Arlo Pro 5S - (missing events, taking snapshots). Pro 4 in same location works fine.

[chicane]

I've had ongoing headaches with my Pro 5S cameras not detecting events or taking snapshots instead.

Today I did a side by side test with a Pro 4 camera in the same location. Both devices are on 2.4GHz and connected to an outdoor Ubiquiti AP (great signal strength for both). I did try the device on 5GHz and found it to be similarly flaky so reverted to a hopefully more stable 2.4GHz connection. Unfortunately not.

Since I have done this side by side test, the Pro 4 is detecting every event (and recording a video). 

The pro 5 recorded video once, completely missed one event and recorded a snapshot instead for the third event. With the video was choppy and audio partially missing at the start, while the Pro4 was smooth and had audio for the full clip.

Both devices are active under my subscription, set identical under the routine (to record video), and smart notifications set the same.

I've had this replaced with a new sealed unit by support for the second time with the same outcome.

Are these devices inherently faulty? anyone else experiencing similar?

[BrookeN]

The firmware has started rolling out. It should be completed within the next week. As soon as that is fully rolled out the behavior you are seeing will be resolved. 

[BrookeN]

I have this escalated to the engineering team. I will update the community as soon as possible. 

[BrookeN]

It is at 25% as of the 17 of this month. It is still rolling out. 

[roundball]

@BrookeN   ‎2025-03-21 11:05 AM

It is at 25% as of the 17 of this month. It is still rolling out.

..................................................................................................................

Wow, running way behind...thanks for the update.

[AlixO]

My 5s cameras haven’t been updated since I was put on the 1.050.33.10_106_3a163f7 firmware a few weeks ago. That firmware was working fine, but has started missing events over the last week. I tend to not get updates on my 5s cameras unless I ask, or they’re forced.

[roundball]

@AlixO 

I've had '106' problems since it came out.

Am tired of hoping every time they try something different that the 5s Cams will be error free...they haven't been able to get them right for over a year so I no longer assume they will.

Based upon history, I suspect the latest 5s Cam Firmware Update # 1.060.34.0_18_4286fd3 that's being slowly rolled out will probably be arlo's final attempt to fix the 5s Cams...and again, based upon history...I have zero expectations that it will be error free, so we'll be stuck with what we've spent our money on.

I just officially put some Pro4 Cams back in operation to start reducing my dependability on 5s Cams for trustworthy home security.

I can't depend on current 5s Cams reliability for home security...need to make a long term arlo decision based upon how the rest of 2025 goes.

[a102768]

It definitely isn't error free!

My wife and I got a fright yesterday when we suddenly heard someone walking around the house. It was just my son and his girlfriend, who were staying with us for the weekend, returning from a trip out and had gone straight upstairs but the Pro 5 had totally missed them pulling into the drive in the car to turn around then walking up the drive and coming in through the garage.

When I checked my old Essential camera, that had captured everything and saved recordings but we don't alert on that one as it is pointing at the road so captures lots of movement.

[roundball]

@a102768  @BrookeN 

Exactly...the arlo 5s Cams have proven they lack the minimum required quality for a dependable home security / protection system.

If they haven't been fixable in over a year, they're not fixable.

AND...arlo has the audacity to raise the support price on 5s Cams !!!!

[AlixO]

@roundball 

I agree - I have zero confidence at this point that any update will fix the issues that have been going on for the last year.

I looked at replacing my Pro 5s cameras with Pro 4 cameras recently - the Pro 4 cameras now cost more than the Pro 5s where I am (Australia). Presumably because they actually work, whereas the Pro 5s cameras don’t. 

Still no update to my Pro 5s firmware - I’d almost put money on it not being automatically rolled out to my cameras. 

[GeneralMeow]

If this is true about a slow rollout and still havent been fixed in a year, this is smelling like a warranty of merchantability problem.  When will Arlo pull the plug and hand over refunds, replacements of somekind?  Is the new embedded board design totally broken, as i've had the worst time joining those things to my wifi network where the Pro4s connected just fine.

I am tired of rebooting my Pro5s every week to get them to work correctly and missing events.  My Pro4s, Pro2s, Doorbells, and original Pros all work fine.

[roundball]

@GeneralMeow 

FWIW, just for the heck of it, in addition to recently reinstalling some Pro4 Cams…I’ve

now even pulled out my old Pro3 Cams, recharged the batteries, installed them and they also work fine.

Has anyone here received the latest 5s Firmware update and has it fixed all the 5s issues ?

[roundball]

“…..Has anyone here received the latest 5s Firmware update and has it fixed all the 5s issues?..…”

………………………………………..

From the lack of replies, am I to assume that none of the readers of my post received the latest 5s Firmware update and/or it didn’t fix the 5s problems ??

Thanks

[GW1a]

@roundball my camera now has the updated firmware, but no noticeable improvement in my opinion.

[AlixO]

Hi @roundball - I haven’t received the firmware update yet and my Pro 5s cameras are still missing events. 
@BrookeN - is the new firmware still rolling out? 

[roundball]

Amazing that arlo takes this long, particularly with such years + long problems.

I still need 5s Cams updated to Firmware # 1.060.34.0_18_4286fd3

[chicane]

While the updated firmware did fix one specific issue (snapshots being taken instead of video) the unreliable event detection/recording (missed events) continues to plague the Pro 5 / 5S devices. 

Either the device has a physical design fault that can't be fixed in firmware or their engineering/development team lacks the skill to fix it in a new firmware revision.

Or alternatively, the Arlo cloud storage platform we all pay for with our subscription is at fault.  Are they seeing the events being sent? do they have sufficient capacity to record every event from every subscribers device? 

I have ruled out my local internet / wifi being the blame here. However, Arlo Support will blame the customer until the cows come home to deflect blame away from themselves. 

@BrookeN. We appreciate your time and effort with getting test firmwares out for the old snapshot issue but this has now been resolved.  I think let's stop wasting time hoping this will fix the missed events issue. Is there any way you can influence the powers that be within your reporting line to get some direct answers to the above? I am available for a phone chat if you would prefer, just reach out to me by direct message. 

[roundball]

@chicane 

“…unreliable event detection / recording (missed events)…”

Thats the most annoying common problem I have with my 5s Cams.

Cant trust them to protect my family if they don’t capture each / every event.

[AlixO]

I had two big guys knock on my door last week - one of my Pro 5s cameras is directly above the door. They walked up to the door, knocked, and hung around until I got there - all of it completely missed by the Pro 5s. I can forgive the camera missing a bird walking past my door (although it shouldn’t even miss that) but not two men.