Disable mode change notification - we are startled & waken up to system Armed notifications

[Retired_Member]

I use a routine to Arm Home at midnight, and then switch to Standby in early morning. 
Now I get woken to an Arlo notification in my phone when the automation runs and the system is Armed and then unarmed. 

Please disable these! We wake up to an Arlo alert, which can be frightening, only to see our system as armed like we wanted it to. 

Or give us the option to disable such non-useful notifications. 

[JamesC]

We appreciate and are reviewing the feedback provided about the recent enhancement for mode change notifications. The details provided in this thread and others has been shared with the relevant teams internally. I will provide an update here once I have more information available to share.

JamesC

[GoBraves]

I agree however if they can’t figure out how to turn off this one notification that they forced upon us I think them trying to figure out how to roll back an update would cause an aneurism. 

Here is their latest lip service as of Feb 3, 2024. 

Update Your Support Case #43901661

Last Update:

Hi James,

Thank you for contacting Arlo Support.

I hope you are doing well today.

I am sorry to hear that you are still experiencing this issue with being unable to disable your notifications. I understand how inconvenient this has been for you. Rest assured that I will be assisting you with this.

I do appreciate that you were able to follow and execute the troubleshooting steps that were given to you and I know how exhausting it could be. We are sending you this update to let you know that your case is associated with an ongoing issue. Our engineering team is already aware of the problem and is developing a fix. We also want to reassure you that we are keeping a close eye on this situation and will undoubtedly update you as soon as a solution is ready. 

Your cooperation, patience, and continued support are very much appreciated. If you have any other concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us back. We will be glad to assist you.

I do look forward to hearing from you soon. I hope you have a great day and stay safe.

Please be advised that the case will automatically close after seven (7) days of inactivity. Should you wish to keep this case active, kindly provide us an update.

Sincerely,

Ice

Arlo Support

Support site - https://support.arlo.com

Community site - https://community.arlo.com

[GoBraves]

They deleted all the pics of my chat session. Here is the latest lip service email as of Feb 3, 2024. 

Update Your Support Case #43901661

Last Update:

Hi James,

Thank you for contacting Arlo Support.

I hope you are doing well today.

I am sorry to hear that you are still experiencing this issue with being unable to disable your notifications. I understand how inconvenient this has been for you. Rest assured that I will be assisting you with this.

I do appreciate that you were able to follow and execute the troubleshooting steps that were given to you and I know how exhausting it could be. We are sending you this update to let you know that your case is associated with an ongoing issue. Our engineering team is already aware of the problem and is developing a fix. We also want to reassure you that we are keeping a close eye on this situation and will undoubtedly update you as soon as a solution is ready. 

Your cooperation, patience, and continued support are very much appreciated. If you have any other concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us back. We will be glad to assist you.

I do look forward to hearing from you soon. I hope you have a great day and stay safe.

Please be advised that the case will automatically close after seven (7) days of inactivity. Should you wish to keep this case active, kindly provide us an update.

Sincerely,

Ice

Arlo Support

Support site - https://support.arlo.com

Community site - https://community.arlo.com

[Ron-R]

Arlo sent me an update today too.  I raised the same issue, my Case ID is 43643462.

Today's email update says “Our engineering team is working on it”. I don’t believe they actually are.  This has been 9 months, with no evidence of any actual work being done to fix it.  They can't figure it out after 9 months ?  Sure they could, if they ACTUALLY are working on it.

[GoBraves]

 I keep sending them this pic. I know they hate me!!!!

[GoBraves]

 My copy and paste answer to their lip service emails! Come on y’all it’s past time to get really aggressive with them!!

We have ALL been more than patient for the past 8 months. ARLO it doesn’t take 8 months to turn off this one notification! If you aren’t going to fix this then say so. Otherwise, stop telling us that your engineers are aware and working on a fix. If it takes them this long to fix this one simple thing you have the wrong people working on it. This is how we know that you really have no intentions of fixing this.

[Brewgod23]

Does anyone know how many customers have complained about this ridiculous update/feature we can’t turn off or disable? I think they must have thousands of complaints. I want to purchase other cameras but I just can’t deal with this anymore. I will go with another vendor. If they don’t care, I don’t care. It is time to move on.

[Brewgod23]

 I am complaining about the bad service and I get badges. Arlo has the wrong idea on giving badges for their incompetency. Bad bad bad.

[GoBraves]

Same here. 

[GoBraves]

No real way to know but I have chatted with dozens if not hundreds of people on several different platforms and so many people feel the same way. I have actually spoken with ARLO on the phone about this and chatted numerous times and they are textbook in their answer. Our engineers are aware and working on a solution. So apparently the same engineers who turned this feature on can’t figure out how to turn it off. I will be canceling my account and subscription in March and upgrading to a Power over Ethernet system. It’s wired so no more battery life issues. And it can record 24/7. My advice to everyone is to contact ARLO customer support continuously. It’s the only way we are going to get to them. 

[MrA2u1]

NOT A FIX - WORK AROUND

So, I had to leave before dawn again today. Instead of disabling Arlo like we should be able to and used to be able to. I went to devices and disabled the front of house cameras individually. After I left, I re-enabled them. A few extra steps but at least I won't get in trouble again for waking up the house when I left....

[Ron-R]

Arlo is now calling this issue a "feature request".  As if we are requesting a new feature be added.  Instead of acknowledging that THEY created the issue sometime early summer 2023, they are now taking the position that all of us are asking for something new.  The audacity is shocking.  Here is their latest response they sent me, below.  After sending this, they followed up by closing my case !   Can you believe it ?  I have an issue, open a case, they do not resolve after 9 months and then call it a "new feature request" which then closes my case.  Unreal.

Your Case Details
Case Number: 43643462
Subject: A9F61776A190B_Feature Request mode change notification_4UX
Product: VMC4050B

Case Update

Hi, Ron,

Good day.

Thank you so much for contacting Arlo Care. We appreciate you contacting us regarding this concern of yours and I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you.

I apologize about this but this is actually not an on going issue but this is actually a feature request. Our engineering team knew about this already. What I can suggest is to wait for it for further updates in the future.

Thank you for choosing Arlo.

Sincerely,

Ken

L2 Arlo-Care

[GoBraves]

Yep. They’ve referred to it as a feature request with me as well. I quickly replied and let them know it’s not a feature request and to stop referring to it as such. The request is to turn it off just like they turned it on. 

[Ron-R]

@ShayneS This issue has been ongoing for 9 months without resolution.  To add insult to injury, rather than treating it as an issue which Arlo self-created (which it did), the new explanation from Arlo in the past week is that "this is a feature request, which we are looking into".  So .... you create an issue in an app update, customers complaint right away, and 9 months later you claim that it's not actually an issue but rather a feature request to disable these unwanted mode-change-push-notifications ?   Unreal.  Denial is a powerful human trait, but so unfortunate to see it being employed by companies.

[Ron-R]

@JamesC So, it has been 5 months since you claim to be "reviewing the feedback".  Any timeframe when Arlo will actually DO ANYTHING to fix the issue ?

[GoBraves]

I have personally been hearing the same thing directly from ARLO for about 8 months now. Not only do I feel they have NO intention of undoing this and fixing this fiasco but ARLO has now stopped responding to any correspondence from me. I requested to speak with someone with authority and was told I would get a call. NEVER HAPPENED. They don’t respond to emails anymore. I requested chat transcripts numerous times. NEVER RECEIVED THEM. I’ve tried to start new chats and now the system seems to freeze or lockup so I have to wonder if I’ve been blocked somehow. Things that make you go, hmmmm…

[GoBraves]

 

 

My latest email to ARLO that will most likely go unanswered. 

Hey ARLO, Any intentions of fixing this fiasco that you have caused by forcing un anted and unnecessary notifications on the user. You know, us peasants who give you money and keep you in business. TURN OFF THE ARM/DISARM MODE CHANGE NOTIFICATIONS. THIS IS NOT A NEW FEATURE REQUEST. YOU TURNED THIS ON. SURELY YOU ARE CAPABLE OF TURNING THIS OFF, AREN’T YOU???

[Ron-R]

@GoBraves Below is the response I received 2 days ago following me reaching out to Arlo -- yet again -- to find out what's going on with this 8 month old Arlo-created app issue.  I reminded them, yet again, that this is not a "feature request" but rather a technical issue with their app that they created, and multiple customers have been waiting for a fix for 8 or 9 months now.  Actions speak louder than words, and unfortunately, there's been no tangible evidence that anything is actually being done to fix this.

Case Update

Hi Ron,

 Good day!

This is Roselle from Arlo Customer Care Team, and I am writing to you today in reference to your case numbers 43716007 and 43643462.

We appreciate the details shared. We understand where you are coming from. As of this moment, please know that our Engineering team is still looking into this concern. We will make sure to keep this case open and keep you posted. I would like to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you.

To reply to this message, kindly tap the "update case" button and it will allow you to send a message.

For future reference, the best way to access Arlo Support is through your Arlo App under Settings > Support or you may also visit our website's support section at https://www.arlo.com/support/.

Thank you for choosing Arlo and have a wonderful day! Take care!

Regards,

Roselle Villalobos

Customer Care Advocate

Arlo Technologies, Inc.

[GoBraves]

Email reply I received this morning February 19:

Your Case Details
Case Number: 43901661
Subject: #ISSUE 15523_Turn off or disable the notifications for Arm/Standby mode change_UX4
Product: VMC5040

Case Update

Hello James,

Good day!

Thank you for reaching out to us. We apologize for any inconvenience you've experienced. We understand your frustration and sincerely apologize for the delayed response.

We fully understand that you would like to disable the mode change notifications. Honestly, this feature has already been requested, and your case has been added to the list of users who have made these requests. We know what it feels like to be waiting for a resolution to a problem, and we're sorry we put you in that situation. Rest assured, I will check this with the appropriate team and see what we can do about it. I will get back to you and let you know once we receive feedback.

Your continued patience and understanding are highly appreciated.

Kind regards,

Gen

Arlo Escalations Team

[Ron-R]

Thanks for posting the response.

Unfortunately, still no commitment to fix the issue. 😠  All they say is "we are looking into it".

[GoBraves]

Another BS lip service response from ARLO.
Update Your Support Case #43901661
Last Update:
Hello James,
Good day!

Thank you for your email, and I sincerely apologize for the delay in getting back to you. 

We reached out to the appropriate team regarding your concern about the mode change. As much as we would love to immediately take action on this, this concern is subject to review. This is to confirm that the team was able to create a ticket for the said request. However, we cannot provide any assurance that this will be implemented or provide any time frame for the feature release.

The reason this mode change notification has been designed on the Arlo app is also for your security. This will notify the owner of the account whenever changes are made to the mode. 

We may recommend checking in the future via our community sites if the feature has been approved and implemented. Again, we greatly appreciate you providing and sharing with us your feedback, James. 

Thank you for your continued support of Arlo. Stay safe and amazing!

Best Regards,

Gen

Arlo Escalation Team

[DT44]

Arlo app version 4.12_28637 You don't understand, this is a software bug and needs to be fixed! In the previous version we could disable the notification when changing from Arm Away to Standby or back to Arm Away. I usually do this when I go to bed and my wife is sleeping. This notification is LOUD unless I disable All Notifications which defeats the purpose of having the Arlo Camera. I did change in Feed / Feed Settings / Event Types, Disabled "Mode Change" , but I still get the Loud audible Chime when I change the mode to Arm Away. This seems like a software bug that needs to be fixed.

[GoBraves]

It’s not a bug. ARLO intentionally turned these notifications on without giving us the option to turn them off. I’ve been back and forth with ARLO for 8 months and last week they admitted that they did this because of safety to the user. I/we are not any safer because of these notifications. I can arm my system and turn off each camera individually and I don’t get any notifications that they are off so giving me a notification that I disarmed the system DOES NOT make me any safer. I expressed that to ARLO and they basically said oh well. Get used to the fact that ARLO has no plan or intention to change this. They have admitted that to me. That is why I have cancelled my subscription and account. I am going with a wired Power over Ethernet system. No more batteries. No more BS app notifications that I can’t control.

[StephenB]

---

@GoBraves wrote:
It’s not a bug. 

---

Yeah, just an idea that wasn't very well thought-out by Arlo.

I get why they want to send those notifications, but there should be an option to silence them.  Or alternatively send them using email or text.

[Biscuitboy1980]

@ShayneS 

functions as designed is the biggest cop out developer answer I've ever heard.  You do know people want to use these cameras for security right?  Your design is flawed as you can see from the use cases just listed.  This is not a feature request when the old app had the flexibility to define your notifications and your removed it all when you forced us to this arlo secure app.  I used to be able to use email notifications to deal with some of the capabilities removed in this new app but in your infinite wisdom you have now made email notifications end of life too.  Just awful.

[Ron-R]

Hello friends.  Well, it appears from a response I received from Arlo today, that they do NOT intend to fix the 'mode change notification' issue that they created themselves.  The good news (if you can call it that), is that they are saying they will give me a full refund for all of my 5 cameras that I purchased so that I can take the money and go with a different company (probably Ring).

Note the part of Arlo's response that I underlined, which seems to suggest that they don't think Arlo's customers are smart enough to understand how notification settings work.  What a demeaning comment from Arlo 😲.

This is Roselle from Arlo Customer Care Team.

Please know that Arlo takes customer feedback, reviews, and recommendations with utmost importance. We understand that customers have different preferences which is why we have a platform where you can share your ideas and concerns, the Arlo Community.

I am sorry that you feel such a way but we would like to assure you that we hear you and that we see you. The feedback and recommendations raised to Arlo are given consideration and much thought. At the end of the day, our products are made and developed with our customer's needs in mind.

We removed the feature to control the mode change push notifications as we do not want it to confuse our users. This change was implemented after several user testing and research. Please know that this change was made with the goal of making sure our customers get the best experience with the product. We are not closing the possibility of bringing the feature back but as of now, we do not have any plans of bringing it back anytime soon.

Please note that the refund is still on the table. Should you wish to proceed with the request, we will need the proof of purchase.

Thank you for your understanding.

Regards,

Roselle Villalobos

Customer Care Advocate

Arlo Technologies, Inc.