What is Major upgrade done when trying to install my first Arlo Pro5 camera

[lwthomas1]

I currently have a mix of Arlo Pro4 and Arlo Go2 cameras. I thought I would try one of the new Arlo Pro5S cameras since I have heard they have better battery life. I received it and was going to install it. However it warned me that it would need to upgrade the firmware on all my cameras. and that some cameras would not be supported. It only warned my about an old Arlo Light I had in the screen, however in looking around this upgrade does not support

Arlo Go2s either. What does it upgrade and does it force you to a new subscription of some type.

Does it leave my Arlo GO2s stranded? It sounds like a total *&%# nose bleed I don't want to go thru and should just

return the Pro5 but I wanted to see what is this "whole new experience" it is referring to. I have 12 cameras that

are all working pretty well and from the initial message it sounds like this upgrade will do nothing but cause me grief.

Any details or how to get in touch with a human instead of this silly BOT would be appreciated.

Thanks, Larry

[DannyBearAgain]

The safest way to get the new experience UI to play with is to use a pc web browser. Go to myarlo.com and create a new account and install the pro5 camera. (Note: all newly created arlo accounts are fixed to the new UI experience.)

Try using the new UI experience for a while to learn it’s quirky behaviour.

 If you’re satisfied with the new UI experience then delete the new account and then proceed with the app upgrade when you install the pro5 into the older account. (Note: there is no method to back out of the upgrade, once an account has been upgraded it stays.

Access to arlo support is in the mobile app under settings/support/ device, look for a phone number.

[lwthomas1]

Thanks much. I will probably call tomorrow and ask them a few questions first.  Appreciate the hint on calling them. I have only been on a subscription for 2 years or so and had not had an occasion to need to contact them. I had the Pro2s and the Arlo Go cameras previous to that. This looks way out of whack to have to do this to the whole platform for one camera. 

I will just add a new account and attempt testing it. I will use one of my older VMB4500 base stations to test it first since I have some of my cameras on a base station to keep recordings there as well. That way I won't infect my VMB5000 with this upgrade unless I decide it will work ok. I can also test it as a Wifi only connected camera.I don't plan on testing it longer than a week or so. If I have to use it with the Pro5 and the platform isn't an improvement, I will want to return the camera.

Does it change your subscription plan at all, or just change the interface and where things are? In your opinion, is it better, worse, or just different.

Thanks, Larry

[DannyBearAgain]

It is unpredictable what will happen with the subscription regards the free trial period which gets activated when you install the pro5 camera. This may not be a problem if you already have a multi camera subscription in place.

It is unclear where the UI change occurs, some say it is embedded within the app display interface only.

Operational changes such as removing the library and replacing it with a feed format is a hindrance for me as well as the loss of custom modes.

In the end it’s a mixed bag, arlo is not intending to allow the ability to change back to the older UI interface so once you make the change you are stuck with it.

Regards the method to test the new appUI, if the subscription is a concern the alternative is to use a pro2, remove it from the old account and install along with the spare Base you have for the new account. (Note: you will need a different email for the new account also.)

[lwthomas1]

Danny,

So are you saying I can test out the interface by just creating a new account, installing one of my VMB4500 controllers and an Arlo Pro2 camera and I can just test with that.  That might be the simplest solution for the test I want to do. In any case, it sounds like there are too many kinks in it if you are losing some functionality but I will see sometime this week how it does.

Thanks for all the info.

Larry

[lwthomas1]

Danny

What specifically do you mean by this statement:

Operational changes such as removing the library and replacing it with a feed format is a hindrance for me as well as the loss of custom modes.

What does this impact specifically on the operation of it? 

This is the last question. I will test it myself sometime this week, but wanted to get as much info as I can before 

I move ahead. It almost sounds like they will force it on us at some point if they are automatically doing it with new accounts.

Larry

[DannyBearAgain · Accepted solution]

The new Ui experience limits you to three possible modes, I use about fourteen that I can select for my environment. For me I would need to edit camera rules back and forth when wanting to account for weather conditions.

The library feature is quick and easy to navigate while the feed feature is an event driven format that requires a lot of manual manipulation.

Location restrictions are now implemented with the new UI so you will need a subscription for additional locations on individual account.

Granted user accounts need to have the same UI experience as the sharing account for friend sharing to work.

https://kb.arlo.com/000062798/How-do-I-upgrade-my-Arlo-Secure-App-4-0-to-the-new-experience 

See link above for further details.

[lwthomas1]

Danny,

Thanks much. This is all I need.

Larry