Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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secaz
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

For the curious, and those who have eternally struggled with the Android app for Arlo cameras, if you have ever considered it might be your phone - it never is.

 

I've had Arlo for a long time, and every Android app has been riddled with bugs.  When launching, typically displays devices off line, which they are NOT (always online when accessing system via the web portal - if you can ever get in the web portal with the inane 2FA inability to mark your browser as a trusted device, but that's another rant)).

 

When launching Android app, you wait forever and maybe the status will change from offline to online, maybe not... relaunch the app and hopefully will work.  If it does and you do NOT close the app when you are done, when you go back to it, will show cameras off line again.  So you are just going to have to close it anyway and relaunch.

 

Have always set this app as a non-sleeping app on my phones, doesn't do squat to improve situation.  Even with power saving completely disabled on phone.  It's really annoying when I got out to change camera batteries and repeatedly have to close and relaunch the app on my phone while standing up on a ladder, waiting until the app decides to properly work so I can do a live feed and position the cameras.

 

Doesn't matter if I'm on wifi or mobile data, I can be standing right next to my wifi access point and the results will always be the same.

 

Was about time for me to get a new phone, so *hoped* (silly me) that I would achieve better performance from the Android app.  Nope - what WAS I thinking?

 

Have a new Samsung S21 Ultra and the performance of this app is still appalling.

 

Issues vary from release to release of this Android app, above and beyond the off line annoyance.  Most recent Android release has far more issues than the previous one.  When I find a (somewhat) stable release, I will disable updates on the app and run with it as long as I can before Arlo FORCES me to upgrade the app.  However, that hasn't happened in ages, finding a STABLE release, that is - haven't found a reliable release since they retired the legacy version of the app.

 

So, please - save yourself the money and don't buy a new phone with the sole intent of it being your savior for Arlo Android app performance and stability.  IT WON'T.

 

Imagine - flagship phone of the Samsung fleet and still this app performs like a POS.  Well, Arlo IS a POS system, anyway, so I should ever expect much to begin with...

8 REPLIES 8
intalex
Tutor
Tutor

Same problems here on Samsung S10+ . App constantly reports both base and cameras as offline when they're not. Starting to regret investing so heavily in the Arlo system

JessicaP
Arlo Employee Retired

If you're having problems with the Arlo app not working properly, you can try rebooting your Android device or uninstall the app, reboot your Android device and reinstall the app. 

 

If you still have issues, please contact the Support Team to further investigate the issue. You will find several options for contacting support in the provided link.

EHof
Aspirant
Aspirant

Have Samsung also and haven't had too much trouble till recently. Arlo Android App has always been a little slow, but recently I either get the never ending circle or my devices report off line. 

EHof
Aspirant
Aspirant

Forgot to mention, I have tried everything. Restarting my phone turning off other apps and even uninstalling and reinstalling the Arlo app.

secaz
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

I'm sure we've all gone through the Arlo support's exercises in futility - problem persists, no matter what we do.  Uninstalling and reinstalling, shutting down and starting back up, clearing cache, etc, have NEVER worked for ANY of the multitude of ailments which plague Arlo systems.  Suggestions as such are merely busy work to get customers off Arlo support's back...

 

I have to launch the Android app multiple times before all facets of the app will function.  Often I have to trick Arlo and disable data connection, wait several seconds, then re-enable it... then launch Arlo... sometimes this will work.

 

Across the years, on and off, the Arlo app would work fairly well (back in the early days of Arlo is was flawless), then an Arlo update would come along and happily bomb performance.

 

Needless to say this makes Arlo useless when it's imperative you do a live feed... by the time you are actually ABLE to have everything function in the Arlo app so that you CAN do a live feed, whatever trigger you saw in a notification is looooooong gone... bye-bye!

 

Arlo should display a disclaimer for the Android app - CAUTION:  Will not work properly with any of Samsung's flagship phones... and I also have my doubts the Android app works any better with any other Android phone, anyway...

 

I started using Samsung phones back with the S4... and I'm not about to buy a different brand of phone just because Arlo is so deficient they can't make their app work with Samsung phones.  You would think Samsung was some rinky-dink, off the radar, shady phone maker that wasn't worth Arlo's time to get the Android app right.  This is just one more demonstration of how Arlo doesn't give a flying flip about it's customers.  And apparently, they don't care about repeat customers, since many are ditching Arlo for other systems which actually WORK.

 

Eufy next time... so sorry I put so much money into this Arlo POS system, but there weren't any other choices, really, back then for wireless camera systems. 

 

Only good thing I can say about Arlo is that the cameras can take 110+ degree heat without shutting down... the hardware sure takes a beating and keeps on working, even as old as it is - even continuing to work after multiple Gila woodpecker attacks.  It's not the hardware that's a problem, but rather the system... what good is hardware if the firmware and system software are a bloody POS?

 

Gonefishin1
Star
Star

If you're having problems with the Arlo app not working properly, you can try rebooting your Android device or uninstall the app, reboot your Android device and reinstall the app. 

 

 

Stop suggesting all of these ridiculous solutions. we have all tried them and don't fall for this anymore!!

islandman
Aspirant
Aspirant

Got a new phone samsung ultra21 5G and when the doorbell rings the app comes on you hit accept then it closes. Help

deanmath
Initiate
Initiate

This is a ridiculous response. I cant believe reading through all these issues with connecting and slow performance of the Arlo app and cameras and experiencing the same thing myself that Arlo thinks that its ok to just reboot devices, reconnect devices, remove and reinstall devices. What hardware manufacturer thinks this is ok. NONE!!!