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First time user sorry if I didn’t post in the correct area. My Arlo pros are dying abnormally fast! I lose about 10% a day even on cameras that are switched off. I got these cameras Thanksgiving 2017. Haven’t had an issue since early May. I got a 4 months before having to charge my cameras. Now in a week and a half my cameras are 50%. Nothing has changed on my end. No new electronics, cameras in the same locations and base unit hasn’t been touched. Only thing that has happened is that update Arlo put out. I even have a camera I charged 2 days ago that has never been used only linked to the base station that is now at 91%. IT’S NOT EVEN TURNED ON!!!!!
Info posted by the community manager, DawnM, in another thread:
Hello all,
Regarding the battery rapidly draining issue that started recently, we do have a fix in QA being tested right now. We'll update this thread when that is released.
I have the very same problem with my Arlo cameras since the May firmware update. You are not alone in having this issue. I recommend you log a support case so that Netgear can make a fix for the next firmware release.
I have noticed that rebooting the base station temporarily improves the battery drain.
There are several threads in this forum on this subject. There is currently a bug that seems to keep the motion detection and IR lights active when the cameras are turned off. This means they are always detecting motion and tunring the IR lights on, which drains the batteries. The workaround is either use the disarm mode instead of turning them off or setup a custom mode and leave out any cameras you want turned off, which will disarm the cameras. Disarm instead of turning them off brings battery usage back to normal.
Note: some have said they get more than normal battery drain even on a disarmed camera, but for me, as soon as I disarmed vs turning off, the batteries went back to normal usage.
Info posted by the community manager, DawnM, in another thread:
Hello all,
Regarding the battery rapidly draining issue that started recently, we do have a fix in QA being tested right now. We'll update this thread when that is released.
2.5.3 was a phone app update, so it's not going to fix the battery drain issues - this requires a software (firmware) update on the cameras / base station.
I charged my cameras to 100% last week again, and two of them dropped to 90% within two days. These two had no video recordings, either. Most of the others barely dropped 1%.
So there is a logic flaw in the software that once a camera gets into this weird state, it's battery drains for some reason.
For the two cameras I have that starting draining, I took the batteries out for a minute and then replaced them, hoping this would reset the software and it would enter a normal state. So far, so good.
But need this issue fixed permanently, obviously, as I've had enough of climbing ladders every week to recharge cameras.
I've been going crazy trying to figure out this battery situation! I had no idea othes were having the same battery drain issue! Has anyone discovered a fix? I've changed batteries too many times now. I've used the disarm mode. I've rebooted the base. NOTHING is working to fix this battery drain! HELP!
Apparently they were testing a work around on the third. I don’t know about you but if there wasn’t a problem before the update on May 15th WHY NOT GO BACK TO THAT UPDATE!!!!!
System has been solid until the update that has caused this battery drain issue.
I work in IT and hardware development - I cannot believe that Netgear allowed this firmware to make release - the mind boggles. It is without a doubt a MAJOR problem for this system and I am constantly having to now recharge my batteries, while mindful that I will only ever get 300 charges out these Lithium Ion batteries.
This problem will lead me to have to replace these batteries earlier than is reasonable, at my cost.
C’mon Netgear - lift your game in firmware testing and customer communication!!
You are correct. Every time you charge a lithium ion battery it loses capacity. Maybe minimal but it adds up over time. And these batteries are 50 bucks a piece. Huge difference in charging every week vs every month or two. The internal resistance increases with every charge
I've been talking to support and they said Netgear is aware of the issue and are working on a fix. They cannot give an ETA, however.
I've found through trial and error that if you take the battery out of the camera, and then replace it after a minute, the issue will usually temporarily disappear. One camera drained 5% in just over two weeks but then reverted to excessive drain. I charged up two other cameras last week and they are still at 100%.
I've removed my new batteries & waited a minute then reinstalled. I've unplugged the base station & waited a minute then plugged back in to reboot. I've "deleted" each camera in the settings, then re-synced to re-install each one. I've done everything that everyone has suggested. AGAIN I bought & installed brand new batteries again today. My cameras are losing battery life all day long. In just one day, today, my cameras are now each down to about 75% and they each in the DEACTIVATE or OFF mode!! The infrared red light is clicking on and off all day long even in the deactivate mode. I loved my Arlo cameras for ovef a year. Now I am frustrated and angry that they are basically useless and expensive battery eaters! I can't afford to keep buying new batteries every 4 days. Arlo/Netgear's chat line is down. Tech support is an endless HOLD. This sucks that their tech people have no answers. All this started after their "security update" last month.
If you turn them off they drain more. Leave them on and disarm instead of off. They still drain but not near as bad. Mine are rechargeable and i was charging every week. The only thing that will help is the new firmware update that they release. However you can get on the field trial. I have had that for 4 days and it appears to be back to normal. I had 100+ videos today and only lost 4% all day. Ask dawn m or james c to get you on the trial. Especially since you have disposable batteries
I am also having this problem - since purchase - the batteries last about 4-5 days before needing a recharge. This is very frustrating when traveling, but even more frustrating given my second issue, which is:
Battery life indicator does not work: My battery indicator reads 100% and then the batteries die in 2-5 days (and while I've never watched it die, it reads 100% a few hours before it dies). The cameras lose the base station when they die, so I start the recharge, resynch, and then the battery indicator reads something like 8%, and I get an email telling me the battery is tired. Then, I finish the recharge, get camera set up again, and then it reads 100% battery life -- and then it stays at 100% until it dies again. Any ideas on my second problem? I would love to know when the batteries are close to going out, as it's easier for me to recharge than recharge and resynch.
Thats pretty extreme. Mine were never that bad. I was losing 10% a day and 2 or 3 % overnight. So having to charge weekly. Im on the trial and so far it looks like they fixed the issue. Charged mine sunday and this is day 3 and im still in the 90's
New Base station firmware has been released that should help resolve the issue being discussed here. Check your base station firmware to be sure you are up to date with the latest available version.
Just stumbled across the conversations about the battery draining issues. Last post i read said an update in June fixed the problem. I am still having issues. This is very disappointing because I purchased the 6 camera pack 8 months ago and was very pleased until this occurred. Would like to know if there is a reliable power cord that would work with this cameras outdoors? If not, i will suck up the cost to have a company equip my home with POE cameras that pan/tilt and record to a harddrive in my home.
An update to my issue - my batteries die quickly, usually in 5 or fewer days - but I have moved the base station and the signal strength is greater, so they now last almost 10-12 days.
The other issue, the battery indicator reading 100% until death has not substantially improved. This time, the battery indicator read 90% the day before the batteries exhausted themselves, again while I was away from home.
Yes, the problem is still there. Battery performance is not like it used to be, it is quite disappointing that performance has regressed into something which is not as advertised. Can I ask when is this going to be addressed and rectified? @JamesC
@Stunew78 wrote: Yes, the problem is still there. Battery performance is not like it used to be, it is quite disappointing that performance has regressed into something which is not as advertised. Can I ask when is this going to be addressed and rectified? @JamesC
Adding my discontent to this as well. Imagine being gone for an entire month and seeing your batteries deplete while you are still gone for another good week and a half, which is what happened to me in June, despite having charged them all just before you left.. that gave me a great sense of security, not really tho. Now that I'm back, the firmware is updated and batteries recharged, I'm still seeing bigger drains than before. Granted, it's not as fast as it was before that update, but still way more than should. 10 days since the last charge, and 40 percent depleted is what I'm seeing, as opposed to a 4-6 months charge before the troubles in May started.
Fully charged June 26th and already have below 10%! One is at 1%. Thanks for wasting my money!!!!! FIX THIS ISSUE!!!!! GO BACK TO BEFORE THE MAY 15th UPDATE.
same issue. Left home on June 18th. Will be away for another 3 week. UPdated firmware as soon as it was released. One camera is alredy dead. The other 3 will probably die by thursday at this rate. So I will be away from home for over 2 weeks without any security. Need to have neighbour help - what a pain. I hope this battery draining issue is resolved soon. What's the point of buying wire-free cameras if you can't at least have 90 days of use without recharging.
And ofc, I have extremely light use of the cameras - almost none especially when im gone and there are no deliveries.
