Cannot Create Working Schedules

[Mkword]

Been using Arlo for years and the older app was super easy to use.

But recently added a new Essential camera and Pro2 camera and I was forced to update to new app.

Mistake!

Ive read all the instructions to set schedules.  I used the live chat.  I even had a live support phone call today and they could not make the scheduling work.  They told me things that were demonstrably not true.

But bottom line — this app is absurdly complicated and it simply doesn’t work.  I’ve tried over and over to set a simple schedule.  Armed at 2am.  Disarmed at 9am.  I think it worked the very first time, but when I went to create another set of schedules for a single camera during the day — suddenly all cameras became armed all the time.

Since then all attempts to delete and reset the simple basic schedule have failed.  

Schedule 1:  2am — Armed Home

Schedule 2:   9am — Standy

Yet if I set the rules for the cameras in Armed Home they are active all the time.  I tried disabling motion detection.  That then means the cameras are off all the time.

Can anyone help?   A support phone call was a literal disaster!  They had no idea how to do anything.  They had to ask their senior team — and they would respond with bizarre suggestions.

On the Arlo portal on my phone there is no ability to set the schedule.

Maybe I need to delete the camera rules completely.

This is a HORRIBLE app!

[StephenB]

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@Mkword wrote:

Schedule 1:  2am — Armed Home

Schedule 2:   9am — Standy

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Do you want all your cameras TO record between 2 am and 9 am?  Or just some?

Do you want all your cameras TO NOT record between 9 am and 2 am?  Or just some?

[Mkword]

Hey Stephen, thanks for responding.

Yes, the overnight schedule “Arm Home” is intended to activate motion/record/notify on all cameras between 2am to 9am.  And the schedule “Standby” is intended to disarm all cameras so they do not detect motion, record or send notifications from 9am until 2am.

 But it appears these two schedules are now working.  Part of the issue appears to be my failure to grasp how the modes work.  I originally thought Arlo needed to be in the “Armed Home” mode to operate the schedules.  I assumed modes were a global setting that you choose.  That’s true, but apparently only to a point.

Now I understand that when the schedule triggers a mode such as “Standby” your mode on the Dashboard will change.

My issue now is how to set a pair of schedules to activate/arm just one or two cameras — while all the other cameras are in Standby mode.

I work from home.  And during the day I would like a front porch camera or two to be active/armed so I can see when packages or other deliveries are made — or if anyone comes to the front door.  

So far I believe I’ve figured out how set another schedule that will trigger a specific camera to record and notify.

But what I don’t know are two things:  1) Since the rules for Standy are set to disable all options (i.e. Motion toggle is set to OFF) during the day when the system is in Standby, will creating the schedule to Record and Notify for a single camera work if the Standy rule has motion detection disabled?  Do I need to edit the Standby rule to have this specific camera enabled for motion detection so it can record/notify?  Or does simply creating a schedule for the camera to record/notify also enable the motion detection?

2) More importantly, I don’t know how to set the second schedule to stop/deactivate the front porch camera so it no longer records/notify.  When I create that second schedule there is no way to specify a specific camera.  All I can do is pick the action “Standby.”   Would this work just doing that?

Example: 

Additional Schedule 1:  11am — Front Porch Active (camera armed to record/notify)

Additional Schedule 2:  8pm — Front Porch Deactivated (camera not set to record/notify).

When I had a Support Agent on the phone, they told me the way to create the first schedule to activate record/notify for a single camera required using the “Customize Device” option — in addition to selecting “Record” and “Notify.”

And — for the 2nd schedule to deactivate the same

single camera at 8pm — Support told me to add action “Standby” — and again also add the action “Customize Device.”

When I pointed out that Customize Device simply adjusted settings for a specific camera (like motion sensitivity or recording length) they said, “Don’t worry about that!  Just do it!”

This sounds like an unusual solution.  Personally, I’ve never found anything in the Arlo literature that specifies how to create an alternative schedule for individual cameras.

To me, it would make so much more sense to have “Add Action” two options that say “Activate Camera” and “Deactivate Camera.”   And then each one of those takes you to an Option Box that lets you pick the specific actions like Record/snapshot/notify.  

But most important is having the “Deactivate Camera” option that then lets you stop/deactivate the actions you want to stop — like Record/Notify.

The big problem in my mind is that setting schedules for an individual camera cannot be done using the modes.  As choosing a mode for a single camera will often conflict with your other primary schedule.

So what Arlo needs is that easy ability to disable or end that single camera period of operation.  But there is no deactivate action X, Y, Z options for individual cameras.  The only action that would end the activation of Record/Notify is Add Action>Standy Mode.  And then according to support, selecting “Customize Device” to indicate a specific camera.

Anyway — since that is unlikely to happen or happen anytime soon — do you know the best way to create an alternative set of schedules for a single camera as I described?  One that would activate a single camera to record/notify and then deactivate the same camera — all during the period when all the other cameras are in Standby mode?

So my schedules would be:

Schedule 1:  2am - Arm Home - Night (all cameras in Arm Home mode)

Schedule 2:  9am — Disarm Home - Day (all cameras in standby mode)

Schedule 3:  11am — Front Porch Armed (single camera activated to record/notify)

Schedule 4:  9pm — Front Porch Disarmed (single camera is deactivated from recording/notifying) (Or maybe set to Standby mode?)

Appreciate the response and any help you can offer!

[StephenB]

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@Mkword wrote:

Part of the issue appears to be my failure to grasp how the modes work.  

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Modes control all the cameras in a location.  If a rule for a camera is missing from a mode, then the camera is disarmed when the system is put into that mode.

While you cannot add more modes, you can modify the three built-in modes as you wish.  This gives some information on how to do that.

• https://kb.arlo.com/000062777/About-Arlo-Routines-Modes-Rules-and-Automations

I think it is clear that three modes are not enough for many use cases.  Given the amount of feedback here, I think is is likely they will add back custom modes, or some other way to handle more complex schedules.

@Mkword wrote:

 I originally thought Arlo needed to be in the “Armed Home” mode to operate the schedules.  

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That is not true.  Each schedule has a list of modes at the top that say in which modes the schedule will run.  More on that below.

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@Mkword wrote:

Schedule 1:  2am - Arm Home - Night (all cameras in Arm Home mode)

Schedule 2:  9am — Disarm Home - Day (all cameras in standby mode)

Schedule 3:  11am — Front Porch Armed (single camera activated to record/notify)

Schedule 4:  9pm — Front Porch Disarmed (single camera is deactivated from recording/notifying) (Or maybe set to Standby mode?)

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Let's recast this as

• 2 am to 9 am:  all cameras armed
• 9 am to 11 am: all cameras disarmed
• 11 am to 9 pm: Only porch cameras armed
• 9 pm to 2am: all cameras disarmed

So you have three combinations of cameras.  

1. All cameras armed - I suggest "Arm Away" for this.  Likely it is already set up to arm all the cameras
2. All cameras disarmed - I suggest Standby for this one.
3. Only porch cameras armed - I suggest repurposing "Arm Home" for this.

Then the schedule automations you need are

• Schedule 1: At 2 am switch to Arm Away
• Schedule 2: at 9 am switch to Standby
• Schedule 3: at 11 am switch to Arm Home
• Schedule 4: at 9 pm switch to Standby

One drawback here is that when you go away you'll want to manually disable schedule 2,3,4 so that all the cameras stay armed.  That is not that difficult, but not something you can automate.

Post 32 here

• https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Secure/ARLO-Po-model-VMC-4030/m-p/2422793

might be helpful in orienting you to how automations are structured.

[Mkword]

Thanks so much for the input!

So — If I understand what you’re saying — contrary to what I was told by support and contrary to what the Automations “Add Action” list provides — there is actually no ability to schedule single cameras without using a mode.

That aside — your suggested set of schedules looks very doable!

Just FYI — I do have one other option I found I can use.  It’s not ideal but it’s simpler.  And that is to simply change the rules of the Front Porch cameras in the Standby mode so that when all other cameras are deactivated in Standby mode after 9am the Front Porch cameras remain activated.

The only problem with this is that the Front Porch cameras remain active 24/7.  Not the worst solution — but not ideal.

So — considering your solution — I have just one key issue/question:

I was really hoping to reserve “Arm Away” as a simple one-button arming of all cameras whenever I leave the home for extended periods of time (2 hours to 2 weeks).

If I create the schedules as suggested — you’re saying that whenever I use Arm Away when leaving the house, I have to disable 3 of the 4 schedules.

Support told me whenever I use Arm Away for going on trips away from home — I would have to *delete* all schedules.

So  — does “disabling” the 3 schedules mean I have to actually delete the schedules every time I leave the house and use Arm Away — and then have to recreate the schedules once I get back home?  

Or is there another way to disable the schedules without actually deleting them?   Such as selecting or deselecting the automations when on the Arm Away Mode menu?

Because honestly, the scenario where I have to delete schedules every time I leave the house for an extended period and then have to rewrite/recreate them when I return is — less than ideal.

@JamesC  —  Just curious if you have any thoughts or suggestions regarding whether or not as Stephen suggested Arlo might upgrade the app with additional or custom modes to make scheduling individual cameras possible and possible with much greater flexibility.

I hope an improved version of this app comes out very soon!  Seems like it’s already been 6 months or so since this app was released.  Hope a new one is well on the way.

And just FYI  — I’ve LOVED using Arlo cameras for years!  They are seriously great.  But given this new UI app, its complexity and its inability to schedule individual cameras — I am giving Arlo a week or two to see if I can inevitably grow comfortable and satisfied with the capabilities of this new UI app.  If I can’t, then I hope a new, improved UI app will come out soon.  If not — if I’m stuck with this current app for months — I am seriously considering switching to an all new brand of security cameras.  Something I really hope to avoid!

Thanks again Stephen for all your help!

[StephenB]

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@Mkword wrote:

So — If I understand what you’re saying — contrary to what I was told by support and contrary to what the Automations “Add Action” list provides — there is actually no ability to schedule single cameras without using a mode.

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You can schedule a recording for a camera, or you can change default settings (like the motion threshold) from a schedule automation.  But you cannot arm/disarm the camera.

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@Mkword wrote:

Or is there another way to disable the schedules without actually deleting them?   Such as selecting or deselecting the automations when on the Arm Away Mode menu?

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You can just change the enable list at the top - removing "Arm Away".   Then the automations won't run when the mode is "Arm Away".

There is another approach that builds on your standby mod - not sure if it will work or not, so it would require some experimentation

• Arm Away and Arm Home arm all the cameras. but also has customize device actions that set the motion threshold for the porch cameras to 80
• Standby just arms the porch cameras, but also has customize device actions that set the motion threshold for the porch cameras to 1

Then the schedule automations would have 

• Schedule 1: At 2 am switch to Arm home
• Schedule 2: at 9 am switch to Standby
• Schedule 3: at 11 am if the mode is Standby, change the porch cameras motion thresholds to 80
• Schedule 4: at 9 pm if the mode is Standby, change the porch cameras motion thresholds to 1

Then the system would stay in Arm Away until you manually change it.

Then to add geofencing

• Create Leave to switch the mode to Arm Away
• Create Arrive to switch the mode to Standby with a customize device actions to change the motion thresholds of the porch cameras to 80

When you return home between 2 am and  9 am, you'd need to manually put the system into "Arm Home".

When you return home between 9 am and 11 am, or between 9 pm and 2 am, the porch cameras would have their motion threshold set to 80, so you would have to manually change that (or just leave them until the schedule kicks in amd resets them). 

[Mkword]

Hey Stephen — first thanks for all the time you’re putting in to help me.  It’s very appreciated.  

• >>You can just change the enable list at the top - removing "Arm Away".   Then the automations won't run when the mode is "Arm Away".<<

Thanks.  Was hoping something like this would be possible to use Arm Away without having to actually delete the schedules.

• >>There is another approach that builds on your standby mod - not sure if it will work or not, so it would require some experimentation.<<

Thanks for this alternate suggestion!  Sounds intriguing so I’m going to give it a shot and see if works.  If it doesn’t for any reason I’ll go with your original plan.

• >>Then the system would stay in Arm Away until you manually change it.<<

This part confused me.  Possibly a typo?

Since this scheduling plan never uses Arm Away and instead is set up to improve on my Standby modification approach — (which uses Arm Home 2am—9am) I’m not sure how or when the Arm Away mode is part of any of this.  Unless possibly a typo?  Or maybe you’re referencing when I leave home this gives me the option to simply manually enter Arm Away — and then manually change back to either Arm Home or Standby when arriving back home.  Unless I’m very confused, the way you described modding my Arm Home/Standby schedule w/ using the Front Porch cameras during Standby via Standby rule changes and Customizing sensitivity — the system should be in either Arm Home or Standby.

• >>Then to add geofencing
• Create Leave to switch the mode to Arm Away
• Create Arrive to switch the mode to Standby with a customize device actions to change the motion thresholds of the porch cameras to 80
• When you return home between 2 am and  9 am, you'd need to manually put the system into "Arm Home".
• When you return home between 9 am and 11 am, or between 9 pm and 2 am, the porch cameras would have their motion threshold set to 80, so you would have to manually change that (or just leave them until the schedule kicks in amd resets them). <<
•  

Regarding the Geofencing — is this Geofencing set-up required?  Is it required to make your 2nd suggestion about using the Customize Sensitivity actions for Schedules 3 & 4 work?

Or can I simply set-up the Schedules as you described with adding the Customize Sensitivity actions to 3 and 4 without needing to add a geofencing set up?

Im asking because if your 2nd suggestion works then I would simply just enter Arm Away mode when leaving the house for an extended period — and then entering either Standby or Armed Home upon returning depending on the time of day.

My guess is your 2nd suggestion using the sensitivity trick doesn’t require the Geofencing — but you’ve given me instructions on how to use Geofencing to make the use of Arm Away when leaving the house an automated feature.  If I got that wrong let me know.

Re: Geofencing   I’ve never had to use this feature before.  But if I either do need to use it for your 2nd suggestion involving modifying sensitivity - or if it would provide an Automated way to turn on and off Armed Away when leaving and arriving home — I have one extra question.

When I checked out the Leave/Arrive feature I saw a list of older phones — and unfortunately didn’t see my current phone listed.  There are two generic “iPhone” entries but have no idea if either of them are supposed to be my current iPhone 13.  And I haven’t found a way to alter/change/update that list of phones.

***One last note:  When referencing the Sensitivity settings you refer to 0 and 80.   Unfortunately, on my app when you Customize sensitivity the slider simply moves between High and Low and does not display a numerical setting.  But regardless it should hopefully work as described using Low and High.

[StephenB]

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@Mkword wrote:

• >>Then the system would stay in Arm Away until you manually change it.<<

This part confused me.  Possibly a typo?

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With your adjusted scheme, the schedule switches between Arm Home and Standby.  When you leave home, you want the cameras armed 24x7.  You manually switch to Arm Away to do that, and then manually switch back to Arm Home or Standby when you return. Or you can use geofencing Leave to switch to Arm Away, and Arrive to switch to Standby as discussed in the earlier reply.

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@Mkword wrote:

Regarding the Geofencing — is this Geofencing set-up required?  

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No.  It just automates the switch to Arm Away if you go away (so the cameras all stay armed), and the switch back to Standby when you return.  Completely optional.

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@Mkword wrote:

***One last note:  When referencing the Sensitivity settings you refer to 0 and 80.   Unfortunately, on my app when you Customize sensitivity the slider simply moves between High and Low and does not display a numerical setting.  But regardless it should hopefully work as described using Low and High.

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I meant 1 and 80 (the app doesn't let you set to 0).  My app isn't showing the precise scale either (unlike the default mode setting).  All the way to the left ("Low") is 1, all the way to the right ("High") is 100.  If you use my.arlo.com for this, you'll see the numeric value over the dot in the slider.

[Mkword]

Terrific!  That’s all clear now and it comports with what I was assuming.

i have implemented the Customize Sensitivity solution you suggested and it seems to be working so far.  I’ll give it more time and monitor it through the day and tomorrow to make sure it’s operating as desired — but so far so good!  👍

Regarding using Arrive/Leave geofencing — I tried setting that but once I created a Specific People Leave automation with my phone selected — the system switched almost immediately to Armed Away as if I had just left the house or wasn’t home to begin with.

Is it possible I need to create a SET of automations for this to work properly?

In other words create a When Specific People Arrive automation as well as the When Specific People Leave automation?

Oh — one last question.  When I set up a Leave/Arrive automation for Armed Away — and I wanted it to go into Armed Away when only both my wife and I leave the house together — will that work if I simply select both my and my wife’s phone?

Or does that simply mean Armed Away will become active when either one of us leaves the house?

Thanks again!

[Mkword]

Update:

Unfortunately, during Schedule 3 with Customization reducing sensitivity to 1 the Front Porch cameras still easily detected motion, recorded and sent notifications.

But I’m curious if this still might be workable.  I noticed that in Add Actuon>Customize Device>Sensitivity menu below the Sensitivity slider there is a toggle switch labeled “Permanently Apply Action.”   That toggle switch is always set to ON — but is always faded out and cannot be switched off.

Because there is no slider sensitivity setting in the RULES menus that once Motion is turned on — the sensitivity is set to the default 80.  I am also assuming that this default setting also comes with a Permanent status despite the fact there is no switch for this.

With the Standy rule for sensitivity being likely set permanently set to 80 once Motion detection is turned on — I’m wondering if there is any way to Add Action to the rule for the Front Porch cameras — where I can add a Customize Action that would set the Sensitivity for a camera — BUT allow me to TURN OFF the “Permanently Apply Action” switch.

I think if that’s possible then when the Schedule Customize Action to kicks in at 9pm to set the sensitivity to 1 — it might allow the camera to truly change/lower the sensitivity to 1.

Overall, I’m stumped why there is this toggle switch labeled “Permanently Apply Action” that is permanently disabled and not usable.

@JamesC Any thoughts about how to turn that “Permantly Apply Action” switch off?