Viewing local recording in Arlo Secure app

[northcharlotte]

Got a new base station (VMB5000) as an Arlo rep told me I would be able to view local recordings without a subscription.  Sadly, Arlo doesn't provide much documentation with products so it wasn't till after I purchased it that I found out I needed a microSD card.  Got the card and installed and formatted it.  Spent the better part of a day in live chat trying to get local recordings to be seen in the app.  Sent app logs to Arlo. . .tried multiple things, i.e., resetting new base station, restarting, reformatting SD card.  Nothing seemed to work.  Then all of a sudden I was able to view recordings in the app.  But that only lasted one day.  I have some older cameras that I can view in the cloud but my essential cameras cannot be viewed in the app.  I get alerts when motion is detected and there are recordings on the SD card but I cannot view them in the app.  All the settings in the app are as I was told to set them by the rep in chat.  Any suggestions?

[northcharlotte]

UPDATE:  I got it working again.  At least I think I do.  I've always been confused when told I have to be on same network as my smarthub for the app.  According to the mfg of my router, when plugged in via ethernet you aren't on a specific network.  I have two networks: 2.4 and 5.0.  I just told my ios device to forget the 5.0 network and I am now able to view local recording on the app.  I'm not a wifi or router wizard so I don't know if this was the root of my problem or not.  But I just went out and one of my essential cameras recorded activity and I got three local recordings in the app that I can actually view.  

[northcharlotte]

I spoke too soon.  After I set my phone to my 2.4gh network, I got three recordings from one of my essential cameras that I could view in the app.  No longer getting recordings off the same camera.  This issue is driving me crazy.

[jguerdat]

Since the hub is using Ethernet, the frequency band your phone is connected to is immaterial. It would only matter for any cameras connected to the router rather than your hub. Of course, you must have cameras connected to the hub for local recordings.

What phone and OS version do you have? Have you rebooted the phone and reinstalled the app?

[northcharlotte]

using iphone 16pro, ios 18.5.  just deleted app and reinstalled.  still no local feed.

so are you saying my phone can be on either 2.4 or 5.0 local network since all my cameras are connected to my base station via ethernet?

[StephenB]

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@northcharlotte wrote:

so are you saying my phone can be on either 2.4 or 5.0 local network since all my cameras are connected to my base station via ethernet?

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Yes.  And you can even view them with when you are away from home if you have remote access set up.

Do you see "Feed" and "Dashboard" in your app menu?  Or are you instead seeing "Library"?

[northcharlotte]

Feed is on my app.

[jguerdat]

It could be a variety of things that cause this. By any chance is a VPN in use at any time? Have you tried removing one camera from your account and adding it back to see if somehow that helps? Do you have another phone or tablet to see if it happens on that device, too? Are you only using Feed to see the recordings or have you also tried looking at the hub's settings in Storage Settings to see if they are there reliably?

[northcharlotte]

No VPN here.  I spent hours with Arlo support this past Friday.  When I got the new base station, I installed it and of course none of my cameras were on it.  With Arlo support, I added one of my essential cameras.  I deleted it and added it back.  I deleted app and reinstalled it.  I factory reset the base station.  My older pro cameras show in the cloud, but none of my essential cameras show.  I get alerts on all the cameras when motion detected.  I have an ipad and will try that.  It's odd because after I got off live chat with the Arlo rep I started getting local recordings.  That ended at around 10PM Friday night.  Then I got three recordings the following day but nothing since.

[jguerdat]

WHat subscription  shows for your Essential cameras? Are they still on the trial or do you have a paid sub?

[northcharlotte]

I don't have any paid subscriptions.  I was advised by an Arlo rep in live chat last week that if I purchased and upgraded base station that I would not need any subscription to view recordings in my local feed.  I've spent hours in chat since I installed the new VMB5000 and it's been hit and miss on recordings for my essential cameras.  I get cloud and local feed recording for my four older pro cameras.  I get alerts on all cameras when motion is detected.  Arlo has told me they have escalated the issue but no resolution yet.

[StephenB]

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@northcharlotte wrote:

since I installed the new VMB5000 and it's been hit and miss on recordings for my essential cameras.  I get cloud and local feed recording for my four older pro cameras.  I get alerts on all cameras when motion is detected.  

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What model essential cameras do you have?

How many cameras do you have paired with the VMB5000?

Free cloud recording for the Pros is limited to accounts with 5 or fewer unsubscribed cameras, so I am confused on why you are getting cloud recordings on the 4 Pros if you have also multiple Essentials in that account.

[northcharlotte]

I have six essential spotlight cameras paired to my VMB5000.  I also have four older pro cameras paired to the same VMB5000.  In the app all the pro cameras show on both the Feed as well as Local Storage Settings for the VMB500 in the app.  Yesterday I only got one recording on one of my essential cameras for the entire day.  I'ts visible in the Local Feed in the app.  There was activity on other essential cameras yesterday as I got alerts that motion had been detected.  

[StephenB]

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@northcharlotte wrote:

I have six essential spotlight cameras paired to my VMB5000.  I also have four older pro cameras paired to the same VMB5000.  In the app all the pro cameras show on both the Feed as well as Local Storage Settings for the VMB5000 in the app.  

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You should not be getting any cloud recordings, unless 5 of the essentials are in a subscription plan.

The smarthub can only handle 5 simultaneous streams.  Maybe try turning 5 of your cameras off, and see if you then get reliable recordings on the remaining 5.

Do you ever have issues when livestreaming the Essentials?

[northcharlotte]

Lots of conflicting info from Arlo.  Was told by Arlo rep in chat last week that I would always get 7 days cloud storage on the pro cameras without a subscription.  I am getting Feed in the app on all the pro cameras.

I was also advised by the Arlo rep in chat that I could have more than five cameras on the smarthub.

I get live feed on all the cameras: the pros and all the essentials.  Just checked that.

[StephenB]

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@northcharlotte wrote:

Was told by Arlo rep in chat last week that I would always get 7 days cloud storage on the pro cameras without a subscription. 

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You weren't given the full story there.  That has always been limited to accounts with 5 or fewer unsubscribed cameras.  You now have 10 unsubscribed cameras.  There is a workaround, but it would require two bases.

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@northcharlotte wrote:

I was also advised by the Arlo rep in chat that I could have more than five cameras on the smarthub.

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That is true, but it is also true that the smarthubs and bases can only handle five simultaneous streams.

• https://kb.arlo.com/1179521/How-many-Arlo-cameras-can-I-view-at-the-same-time

If more than five trigger at the same time, you won't get all the recordings (and there could be some other issues).

If your cameras don't overlap much, then this limitation is unlikely to be your problem.  But it is something you should aware of when you place your cameras (and also if you want to use cross-triggering).

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@northcharlotte wrote:

I am getting Feed in the app on all the pro cameras.

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Understood.  Is this local, cloud or both?

[northcharlotte]

I am getting feed on both local and cloud on the pro cameras.

There would rarely be any simultaneous activity on my cameras.  I do have an additional base station but would rather not have to use two base stations.  My issue is that I sometimes get local feed on my essential cameras but it's hit or miss.  I have no problem getting feed on the older pro cameras.  

[StephenB]

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@northcharlotte wrote:

I am getting feed on both local and cloud on the pro cameras.

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I suspect that will stop at some point, since you aren't entitled to cloud recordings now.

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@northcharlotte wrote:

My issue is that I sometimes get local feed on my essential cameras but it's hit or miss.  

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I do understand that, but wanted to make sure I had the full context.

One thing to sort out is whether the issue is making the recordings in the first place, or seeing them in the feed.  You can eject the storage using the app, and then connect it to a PC for browsing.  Then see if there are recordings saved there that you aren't seeing in the app.