Geo-fencing with new Arlo app

[Tomwebb81]

Hey All,

About to buy 2 replacement cameras but this will mean I need to upgrade the app to the new version. I’m currently using geo-fencing based on the below setup. 

Can anyone confirm if Arlo have fixed geo-fencing in the new app and the below setup is achievable? Tia

2 iphones - one master login and then one logs in using a separate login with granted access

2 cameras and 1 video door bell

currently I have in the old app it set so that geo-fencing is the default and if both phones leave the house it sets to away mode and arms and then once one of the phones returns it changes to home mode which is set to schedule. The schedule is from 8pm - 6am to be armed and 6.01am-7.59pm to be disarmed.

[alex_loo]

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@Tomwebb81 wrote:

Can anyone confirm if Arlo have fixed geo-fencing in the new app and the below setup is achievable? Tia

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My quick answer is "NO, it is not working all the time"

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@Tomwebb81 wrote:

currently I have in the old app it set so that geo-fencing is the default and if both phones leave the house it sets to away mode and arms and then once one of the phones returns it changes to home mode which is set to schedule. The schedule is from 8pm - 6am to be armed and 6.01am-7.59pm to be disarmed.

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Setting up above in new app is simple IF ARLO has fixed the geofencing bug I mentioned above.  That is -- yes the design of new app can achieve your use case easily, but no the new app is still buggy enough to make you unhappy.

Alex

[Tomwebb81]

Thanks Alex, curious on the other thread it was very active and then suddenly stopped around Aug. Is that because everyone has exhausted and is awaiting a fix from Arlo?

If so does anyone have any official comms with Arlo over resolution?

I went through all this years ago with the 1st app and geo fencing when it 1st came out and they recked if with an update for months. 😞

[WimD]

Still not working! This started for me this past summer, and still does not work with the new app and Arlo Secure subscription plan. So frustrating that Arlo does not address this issue. 

[alex_loo]

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@Tomwebb81 wrote:

Thanks Alex, curious on the other thread it was very active and then suddenly stopped around Aug. Is that because everyone has exhausted and is awaiting a fix from Arlo?

If so does anyone have any official comms with Arlo over resolution?

I went through all this years ago with the 1st app and geo fencing when it 1st came out and they recked if with an update for months. 😞

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dunno how to answer the question 😅

So far I don't even see ARLO socializing their issue lists to be fixed, at least from a user expectation management perspective.  So for geofencing, yes I do see issues there but no I haven't seen/heard any acknowledgement of them by ARLO --- not to mention about any plan of fixing.

And the more annoying thing is --- I can tell they are reading this community here!  They are just doing nothing to our yelling.

Alex

[Tomwebb81]

Thanks Alex,

Looks like I will stick with the old gen cameras for now. ☹️

poor show Arlo.

[StephenB]

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@Tomwebb81 wrote:

currently I have in the old app it set so that geo-fencing is the default and if both phones leave the house it sets to away mode and arms and then once one of the phones returns it changes to home mode which is set to schedule. The schedule is from 8pm - 6am to be armed and 6.01am-7.59pm to be disarmed.

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The first steps are to 

• Configure both Arm Home and Arm Away to arm all cameras
• Configure Standby to Disarm both cameras

All of these modes should already be set up this way, since they are the defaults.

Then configure two schedule automations

• one to change the mode to "Standby" at 6:00 am
• one to change the mode to "Arm Home" at 8:00 pm

Finally two geofencing automations

• one to change the mode to "Arm Away" when everyone leaves
• one to change the mode to "Arm Home" when someone returns

With "Library", the system would automatically pick up the scheduled mode when you return.  Unfortunately, Arlo missed that in the new design - you need to select one mode when you return.  So if you return home during the day, then you would manually need to switch to "Standby" to disarm the cameras.  If you forget, the cameras will still disarm at 6 am the following day.

The geofencing triggers aren't 100% reliable.  Mine are working pretty reliably, but I have seen the system miss a couple of triggers.  FWIW, some people reported this with "Library" also, so I'm not sure this aspect is actually worse.

[HanSoloMumma]

My geo fencing isn't working on the new app, no matter how many times I do a test and it confirms it's all good. It just will not turn on when I leave the house. It worked 90% of the time in the old app, 0% of the time in the new one.  May as well just leave my front door open for the good the cameras are doing. 

[StephenB]

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@HanSoloMumma wrote:

My geo fencing isn't working on the new app, no matter how many times I do a test and it confirms it's all good. It just will not turn on when I leave the house.

As a test, try enabling your "leave" and "arrive" automations in all modes, and see if they trigger then.

[HanSoloMumma]

@StephenB I have, literally every night I do this, hoping that next time I leave it will work, yet the next time I leave the house, it still doesn't activate. 

[StephenB]

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@HanSoloMumma wrote:

@StephenB I have, literally every night I do this, hoping that next time I leave it will work, yet the next time I leave the house, it still doesn't activate. 

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Can you post screen shots of your automations?

[HanSoloMumma]

@StephenB 

 

 

[StephenB]

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@HanSoloMumma wrote:

@StephenB 

 

 

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Leave needs to be enabled in Standby (since that is the mode you switch to when you arrive).

Generally Arrive is only enabled in Arm Away.

Do you every use Arm Home?

[HanSoloMumma]

@StephenB Thank you! I've navigated to Standby and enable Home (leave), so hoping that function now works. What an extra level of complexity that wasn't an obvious change to this user at the very least. I have previously used Arm home, however do not at present. Is there anything I need to know for setting that up correctly that isn't as obvious as it could be? 

[StephenB]

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@HanSoloMumma wrote:

 I have previously used Arm home, however do not at present. Is there anything I need to know for setting that up correctly that isn't as obvious as it could be? 

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If you also want to use scheduling, then I suggest setting up Arm Home and Arm Away to be the same (using the same camera rules).  Then have the schedule switch between Arm Home and Standby.  That setup ensures that "Arm Away" leaves the cameras armed 24x7 until you return.

But if you don't care about scheduling, then you can leave things as they are.

[HanSoloMumma]

@StephenB  After enabling Leave via the Standby mode as suggested, I was hoping that would trigger the camera to arm upon leaving home (Standby mode). Sadly this wasn't the case.  Is this setup right? My previous 2 screenshots remain as is. 

 

[StephenB]

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@HanSoloMumma wrote:

After enabling Leave via the Standby mode as suggested, I was hoping that would trigger the camera to arm upon leaving home (Standby mode). Sadly this wasn't the case.  

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If you put the system in Arm Home or Standby, and then use the "test automation" in Leave, do you see the mode change to Arm Away show up in the "Feed"?