Arlo Pro Camera Mic staying on

[Msjulie00]

This is my second go around with this issue. I tried an online chat with support and exchanged messages with someone I am fairly certain has never operated an Arlo sytem or possibly has never even seen the controlers. That is 20 minutes of my life  I will never get back. 

The microphone on two of my cameras will not shut off. It constantly records and drains my batteries. I will turn the microphone slider to off and the mic still stays on.  I can run live view and still hear through the camera even with the mic off. I have reseated the battery, changed batteries, removed it from the system and then reinstalled. Still open mic. I can set the mode that when audio is detected, to do nothign and it still records. 

Support told me that both audio and motion are triggers so it will record. Huh, you don't say.  Me: the mic stays on even if I shut it off. Support: That is correct, the microphone is always turned on by default. Uggg.  I was then told that if the slider is turned off, it will turn off the mic. No it doesn't, that is my problem. 

Any suggestions? 

Update: The same service chat person posted that he could go into my setting and shut off the mic for me......#facepalm

[brh]

@Msjulie00

I googled your question but could not find too many answers other than power cycling the base, or removing the battery for 5 minutes then reinserting it and another was to remove the cameras from your devices and re-install and resync.

There was one interesting solution though. One guy taped over the speaker holes on his cameras.

Good luck, hopefully someone who has had this problem and solved it will reply soon.

Brian

[jguerdat]

First step is to verify you have the latest firmware. After that, remove the camera(s) from Settings, My Devices and resync. Any luck?

[Msjulie00]

Thanks Brian for the work. I tried all of that. I also read about the tape idea. I really need the mic functionable for audio trigger of video.  if the mic is turned on, I can hear everything even when the Arlo APP is not runninng, It just comes through my speakers. 

Julie

[Msjulie00]

jguerdat

I tried all of that already a few times. I also have the latest firmwear. In fact, the camera was off for about 4 weeks and I turned it back on yesterday and the firmwear downloaded right away. The problem was worse after that. 

Julie

[brh]

@Msjulie00

My Arlo Pro cameras are outside and I have them on solar panels, so I do not have to worry about battery drain. I will check mine today for you. I live on a very busy street and even with the microphone off, if I remember correctly I still get automobile hiss in my videos, but I am not getting excessive notifications. I'll let you know.

Are you sure this is what is draining your batteries too quickly? Swap out the cameras with the ones that are not doing this and see what happens.

Any way, is there a way you can put them on solar panels or use them plugged into AC power?

Also try to talk to someone different at Customer support. Explain that it is only these two cameras that are doing this.

Brian.

[Msjulie00]

I am going to order solar panels. I do have a UPS on my router and base.  I also swapped out the batteries. I put one of the bad cameras back in service last night and full battery drained in a few hours. I actually had to shut it off for about an hour because went out for dinner and the sound from the camera was just flowing out my phone even without the app running, and my screen off lol. I guess to take a positive look, it would be great audio monitor for contined sound without having to hit "live" all the time. 

I purchaed the warranty through Best Buy (and I never buy the warranties). After my experience with support yesterday, I tried to exchange the bad cameras at Best Buy. I don't want to stick it to Arlo but I need full functionality. Best Buy will only exchange the entire package of all the cameras and the base. I would rather not take it all down and was hoping there was a fix to this issue but looks like Arlo is going to get a full system back. 

[brh]

@Msjulie00

I just took 10 second recordings with all 3 of my Arlo Pro cameras, (two outside and one inside), with the microphone turned off and I got no sound from any of them. I believe your two cameras are defective.

Brian

[jguerdat]

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@Msjulie00 wrote:

I do have a UPS on my router and base.

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A bit off topic here but be sure your modem is also plugged into the UPS so the whole network remains connected to the Internet.

[Msjulie00]

After getting nowhere with support, I am moving ahead with an exchange. 

 At the end of the original online chat support, the support guy offered to go into my settings and turn the camera microphone off for me.  The insulting nature of that chat must have overridden anything else in my head. Now, thinking about that, how much can they just go into our accounts?  View our videos? Watch live? Ok, now I am a bit creeped out. I hope Arlo is more professional than that but if he could access my controls, he could access all of it. 

Do they just access the controls from their end or do they need you to accept remote control on my computer like a Webex session?

[jguerdat]

AFAIK, he would have told you to change the password before he could do anything. That's what I've had to do in the past. I don't believe they can just go into your account and make changes without this.