Arlo Secure 4.0 design issues

[Fledge]

ARLO Secure 4.0­

Where to begin: This interface was not created to be user friendly.  As a developer of end-user customer interfaces, it appears to me that this design was not developed with the input from a GUI (graphical user interface) expert and actual user representatives.

1. FEED: data feed is a technical term, data is transmitted to the base station or to the users WI-FI which in turn is sent to the cloud. A LIBRARY is what a user views when looking at the data. Please rename it to Library or View Data, etc.
2. FEED: viewing the data is excruciating: Scrolling through hundreds of videos instead of seeing the thumbnails of multiples on one screen.  Nowhere is it obvious that you can go to the calendar and select a date you wish to see.
3. FEED: the DELETE function is laborious.  Why would you remove the function to select all and delete all?  Deleting one at a time is ridiculous.  To delete on my Arlo is even worse.  Delete a single item, and then follow up with another step to confirm delete!
   1. There has been an ongoing issue with deleted files repopulating into the library.  I suspect that this problem could not easily be corrected, therefore you are forcing the user to delete one item at a time.   It is not acceptable.
4. ROUTINES: Is this a term that intuitively tells the user where to go to ARM & Disarm?  ARMaway and ARMHome?  What is wrong with the original ARM ALL , Disarm ALL, with the ability of disarming an individual camera?  That was intuitive.
5. DASHBOARD and DEVICES:  Let’s have one device screen where we can ARM all, DISARM all, activate a live feed, change settings for a device.  Not sure what or how you want to display widgets, just name it appropriately.
6. Widgets:  How many end users know what a WIDGET is or how to write a rule??? Come up with a better term and perhaps provide a list of “common rules” for a user to select from.  Do you really want customers writing rules and then asking support for assistance because it does not work as expected??
7. USER GUIDE: There are multiple links on ARLO regarding 4.0, if you search for them.  Where is a comprehensive manual to assist the users?  What I have read so far has been minimally helpful.  For instance, when reading about ARM home and ARM away the document says you can still select Arm All or Disarm All!
8. SETUP of new cameras: Purchased two 2 PRO 5 cameras to add to our PRO 3’s and during the setup it forced us to install the new software.  There was a learn more button, however the GUI would not let us select it. Set up would not proceed unless you selected OK.  What a surprise to then see all these new “enhancements”

I hope these comments are passed on to the appropriate department.  They obviously need better requirements, better end user involvement in user interface design and testing. I am not faulting your developers; I am faulting your processes. This software is not even ready for Beta testing.  If this software has not been fully rolled out, why are we forced to download with the install of a new camera and why can we not fall back to the previous version?

[JamesC]

We're continuing to collect and monitor the feedback users are posting about the new 4.x experience. I will pass all the details of the topics being posted here to the development team for consideration.

JamesC

[DAltom]

The reason why I had to select the option to install a security system was to force the old version of the app to upgrade to the newer version that my wife had.

Her phone had the new interface, and mine had the old one, which was the reason why she could not view my cameras, even though I shared my account with her.

As long as you both have the same interface, you should be able to share your account with the invitation to her email. All she will have to do is click on the link. Once she has accepted the invitation, she will need to open up the app and look for the available security systems. Just look for whatever you named your system. Once you select that, she should be able to view them. It’s easy to tell if you both have the same interface because they are both quite different.
I hope that helps.

[DAltom]

Apparently, at some point, they have added a way to quickly delete all of your video feeds rather than doing them one at a time.
if you go to feeds, look for the three dots in the upper right hand corner. Select the option to manage events and then you can select each video and do a mass delete.

[DAltom]

It looks like they have added the ability to do a mass delete of your videos. If you go to feeds look for the three dots in the upper right hand corner. Tap that then select manage events. It will bring up all of your videos with the ability to select each one or the ones you want to delete and get rid of them much quicker now.

[StephenB]

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@KatT11 wrote:

When you said below you have to tell the software you want to install a security system - was that on your end or your wife's or both? 

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In most cases where there is a problem,  the "friend" account shows "Feed" as an option in the app, and the primary account shows "Library".  These need to match.

You  migrate the app user interface from "Library" to "Feed" by telling that app that you want to install a security system (or a Pro 5s camera). So normally this is the primary account.

"Feed" is quite different, so if you are accustomed to "Library" it will take some getting used to.

[AlohaTexas]

I totally agree what Fledge said. ARLO SECURE 4.0 IS NOT USER FRIENDLY. I prefer thumbnails view of 50 recorded videos instead of scrolling down 4 videos at a time and feels like you have to use a magnifying glass because thumbnails is a lot smaller. Before if you are searching for a recorded video dated October 1, it will only give you recorded videos from 12:00am to 11:59pm. Now, you have no idea you are already scrolling October 2 recorded videos because it will do scroll to a different day.  There's a lot of clicking involve. Instead of doing 2 clicks to get what you need, now it feels like you have to do 20 clicks. I was forced to download the new version because of new camera. I like the old version better. They should have the option to try new Arlo Secure 4.0 and switch back anytime if users don't like new version. That way, you have an idea on your end how many people tried 4.0 and think if you should still push 4.0. Hoping this message get to the right management. 

[bmgoodman]

Hey, Arlo!  How about you create a new App that is independent of the old App that so many of us like better?  That way you don't force anyone onto the new UI.  Make it clear that *if* you want the new UI, you can simply download that new app from the Play/App store.  I think it would also be great to let users go back to the old app, but at least if you don't auto-update people to this "improved" version, you'd get some goodwill.

I, for one, hate the new version having seen it on my aunt's new install.  I'm willing to cancel my subscription if you force me to this monstrosity.

[brianbish]

I agree with your issues and am having the same. It RUINED arlo for me. The Arm/Disarm is the biggest issue. I have no clue why they removed this. I cant individually control my cameras easily anymore. Arlo please fix!!

[danenglish2]

> The Arm/Disarm is the biggest issue

Nailed it.  This one thing makes the new app completely unusable.  Need to be able to arm/disarm individual cameras.  I currently have them all disarmed now and my properties are unprotected!  Unfortunately looking at other solutions, which means I have wasted hundreds of dollars on their cameras which are now worthless due to this "upgrade".

[StephenB]

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@danenglish2 wrote:

  Need to be able to arm/disarm individual cameras.  

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I do see much room for improvement on "Feed" - particularly the removal of custom modes.

But I am puzzled by this particular comment, as you can turn individual cameras on and off from the device settings.

The bigger issue IMO is when you want to control groups of cameras.  Custom modes let you do that in one step, and that is no longer easy.  

Note you can fully customize all three modes (including standby), so if you don't actually want to disarm all the cameras, you can repurpose standby as a custom mode. 

[brianbish]

Removal of custom modes sucks. And I agree with your comments. 

But - with turning cameras on and off- this is not a solution. When you disarmed the camera in the past UI, you were still able to open the camera and see live feed by pressing the video. With the new UI, if you press off- you can not see any feed at all until you turn cameras on.

For example, my mother has access to see my cameras at my cabin but I do not want her to have access to turn them in or off, so I limit access. If I turn the camera off, she wont be able to see anything live. 

[danenglish2]

Correct, some cameras need to be armed, while others just a live view.  I also have three locations, and the new app now expects me to have three monthly subscriptions.

[jguerdat]

In the FWIW category, I don't turn specific cameras off in the new UI - I go to the mode in Routines and simply disable Motion Detection for that camera which leaves it on but not recording. Live view still works. Enabling detection again allows recording with nothing else changing.

As for multiple subscriptions, the old UI also had that ability/policy but it wasn't enforced. Like new cameras requiring a sub, multiple locations with the new UI requiring a sub is now in effect.

[StephenB]

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@brianbish wrote:

When you disarmed the camera in the past UI, you were still able to open the camera and see live feed by pressing the video. With the new UI, if you press off- you can not see any feed at all until you turn cameras on.

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I agree that is a limitation when turning the camera off, especially with friend access.

Another path is to edit Armed Home, Armed Away, and Armed Standby to manage the cameras.  That might not do everything you need to do, but is enough for some use cases.   

@jguerdat's use of routines is another way to handle this, though I think you do need to be careful to re-enable motion detection to re-arm them.  It'd be easy to forget.

[jguerdat]

@StephenB wrote:

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@jguerdat's use of routines is another way to handle this, though I think you do need to be careful to re-enable motion detection to re-arm them.  It'd be easy to forget.

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Any way to turn a camera off that doesn't have a timeout requires that you remember to reactivate it. 

[StephenB]

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@jguerdat wrote:

@StephenB wrote:

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@jguerdat's use of routines is another way to handle this, though I think you do need to be careful to re-enable motion detection to re-arm them.  It'd be easy to forget.

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Any way to turn a camera off that doesn't have a timeout requires that you remember to reactivate it. 

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True, but it is likely that you'd notice the mode you left the system in fairly quickly.

[OLKT]

Amen! 

I fully agree with these comments on the new app.
Looking forward to seeing some improvements to simplify it and make it more user friendly.

[captwst]

I am very concerned! I just added 2 more cameras and it made me update. Now I cannot control cameras individually

HELP!!!!

[Fledge]

When you open Arlo Secure you should see at the bottom of the screen: Dashboard - Feed - Emergency - Devices - Routines.  Click on Devices (you should see all of your cameras). select the one you want to turn off. Select Device settings in the top right corner to individually turn off or on.

[Hallelujah]

As a long term sufferer of Arlo 'secure' pretty much since inception (around 6 years or so)  now believe that the company is not capable of supporting the app complexity that users in this post are asking for.  They were incapable of supporting the prior release and updates were simply not being tested (regression or unit tests) properly causing untold and unnecessary problems for users.  The methods to manage the so called EOL and new app update processes were especially painfully amateur.  Having made the move to v4 I have found the simpler the app the better it operates but there are clear glitches and remaining long term issues with geofencing which to me relate to the back-end capacity and capability.  The location status for registered devices are not updated accurately or quickly, so geofencing is massively unreliable.  The only way to keep the home secure is by operating the arm/disarm process manually, which negates a potentially strong feature to reliably automate home security.  Technical support is neither support nor technical, outstanding cases are not progressed promptly and 'support' calls for more and more diagnostic data and app logs become extremely tiresome when no action or sensible responses can be obtained.  Its clear to me that the 'support' teams are not properly trained nor conversant with the app processes and features, there are far too many examples in this community feed pointing out the failures and shortcomings of the product for any product manager to be comfortable.  In short (sorry to go on), the system works at a very basic level, if not triggered too much the wireless cameras are very good and battery life excellent.  However it is not a premium product in the way its pricing would suggest against competitors, the product description is flawed, it does not work as advertised,  and 'support' is absolutely dire.  Use it manually with limited features and you have a basic system, but its initial USP is well and truly past its sell by date.

[Retired_Member]

Well put and spot on.  When will a smart lawyer band everyone together and hold this dumpster fire of a company accountable.  Where is the board of directors for this company and why have they not made wholesale changes in leadership?  Are they part of the problem as well?  And then the retailers who have their heads in the sand and only care about the sale.  So many failures on so many levels.  

[Hallelujah]

There are none so blind that will not see !