iOS App Update - why change the layout?

[SirV]

The latest app update is a downgrade as far as I'm concerned

Why have you removed the simple indicators of battery level and now you have to click further into the app to find them, who thought that was a good idea.

[GatorHogg]

This thios "remarkable" user friendly Netgear/Arlo downgrade all my cameras show inacurate battery level %.

 Two (2) battery levels have not moved even 1%. One (1) camera shows different battery % levels on the app and on the PC. (one day it's below @ 24% on the app, and 26% on the PC. Then a day or two (2) later it's 27% on both app/phone and PC.

 Today it shows 25% on the PC and 25% battery level on phone app.

Must be a special kind of new Arlo/Netgear battery level informant indicator, like say, "Take A Wild Guess" app or "We At Arlo/Netgear Got Your Money And Don't Give A Chit Now" app.

 Nice.

[GatorHogg]

 I'll suggest the "brains" behind this Arlo/Netgear upgrade calamity pale when compared toDr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, or Professor Frink or Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth or Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz or Dr. Otto Scratchansniff or Simon Bar Sinister or even Sheldon Plankton to remedy this problem Arlo/Netgear will not resolve, lending more trust to an imaginary character has demonstrated more than the non-exsistant actions from Arlo/Netgear.

 Still crickets and juz sayin . . . 

[Grover517]

It seems that almost everything in my setup no longer works properly since Arlo rolled out the fiasco 2.6.0 and 2.6.1.  It seems with each iteration, it's one step forward and two steps back.

From all the previous issues we already had such as multiple notification sounds to horrible live streaming, to broken audio 2 way communication, to other issues that have been discussed adnauseum, I now have yet another issue that further degrades the usuability of my Arlo "security" (term used VERY loosely) camera setup.  

Last winter, all 4 of my cameras (that are plugged into chargers 24/7) performed "as expected" when temps dropped below freezing or below zero where they properly suspended charging/working as they should.  However, this year and with the latest so called "enhancements", it is clear to me that they not only changed where the battery icon is displayed but how it functions and appear to have completely broken at least part of the entire process.  And due to this, it was bad enough with the fact that Arlo deemed battery status level not important enough to display it "at a glance" but decided to completely change the way it functions as well, to the point of making it basically worthless wherever it happens to be located.

Here is my latest issue that started over a week ago when temps dropped below freezing for the first time this year.  Out of the four cameras I have, that are plugged in 24/7 with Arlo charging cables, two of my cameras went into the paused charging state as expected but the other two never did, at least according to the status displayed within the app and via the website.  And when temps came back well above freezing over a week ago, neither of the cameras that suspended charging has resumed charging. 

And since these two cameras went into a paused charging state 9 days ago, they immediately showed a battery level of 90 percent and it has never changed since even though one (front door) is by far the most active of my 4 cameras, has had well over 100 detections over that time.  It also has the most sun exposure, which in the past has also helped it remain in charging status longer than the others or return to charging status once suspended.  Not this year.  The other camera (back yard) faces north, is in shade constantly as well as is the most exposed to wind and weather which in the past, usually made it the last one to go back to a charging/operational state after cold temps.  Yet they both show the same status.  They are also connected to two different base stations so that also removes that as a common denominator between these two cameras.  So it appears that this "battery icon" issue runs so much deeper than where it is located or what is displayed.

So knowing of the other issues posted about the supposedly "improved" battery status icon functionality, I now have even less confidence that this is the case, think that Arlo did a lot more than just relocate the icon and change a few status triggers, and now has no idea of how to put things back to a reliable and working state.

For me now, it's no longer a question of where the icon is physically located or what may trigger an alert but rather whether it can be relied on whatsoever.

[GatorHogg]

  "Today it shows 25% on the PC and 25% battery level on phone app."

Arlo/Netgear, here's an update to place where the sun doesn't shine, my PC camera's battery level % is now back up to 27% from 24% a few hours ago and hold it . . . . . . my phone app Arlo/Netgear camera battery level % for the sdame camer shows . . . 27%.

 And qwhen it reached below 25% and 24% there was NO EMAIL ALERTING ME SUCH A LEVEL OF 24% BATTERY LEVEL WAS ATTAINED.

 "Up and down and round and round . . .  where she stops nobody knows . . "

 Expensive cheap chit.

 I'll once again be out at a few malls shopping and will do my good deeds prior to Black Friday letting people know this Arlo/Netgear garbage security cameras are not even worth it FREE.

UURRGGGGHHHHH

[GatorHogg]

Hi GatorHogg,

You just earned a new badge!

50 Replies Posted

Remarkable achievement! The community thanks you for your 50 replies!

Please insert my "50 Replies Badge" sideways in a tight dark orifice, and thank you.

[Pootle78]

Since Arlo can’t be bothered to post an update here, I thought folks might like to know this was latest I got via a tweet yesterday from Arlo’s CEO:
“The team finished a new release that includes fixes for iPad and includes the status icons. It is in the App Store waiting approval so we can't comment on exact timing but we are pushing hard to get expedited review.”

[AncientGeek]

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@Pootle78 wrote:
Since Arlo can’t be bothered to post an update here, I thought folks might like to know this was latest I got via a tweet yesterday from Arlo’s CEO:
“The team finished a new release that includes fixes for iPad and includes the status icons. It is in the App Store waiting approval so we can't comment on exact timing but we are pushing hard to get expedited review.”

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Thank you for the update.  Fingers crossed for a return to the better UI and few bug additions.

[PowerNZ]

I checked by batter level on my driveway camera today, 1%.  No battery level indicator showing on the front page of my app either, like everything is ok!

I really hope the indicator returns, because I'm running low on patience with this system ...

[dj28gupt]

On the last Arlo iphone app update it is terrible. For one there is nothing better, no new features, and does not operate well. You only took away features and made it much more difficult to use and navigate. There was nothing wrong with the old app and the old app didn't need any areas of improvements as far as features were considered. Please return the 0 "zero" that would always appear next to each camera which let you quickly check your camera recordings at any time per each camera. Now for example if you have 10 recordings on camera #1 a "10" will appear but if you only watch one of the 10 vidoes and then come back later to watch the rest it will not let you back in as the 10 is gone and the 0 doesn't appear under the new app update. So to check the vidoes for 15 cameras you made it so time consuming to be forced to go the library and then filter each camera one at time which is not convient and takes so much time and requires pressing so many buttons. Another issue is during playing of a video it doesn't always let you rewind the video like it did before, sometimes you have to press stop and still then start the video at the beginning again. When camera records motion it used to make a still image of the motion appear when you opened the app up you would see a still image of the last activity and now that feature doesn't always work. Also please return the critical information next to each camera such as battery info, signal strength, etc. Then of course on the new Ipad pro's or new iphone xs or xs max there is approximately a 4 second delay on watching all videos, a delay in motion but not in audio. There is no delay on video playback on the one year old Apple Iphone X, just the new apple iphones and new ipads. Please fix and return app to the great features that it used to have.

[LIROSE]

Help! How do I change back to the former iPad Arlo app that worked so well? The current one that updated without my permission is unuseable! Essential emergency buttons have disappeared, and I cannot view multiple cameras in the screen! This is a DISASTER and puts me and my home at risk! Please tell me how to re-install the previous app, or I will be sending this junk system back to the store for a full refund!

[AncientGeek]

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@LIROSE wrote:

Help! How do I change back to the former iPad Arlo app that worked so well? The current one that updated without my permission is unuseable! Essential emergency buttons have disappeared, and I cannot view multiple cameras in the screen! This is a DISASTER and puts me and my home at risk! Please tell me how to re-install the previous app, or I will be sending this junk system back to the store for a full refund!

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The only way to do that on iOS is to erase your device and restore it from a backup taken prior to 10/20 when 2.6.0. was pushed out.  Then you have to immediately turn off automatic updates and manually update all of the other apps on your iPad while being careful not to accidentally touch "update" for the Arlo app.

[GatorHogg]

After nearly a month of the Arlo/Netgear "user friendly" update calamity, an important message from Arlo/Netgear . . . 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKmRkS1os7k

[GatorHogg]

I have the Arlo/Netgear 5 camera system

 One camera went form 36% to 25% back to 27% then to 23% then back to 25% then down to 24% then down to 23% . . . all in a few houres . . . then I juz got pizzed off and and brought it in to charge.

 2 of my other cameras have only dropped 10% or less since the "update" and given the accuracy of the inacurate spread of %'s I'll suggest the levels are very very wrong. Waiting for the battery % level to drop from 65 to 12 % in a short time, and them back to 36, then to 23, then to . . . . 

[AncientGeek]

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@GatorHogg wrote:

After nearly a month of the Arlo/Netgear "user friendly" update calamity, an important message from Arlo/Netgear . . . 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKmRkS1os7k

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You got me!  I thought it was going to be something other than crickets!

[GatorHogg]

"I thought it was going to be something other than crickets!"

But at least it was crickets, rather than the deafing roar of silence and non-active resolve we Arlo/Netgear customers have had since over the last month from suffering this brutal disfunctional Arlo/Netgear "update" calamity.

[NewtonAurelius]

I am experiencing the same thing. I see your post was written on October 20, and it is now November 19th and I am still having the same problem. I press the live-view button and no video appears, but I do hear the audio. Once I stop playing the live-view, leave the app and come back, the still picture is sometimes updated and sometimes not, but the live video never works anymore.

Considering it is now the holiday season, this is the time of year when I need my Arlo cameras the most, but because of the poor decisions on the 2.6 app I cannot rely on Arlo, and there is no indication when this will get fixed.

The so-called new 2.6 app is a disaster. It has broken everything I liked about Arlo's cameras

[JamesC · Accepted solution]

Please be sure to download the latest iOS release as it restores the status icons to the cameras screen. Take a look here for information on this release: Arlo iOS App - 2.6.2 - 21st November 2018

JamesC

[Krysuk]

First impression - great the indicators are back

2nd impression - check the indicators compared to the actual battery % remaining - not correct or even close!

Any thoughts James as you have closed the topic around the interface changes?

[AncientGeek]

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@Krysuk wrote:
First impression - great the indicators are back

2nd impression - check the indicators compared to the actual battery % remaining - not correct or even close!

Any thoughts James as you have closed the topic around the interface changes?

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Oddly, I could see the new version available on one of my iPads, but not on my iPhone XS and not on my wife's iPad.  I finally went to the App Store and searched for Arlo, found the app and it finally showed up as available for download,  Now to test it out.

[boltentwins]

A few issues

1) Fully charged battery icon is larger than the rest of the battery icon, even the charging icon. (using Iphone 6)

2) Can't customize Smart notification. Cameras are in the inactive section. When I select edit and move to active section to customize i get an Error message stating "We are sorry you don't have permission to perform this action" I have a subscription to Arlo Smart

3) Can't edit my e911 additioanl contacts.  option is gone to view add or change them

My feeback

1) Animal notification works great (Thanks)

2) It would be nice to have the battery icons for the Arlo lights

[arpr1]

I have an Arlo Pro system (on the latest firmware) and running the latest iOS on an iPhone and iPad. The image on the initial startup screen (“Devices”) STILL doesn’t properly refresh to show the most recent motion/how long ago it occurred. The image is from a prior motion and/or the timestamp is incorrect. For example if a cat triggered motion 3 hours ago and then a dog triggered motion 2 hours ago...the start up image will show the cat and "3h ago" instead of correctly showing the dog and "2h ago". This is happening on both of my Pro cameras.

Is anyone else having this trouble? I was hoping this update would fix the issue but no luck

[Krysuk]

I think everyone had the issue where the last still showing on the main page bears no relation to the last time there was motion/the camera was activated
It’s been this way ever since they gave us this “improved” software that fits with their design ethos and use of the system
I’m sure James will no doubt tell us that it’s a design feature?
It would be incredibly useful if this current new app provided the minimum of the previous functionality all us Arlo users had for the past few years
But they are more interested in providing subscription services that can tell us a pet was on the camera rather than fixing all the current issues it seems

[stuckpipe]

Which dimension are you in? It is November 21 and we have not received any 2.6.2 update to the app? I still have 10 cameras that I put off line because the last update would crash if I had more that 5 open at one time on the iPad.

[Retired_Member]

I’m not impressed with this latest version. On my ipad pro 12.9” when viewing in landscape mode on the “Devices” screen why is each camera image so small? Why not have three cameras in a row instead of four?

[Krysuk]

Check the App Store for an update? Some people had to search for it?