Can’t make contiguous schedules in Custom Modes

[AlexWhi]

In the old Library experience, it was possible to make a contiguous schedule so that when one mode ended, the next mode began immediately, by making the end time of one mode equal to the start time of the next.

However the current Feed view Custom Mode scheduler requires that the end time of one mode and the start time of the next must be at least one minute apart. During that minute, the system is fully disarmed which is a small but real security risk, but mostly this isn’t just a bit irritating. Particularly as I receive a notification with each mode switch.

If this could be adjusted to allow contiguous scheduling (or at least, the behaviour changed so it didn’t go to “disarmed” in the lull) it would be appreciated.

[AlexWhi]

Ah, incidentally this same restriction prevents scheduling a Custom Mode to run through midnight. The latest allowable time is 2359, so any schedule will always end at that time and the system will go in to Disarmed mode from 2359 to 0000. I think the logic used for validating times is a bit naive.

Of course, when the schedule ends, it fires off a notification, and when the next schedule begins, it fires off another, which is why I'm now sitting here awake at 0047.

For now I've simply (ironically) stopped using scheduling in Custom Modes.

[WolfM]

Beside the already mentioned topics, am i the only one who cannot select AM/PM in the App while configuring custom mode schedules?

Additional to that, i now created a custom plan from 10PM to 530AM "armed", activated the custom mode and what now happens is, that at 7AM the system is active....wtf ?!? do i really need to add a schedule during daytime to set is to "disarmed"???

This new app version is so ridiculously bad/buggy....

[AlexWhi]

Hmm, for me it goes to Disarmed whenever Custom mode doesn’t have a mode scheduled. Are you using the Custom mode schedule or the Automation schedule? Each ignores the other.

[WolfM]

i only use the Custom mode schedule - before the update it was working well.

--> found the issue, the custom mode must be also set to "schedule"

[BrookeN]

Can you make sure all the settings are correct following these steps:

https://kb.arlo.com/000063512/How-to-set-up-an-Arlo-Custom-Mode

[AlexWhi]

I don’t know what “correct” would be in this context, it’s a custom schedule so the values are particular to my configuration. There is nothing

that would seem to affect how the schedule validates times. 0000 simply isn’t available as an end time, and if a schedule shares an end time with another schedule’s start time (or vice versa) it generates a schedule conflict error.

[StephenB]

---

@AlexWhi wrote:

Ah, incidentally this same restriction prevents scheduling a Custom Mode to run through midnight. The latest allowable time is 2359, so any schedule will always end at that time and the system will go in to Disarmed mode from 2359 to 0000. I think the logic used for validating times is a bit naive.

With the old Library interface, the entry ended at the end of the last minute (so it would end at 0000 in your example).

I'd expect the same with the custom modes in the new interface, but obviously something that should be verified.

The notifications are IMO are a bad idea.  It is useful to have the transitions on the Feed page, but actual notifications aren't that helpful and certainly are annoying.

[AlexWhi]

It definitely ends at the start of the minute. I was woken by a notification at 2359 telling me the system had moved to “disarmed” and then by one at 0000 telling me it had gone back to my “night” mode.

 The schedule:

 

[AlexWhi]

And for good measure, the error that appears if you try to fill in the one minute gap. (Its instruction about what you can do to a schedule doesn’t really make sense in the context of the error.)

 

[StephenB]

---

@AlexWhi wrote:

It definitely ends at the start of the minute.

---

Sounds like a bug.  I'm tagging @JamesC so he can pass it on the development.

[BrookeN]

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I have passed this information onto our development team. I will update the community as soon as possible. 

[BrookeN]

@AlexWhi did you set up an Automation Schedule in UX4? or are you using the Custom Mode then set-up a Schedule for individual cameras?

[AlexWhi]

This was in Custom mode. It allows me to toggle between Schedule or Armed depending on whether I am at home or not, and consistently move in to the mode associated with the correct part of the schedule.

[jambo5210]

This is a very frustrating issue that really complicates things for us at the moment. Since we updated the mobile apps!!

Our setup was as follows:

- We use GeoFencing for when my wife and I leave the property. The cameras automatically switch to Armed.

- When we're at home, it switches to Home Armed.

- We then also operated with a custom schedule, which is as follows:

22:00 to 08:00 Armed

08:00 to 22:00 Home Armed

If we leave the property during the day, it automatically switches to armed. 

Unfortunately, with the updated version of the app, you can no longer have a custom schedule which goes past midnight. 

Meaning our new schedule is from 8:01 in the morning to 23:59, and then it has a second schedule from 00:00 to 07:59am.

I need the notifications for the app, because if a burglar is in my garden, I want to know about it.

That is why I have settings set up on my mobile phone to allow notifications from Arlo to come through. 

Hopefully the developers are working on a fix, because it's not ideal to be woken up with two notifications: one at 23:59 and the second at 00:00. 

Has anyone found a workaround solution at the moment? 

[AlexWhi]

Precisely what I am dealing with.

[jambo5210]

I believe I may have figured out how to do this, a little work around. I will only know after tonight, but it looks like this might be the solution. 

Instead of trying to set the custom schedule in your mobile application, do it on the website instead. 

The website can be accessed using the following URL: https://my.arlo.com/

I've attached two screenshots.

1.

Screenshot is from the actual website, which I'm accessing from my laptop. You can see that I've set up a custom schedule according to my needs.

2.

The second screenshot is after it's been set up. I've gone into the mobile app, and it looks like it is doing what I need it to do, but I won't know until midnight tonight.

 

[jambo5210]

I'm pleased to report back that at 9 p.m. it automatically switched over to the custom alarm that I wanted. 

In conclusion, for anyone looking for a fix: instead of trying to set custom scheduling on your mobile app for Arlo, go to the website listed above in my previous post and create a custom alarm schedule there.

You will therefore be able to go across midnight. For example, in my case I wanted a custom schedule from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., and I've been able to set that via the website, but not from the mobile app. The mobile app wanted me to have a fresh schedule from midnight, which just isn't okay. 

[BrookeN]

@jambo5210 do you mind sending a screenshot of the schedules that you set up?

[jambo5210]

Of course, here is the schedule that I set up via the web page, not via the mobile app.

And just to clarify, I slept peacefully last night. It didn't set off any notifications at midnight. Yay!

8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. home alarm. 9 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. alarm.

[AlexWhi]

I can confirm this approach, using the desktop web interface, works. Therefore this seems to be a limitation of the Arlo app rather than the underlying Arlo system. You still get notifications at every mode switch but it's a significant improvement!

[jambo5210]

That's correct. It does work, and you're absolutely right: there is a notification at the time of switching the modes, but that's perfectly fine for me because, in practical terms, my camera on my terrace is switching to armed mode at 9 pm when I know we're likely no longer on the terrace, heading off to bed shortly after. Therefore, the notification for it switching is much welcome, but what wasn't welcomed was it switching at midnight. That is not doable.