DO NOT update to the new Arlo Secure App

[jacenpm]

DO NOT  update to new app unless you absolutely have to!!!! Schedules are no longer available, only "Automations". "Leave/Arrive"(Geofencing) overrides "Automations" and don't return them to the previous mode. Geofencing(Leave/Arrive) is essentially useless since it overrides routines and vice versa. Routine setups are impossible to understand and often negate another routine. Poor app interface that eventually they are going to force upon everyone to downgrade to. Please return the app to it previous functionality.

[StephenB]

---

@jacenpm wrote:

DO NOT  update to new app unless you absolutely have to!!!! Schedules are no longer available, only "Automations". "Leave/Arrive"(Geofencing) overrides "Automations" and don't return them to the previous mode. Geofencing(Leave/Arrive) is essentially useless since it overrides routines and vice versa. Routine setups are impossible to understand and often negate another routine. 

---

Automations are IMO too complicated, and it sounds like you haven't fully figured them out.

While the limitation of 3 modes does get in the way, you can combine geofencing + scheduling.  You can schedule "Arm Home" and "Standby" (modifying them as desired), and reserve "Arm Away" for geofencing.  There is an addition limitation with "arrive", in that you need to pick a mode to switch into, and can't just tell it to follow the schedule.  So you will sometimes need to manually set the system to "arm home" or "standby" when you arrive.

If you want more tailored advice, give the details of what cameras you want scheduled when, and we can help.

---

@jacenpm wrote:

DO NOT  update to new app unless you absolutely have to!!!! 

---

If your current setup is working for you, then I agree it is better to wait until Arlo forces you to migrate.  Unfortunately, there is no way to migrate back to "Library" once you've switched to "Feed".

Note the app supports both interfaces, so simply updating the app in the app store shouldn't trigger the migration.  The user interface you get depends on how Arlo has provisioned your account. 

[jacenpm]

This was intended as a warning about updating the app to other users. As I am aware now that I can not revert back to the previous version.

It is not as user friendly as the previous version:  "So you will sometimes need to manually set the system to "arm home" or "standby" when you arrive."   It defeats the purpose if you need "manually" change "automations".  The previous version would go back to the "Schedule(Automations)" mode accordingly once Geofencing went to home or away mode.

The three modes is acceptable if they didn't cancel each other out or by "manually" having to change "automations".

To set up numerous "Schedules" in "Automations" is ridiculous. I have been experimenting for almost two weeks now between "Schedules" and "Arrive/Leave". You have to set up two schedules just to arm and disarm for one time frame. The old schedule interface was so much simpler to use:

As many other users have stated the new app is not user friendly and will more then like cause people to seek other products. As I am considering.

[StephenB]

---

@jacenpm wrote:

The three modes is acceptable if they didn't cancel each other out or by "manually" having to change "automations".

---

You don't have to manually change the automations.  Just sometimes need to change the mode in the app after you arrive.  (If you forget, the schedule will still resume at the next trigger).

---

@jacenpm wrote:

The old schedule interface was so much simpler to use

---

I agree.

[jacenpm]

Correct you did not need to change the modes manually before. If Geofencing entered the home zone and your cameras were armed by a schedule, they continued to be armed according to schedule.

Now they go to stand by, or what ever the dictated automation action is to be, unless you "manually" change the mode, not automation, back. Assumably the next trigger would be stand by if armed so you may have 12 hours of stand by as opposed to the scheduled 6 hours, waiting for the next trigger. To manually have to make these changes defeats the purpose of automations. If I was wanting to manually control the modes I would not be setting up automations or schedules.

[StephenB]

We agree that geofencing and scheduling both have signficant limitations/defects in the new UI.  They can almost work if you only need to schedule two combinations of cameras.  But you can't get them to work completely correctly.

And I think we both agree that it is better to stick with Library until Arlo forces you to migrate. 

[rsokel]

I wish I had read this post before I inadvertently "upgraded." The new "feed" is a nightmare. I lost the ability to disable devices independently, or at least I can't figure out how to do it. I had a schedule setup previously for a camera that I do not want to be recording during the day, and now I am getting a headache trying to reproduce this with the "automatons".

[StephenB]

---

@rsokel wrote:

I lost the ability to disable devices independently. 

---

Correct.  Each mode controls all the cameras at the location, and if a camera rule is missing from a mode then that camera is disabled when you switch to that mode.

And there are only three modes.  You can modify those modes, but you cannot add more.

---

@rsokel wrote:

I had a schedule setup previously for a camera that I do not want to be recording during the day, 

---

You can do that, but you are limited to three combinations of cameras.  

There are a couple of approaches, but it would be helpful to have a bit more information.

• Did you have geofencing set up before?
• How many cameras (and hubs) do you have?  What models are they?
• Do you have a subscription?

[rsokel]

Perhaps you can help. I have a subscription. Do not use geofencing. I have setup 2 automations. One to enter arm home at 11 pm and the other to enter standby at 7 am. In the standby mode I have included two devices with record and notifications so they presumably stay active during standby and the remaining camera is disarmed. My confusion is Selecting Mode for each of the automations. I am assuming that for the 11 pm I enable standby and for the 7am enable home. At least that is what I am going to try today.

All in all I find the home, away and standby to be useless and I really want to be able to arm, disarm and schedule each of my devices independently.

[StephenB]

---

@rsokel wrote:

Perhaps you can help. I have a subscription. Do not use geofencing. I have setup 2 automations. One to enter arm home at 11 pm and the other to enter standby at 7 am. In the standby mode I have included two devices with record and notifications so they presumably stay active during standby and the remaining camera is disarmed. My confusion is Selecting Mode for each of the automations. I am assuming that for the 11 pm I enable standby and for the 7am enable home. At least that is what I am going to try today.

---

I suggest that you enable both schedule automations in both arm home and standby.  You can either do that in the automation itself, or you can configure it in the mode settings.  Of course the action for the 11 pm one is to switch to Arm Home, and the action for the 7 am one is to switch to standby.

Then enable all the cameras in Arm Away, so you can manually switch to that mode when you are away for an extended period.  The cameras should then stay armed 24x7 until you switch it back to Arm Home or Standby when you return.

---

@rsokel wrote:

All in all I find the home, away and standby to be useless and I really want to be able to arm, disarm and schedule each of my devices independently.

---

FWIW, folks with a lot of cameras generally want to create groups of cameras that they can schedule together.   But the new UI doesn't handle that adequately either.

"Library" gives you independent control of each home wifi-connected camera, but not for cameras connected to a smarthub.  Which is a conceptual mess when you have some of each.  But it is possible to get any schedule you want, which is unfortunately not the case with the "Feed".

Arlo has to be working on addressing this, but I don't expect any changes soon.

[rsokel]

Thanks for confirming the general path I was on to restore my schedule.

I am having a hard time trying to remember another example of what Arlo has managed to accomplish with this "feed" update. I have been through numerous versions of Linux, Window, iOS and associated applications so I expect change in the form of new features, GUI tweaks, etc but this Arlo update seems to have deleted essential capabilities for a number of users. Inexplicable.