does not work on my android device.

[Zimitsu]

Any updates on this issue. I have 3 pro 4 cameras and all are having the same issue at the same time. Getting into the 'Video settings' is crashing the app. Uninstall and reinstall doesn't help.

[ShayneS]

Hi @Zimitsu @ScorNinja 

I have a few questions if you don't mind.

Can you send me a PM with the last 4 of the serial number of the affected camera(s)? 

Are these cameras always wired? 

Are you using the Android or iOS app and which version of the app is installed?

Thank you

[RayT99]

I've had the same issues with my Pro 2 and Pro 3 cameras for about 2 months! Additionally, the "led when charged", spotlight, and brightness settings all change. This occurs shortly after manually changing the settings. Has Arlo fixed this issue yet?

[Mablo]

Arlo have not fixed it. I had a few phone calls from support, shared my device logs, then an email from a higher level tech support, same discussion. Then radio silence.

I've also noticed that it breaks my CVR recording plan. Every time this reset happens I need to cancel and re-enable the CVR plan or else it stops saving continuous recording.

@RayT99 do you also use the Android app? Trying to diagnose what Arlo support won't. I'm suspicious of either the Arlo Android app, or my hub (VMB4540r3 with firmware 1.24.1.0_1533 which is apparently only rolled out to about 30% of devices so far).

[Shantytown]

I noticed this happened to my Arlo 2 and 3 Pro cameras after a Smarthub update

[ShayneS]

Is it possible to provide the time/time zone when this symptom occurs again? 

Thank you