Alro App Hosed my HomeKit

[TEKRider]

BE WARE...I'd turned on Access to my HomeKit when the new Arlo App asked...then I remembered that it was only supposed to be for the Baby Monitor so when I went to turn it off...somehow it WIPED OUT MY ENTIRE HOMEKIT!!!!!!! What a major pain! 😞 Now I have to go around and reprogram everythign all over again and create all my rooms and schedules...there obviously needs to be some warning about this...because I DID NOT go into my Home App or tell anything to remove my entire home...but the Arlo App reached in and somehow did that.

[JamesC]

TEKRider,

What steps did you take when you say you turned it off?

JamesC

[TEKRider]

Hi James...nice to meet you via the Community. 🙂

I'm the Systems Director at my work and an old Apple Leven III Tech and Adobe Beta Tester...so I'm showing my young age of 49 now. 😉

Anyway, I'm pretty careful whenever I investigate some new feature in software...so this really took me off guard.

Unfortunaelly I cannot tell you if this happened under Arlo 2.4.6 or 2.4.7 (but I'm for sure on 2.4.7 now on an iPhone 7 Plus w/iOS 11.2.6.

Here is what I can remember...and again I'm NOT going to repeat this as I don't want to ever lose my whold HomeKit ever again (as I'm sure you'd understand). 🙂

1. I'd recieved an Alro New Email talking about new HomeKit abilties.
2. So when I was in the Arlos App...it popped up and specifically asked to Access my HomeKit...which I allowed.
3. I then went to my Home App and did not see anything about Arlo listed in the Home App...everything else was as it should be.
4. Next, I remembered that the Arlo Email was only supposed to be for the New Baby Monitor.
5. Obviously in that case...there is NO need for Arlo to have access to my HomeKit.
6. So, I went to 'Settings' > 'Privacey' > 'HomeKit' where I use an EcoBee and other iDevices...and that is where I switched "OFF" the Arlo.
7. But then when I went back to the Home App it flashed my "normal" screen for just an instant...and everything was GONE (completly wiped background photos, rooms, everything was gone).

That is the only thing I did, so somehow turning OFF Arlo in the Privacy Settings...caused some very enexpected behavior...if that is the Arlo App "reaching into" HomeKit, or some issue that Apple has with their HomeKit and/or iOS 11.2.6 I do not know. I left feedback with Apple as well (in thier Feedback area...not the community area) But I hope that helps everyone out. 😉

[JamesC]

TEKRider,

Thanks for the feedback and detailed steps, i'll get this information over to our QA department to see what I can find out.

JamesC