Push notification (Lock Screen) crashes app and other problems / App Version 5.4.3_28791

[Trusti]

App version 5.4.3_28791
Android 14
Samsung Galaxy One UI 6.1

On the Lock Screen:
The latest update crashes the app if you want to watch the video via a push notification on the Lock Screen.

Home Screen:
If you click on the push notification on the Home Screen, the Arlo App camera will start. Why??

Things got bad before the last update and it wasn't working properly

The previous update also caused the following problems:

If you click on the push notification on the lock screen, the Arlo App camera will start. Also why??

Previously we could click on the push notification on the lock screen and the recorded video would play and not start the camera!

The drama began last year.

Before it worked as it should. Push notification on the lock screen and home screen starts the recorded video and not the camera!

Arlo, what are you doing??

It's getting worse with all the updates.

P.s. This is the version with library.

[alex_loo]

"Feed" version user here.

Does anyone know what this 5.4.3 does/fixes?  Any release note regarding its details, @JamesC ?

Again, I'll hold the update and stay at the recent 5.4.2.

Alex

[secaz]

First off if you are a legacy user don't upgrade, been there done that so sorry I did.

If you did upgrade and are using Android it's advisable to use an APK extractor to back up the Arlo app so you can back peddle to previous versions.  Each new release is worse than the one before. So if you try the latest version and it sucks even more, you can reinstall the previous one.

New version release date 2025 Jan 24, have already read about crashes with Android.  At least I researched beforehand so didn't install, but if I had and was a bad move, I have Arlo APK backed up so could easily reinstall.

[Trusti]

It's really frustrating and annoying.

I've already looked for APKs, but I can't find a version shortly
before December 2024 where everything still worked for me and my wife.

The Arlo APK's no longer appear on the 3 major APK sites. Only the new ones.

I've already noticed that the feed version is supposed to be even worse.

[BrookeN]

@Trusti are you still seeing this same behavior?

[Trusti]

@BrookeN 

Yes, still.

And that's why I opened a case with support (no. 00682853).
After I sent videos and logs, the case was closed on January 28, 2025, saying that the problem was “supposedly” known.

Now I'm, my wife and known other People faced with the problem and don't know if or when it will be solved!!??

Please give us the 2024 version!

And what should I do now? Contact support again. It's just frustrating (over 1000€ an not really usable now).

[Trusti]

@BrookeN 

What I noticed, where it still worked, was the option in the app: show at the beginning (that's what it says in German on Android).
This option is missing for me and my wife after the last updates (when the Problems began).

Isn't the missing option causing the problem? End of 2024 we had this option and everything worked so far.

Here is one example picture.

[BrookeN]

Thank you for providing that information, I reached out to the development team to let them know the behavior you are seeing. I will be in touch with updates as soon as possible. 

[alex_loo]

Hi @Trusti ,

---

@Trusti wrote:

What I noticed, where it still worked, was the option in the app: show at the beginning (that's what it says in German on Android).
This option is missing for me and my wife after the last updates (when the Problems began).

Isn't the missing option causing the problem? End of 2024 we had this option and everything worked so far.

Here is one example picture.

---

Above screen is from Android setting, NOT ARLO app.  Could this "2024 option" be missing, due to any recent update to your android 14?

---

@Trusti wrote:

App version 5.4.3_28791
Android 14
Samsung Galaxy One UI 6.1

---

Alex

(side question: given you have updated already, where did you get above screenshot?)

[Trusti]

@alex_loo 

This was an example screenshot from the internet.

Here are the ones from my Samsung phone (Galaxy S22). My wife has the same thing.

You can clearly see that the option is now missing in both the Android settings and the Arlo app settings. And it was definitely still there until the end of 2024.

If this had happened through an Android update, I wouldn't have countless apps that have this option.

Whether this missing option is really responsible for the errors is another question. But at least an indication of why it might no longer work for me and my wife and others.

[alex_loo]

@Trusti , I can see 5.5.1 is available now.  Will that fix your issue?

In case you are with 5.5.1, please share your findings in this separate thread.

Alex

[BrookeN]

@Trusti are you still seeing the same behavior?

[Trusti]

@BrookeN 

Like @secaz told in https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo/Uncontrollable-video-playback-on-Android-mobile-with-new-Arlo/m-p... 

---

Even something simple like tapping on a push notification and having the video tied to the notification open up and play. When I tap on a push notification either nothing happens or it starts a live view of the associated camera.

---

Nothing has changed! The app still crashes when receiving push notifications.

Is there any news or can the problem be isolated? What do the developers say?

App Version: 5.5.0_28795

@alex_loo  Newer version doesn't show up in Google Playstore.

[alex_loo]

@Trusti it's 5.5.2 I can see from Google Play now, see this message.

I haven't updated to it yet (sticking to 5.4.2 here).  Dunno what it fixes and whether it introduces more issues.  Do you know what 5.5.2 does, @BrookeN ?

Alex

[Trusti]

@alex_loo 

Not in Germany yet.

I will report when I have the new update.

[Trusti]

@BrookeN 

The new version still does not fix the existing problem.
Version 5.5.2_28806

Should we live with that now? Is there any information from the developers/Arlo?

This is not a permanently acceptable situation.

I would like to ask for feedback on what happens next or what I should do?

So the App is unusable!

[BrookeN]

@Trusti can I get a screen recording of the behavior you are seeing as well?

[Trusti]

@BrookeN 

Hello Brooke,

I sent you that via email on February 24th, 2025, including the logs.
Just as discussed.

Didn't that get through?

Otherwise I will send this again. The problem still exists!

[BrookeN]

I received the logs, however I did not see the screen recording. The development team is wondering if you could provide that as well. You can send it to me via a dm. You send a dm by clicking on the envelope icon on the top right of the forum page.If you don't see it, then go into your profile settings and select preferences, then "Private Messenger." Then select "Turn on private messages" if it is turned off.

[Trusti]

@BrookeN 

You have PM.

Everything arrived?

[BrookeN]

Yes, thank you so much. The development team will look at these. I will update you as soon as possible. 

[Trusti]

@BrookeN 

I made an interesting discovery.
Now playing the Notification on the “Homescreen” works normally again.
This means that the video is played and the camera "does not" start as before.

Is it possible that something is being done in the backend, regardless of the app updates,
that causes such behavior?

Nevertheless, the app still crashes when you want to view the notification (the video) from the “Lockscreen”.

I will test today later with my Wifes Phone.

[Trusti]

Everything back again.

After the update to 5.6.0_28817, the notifications start the camera again and not the video.

Only God or the Arlo Dev Team knows whether this was due to the update and why it worked with various notifications this morning.

[BrookeN]

Can you check to make sure that everything is updated and then please let me know if you are still seeing this same behavior?

[Trusti]

@BrookeN 

The Situation is as follows:

Android App Version is: 5.6.0_28818

Same Version for me and my wife.

What works now is:
The videos are now played directly on the Homescreen when you tap on the push notification.

It appears that this problem has been resolved

What still doesn't work (which I find worse):

If you tap on the push notification on the Lockscreen you will be taken to the Homescreen.
Neither the Arlo app starts nor does the corresponding video play.

This still doesn't work. Neither for me nor my wife.