Geofencing broken with iOS 13. Need to open app and it figures out my location changed.

[markjericho]

After updating to iOS 13, my geofencing no longer works. Shocking. Geofencing is the most unstable feature in this product. I find I need to open the app and then it figures out my locations has changed. Come on Arlo, does anyone test this stuff there?!?!

[Filou95]

Yes ..... still doesnt work ...;it is a shame really ...

[Retired_Member]

Its worse when you got suckered into paying 99$ a year for features that should be standard on such a expensive system 

[Whatarussh]

I'm so done with this crap! Everyone needs to go online and write a review about what a POS Arlo software and customer service is. Maybe there is a lawyer out there among us ready to file a Class Action too. Geofencing is a specified product feature that is broken more than it works! Our Geofencing started working last week after the IOS 13.2.2 update then this morning we foolishly updated the Arlo App and GF immediately quit working again. Then a glimmer of hope to see IOS 13.2.3 waiting, did the update but GF is still broken. Write reviews everywhere, Bestbuy, Amazon, Walmart, Costco, maybe poor sales will wake someone up!!

[jpottaway]

Upboat:

https://www.reddit.com/r/arlo/comments/dzt3hl/geofencing_still_broken_it_is_not_ios13/?

[Filou95]

Curiously , there is no community manager or tech here ... To tell us to reboot our devices, desinstall , install , allow localisation on always and so on ...

[dmaxi]

The silence on this issue is just dreadful. 

I assisted the Arlo team to resolve a serious software issue with the audio doorbell - the system wouldn't retain a camera pairing if you used local storage as a backup. Admittedly I had to raise three separate support cases before they took the matter seriously (their outsourced support partner closed the first two support cases to help their SLA metrics). 

Now, the geofencing is obviously broken on iOS. Many, many people are complaining. All just want it resolved. 

But there is silence - complete silence - from Arlo. 

Can someone provide an update? "We are aware of the problem/we are working on the issue/we hope to have it resolved within x days/weeks"?

App updates are being pushed to the App store to assist with new products such as the video doorbell, but the main system - the hub at the centre of it all - is now broken. 

Where is the official response?

Yours etc. 

David

[AncientGeek]

Ironically, my geofencing is now acting up after working just fine when other people were previously complaining about theirs not working last summer.  Last night we arrived home and all of our cameras were triggering and recording until I opened the Arlo app.  Then the geofencing settings changed and the system(s) disarmed.  I checked my iOS settings for location services for the Arlo app, and it is set to “Always” as it should be.  

I’m running iOS/iPadOS  13.3 and V 2.11 of the Arlo app on various iPhones and iPads.  An iPhone X and an iPhone 11 Pro are the two devices used for geofencing location determination.  Both had used the Arlo app at various times during the day while we were away.

[Mick12]

Here we go again. New app update and iOS update and both phones have to physically log into the app to arm or disarm geofencing.

All was working well until these new updates to both the phones and the app. iPhone SE and iPhone 8.

Every single time there is an issue. This system works for about 1-2 weeks and then normal behavior of failed geofencing. I’ve been through all the troubleshooting and nothing fixes the issue.
About to throw this system out and go back to Nest.

[ambroze72]

With the addition of the Arlo integration with Apple Homekit I cannot understand why Arlo hasn't given way to geofencing being handled strictly by Homekit since it's proven (at least for me) to work. This way if Apple does change anything it will be handled by Apple instead of Netgear. 

[AncientGeek]

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@ambroze72 wrote:

With the addition of the Arlo integration with Apple Homekit I cannot understand why Arlo hasn't given way to geofencing being handled strictly by Homekit since it's proven (at least for me) to work. This way if Apple does change anything it will be handled by Apple instead of Netgear. 

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That's an easy answer.  Not every Apple user is a HomeKit user since it requires additional hardware.  Arlo likely would like to be able to use the Location Services that are inherent in iOS right on our mobile devices rather than forcing us to set up HomeKit.  If they did that, they'd probably get more complaints than they are currently getting for broken geofencing.

[Retired_Member]

I ALMOST bought there new doorbell that they NOW SUPPORT.   But I think NOT screw you  NetGear 

[Talktotone]

Well it was working there for a sec...But new app, new iOS release and it goes pear shaped again.

I have found that using IFTT and Life360 is about the best solution. I leave Arlo in Geofencing mode and IFTT arms disarms based on whose home first/last.

Good point raised about HomeKit.. What is the point of integration if it doesn't do anything.

[doofee]

their support staff are complete morons -- they keep asking me the same thing over and over, i reply and tell them i have gone through all their troubleshooting steps, and that it hasn't fixed the problem, then a week later they send me the same email asking me to try the exact same thing. then they try to close the ticket. it boggles the mind how inept this company is.

their app is broken -- geofencing is broken, they don't care.

[ddorten]

Same geofencing problems as everyone else and the same poor result with any adjustments to my phone settings or the app setup. I am also a Smartthings user and since Arlo update their app early this fall the cameras will no longer respond to a “record” trigger. I have also tried integrating Arlo with HomeKit. While HomeKit indicates a successful integration, triggers for recording still don’t work here either. Arlo was a good system but the recent lack of functionality coupled with virtually nonexistent customer support has made the product useless. Christmas shoppers beware - buy a different camera system.

[Mick12]

Still not working. Neither phone. Have to open app every time on both phones to enable Geo fencing. Hate this system.

[dmaxi]

I suspect the continued lack of engagement from a member of the Arlo team on this thread, whilst partially due to an inability to resolve the issue, is likely to be related to the sale by Arlo of its European concern (it's being called a 'partnership' with Securitas/Verisure, but it's obviously a sale by Arlo). 

So, their eyes are on the prize, whilst avoid disturbing the due diligence, and they might have one or two people slowly working up a patch without addressing there is a geofencing problem. 

It's an awful way to treat one's customers.  

[Linusl]

Same here as for everyone else. 95% of the time I Now have to open the app for geo to work. Also get alot of ”lost internet connection” when I go from wifi to 4G or bad 4G to good 4G.

Same for wife and her account added.

Have been like this for a few weeks.

Tried everything but it is broken. That is a fact.

Posting here so I will get notified.

[LodonArloUser]

Same problems in iOS 13.2.3....

Seriously cheesed off with Arlo - ongoing issue ever since I purchased the system... live in fear of having any sort of update to Arlo or iOS - as it almost always leads to Geofencing issues...  Can't believe the level of software development being employed...

[MuckNoMore]

It’s a foolish thing to keep on trying the same thing hoping to get a different Result. But I still try. Nothing works.

[Mick12]

Interesting behavior noted.  Even with the ARLO app open on both phones, while out of zone.  Arriving back into zone with app open, geofencing will not disarm the cameras.

Have to manually disarm system, then re-engaged geofencing....only to have it not arm when I leave the zone again.

This has been ongoing since the APP and iOS updates recently.  System worked properly for about two weeks prior to that.  That was the longest stretch of time it had ever worked properly.

Unreal.

Junk.

[AncientGeek]

Yes.  It is hard to say if the issue is iOS or the new app or some combination of the two.  However, mine went from working very reliably to no longer working.

[bmwdriver7175]

What used to work flawlessly is now a source of continued aggravation. We have two base station and shared among two accounts. Geofencing won’t detect our location until we open the app. Today my wife and I are sitting in a restaurant and I opened the Arlo app and immediately was notified am now out of the zone . I checked geofencing and it shows my phone out of the zone and my wife’s in the zone ( her phone is sitting right next to me). I tell her to open the app and log in on the other account and now her phone also shows out of the zone. This same thing happens when we arrive home. Our cameras record us coming home in our driveway and house because we are still out of the zone until we open the app again.

Yes, both phone are set to ‘always’ in the privacy area for location services.

Not sure what else to do? This used to be so rock solid and now is junk. Having to open the app on two phones every time we leave or return is not how this should work or used to work. Help!!

[Filou95]

It is not an iOs issue , Apple modified localisation API since iOs 13 , these API are well known from developers , all my others app using geofencing ( dog tracker ... ) work fine.

It is Arlo developers the issue ...

[Ugly_Bloke]

Since iOS 13.2.3 I’m having the same issue with Nest and Warmup (geofencing not working until app opened). I wish I’d stayed on iOS 12 now!

[AncientGeek]

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@Ugly_Bloke wrote:
Since iOS 13.2.3 I’m having the same issue with Nest and Warmup (geofencing not working until app opened). I wish I’d stayed on iOS 12 now!

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I also noticed Nest was having issues as well.  I just checked my wife’s phone and found the location services for Nest we not set to “Always”.