Geofencing no longer working for Friends / Family

[Molch]

Hello everyone, my geofencing doesn't seem to be working anymore. I've already tried everything (rebooting the base station, camera, and smartphone) - no success.

Does anyone know who can help with this, or if there's a solution for it?

[BrookeN]

I have reached out to the development team with the information you provided. Can I get the app version you all are using as well please. Thank you and I will update as soon as possible. 

[Ramsey86]

My buddy has an android with his system and he said his isn’t as well

[jguerdat]

How many phones/people are involved with geofencing? If any one of them doesn't open the app on a semi-regular basis they get logged out and GF stops working since it can't tell where that phone is. They need to open the app at least every 2 weeks although once a week may be a better strategy.

[Mnoel79]

Did you find a fix for this?

[Ramsey86]

No we did not. Still no geofencing

[ADubTX]

Having same issue. 

Read the one reply and have 2 phones, both logged in. Reviewed all settings and all locations services turned on and other setting are Arlo recommended. 

[Paintinglady86]

Same issue here. Not recognizing either of our devices as home. Just got back from a trip so must have stopped working while we were away. 

Has anyone figured this out?

[jguerdat]

What phones and OS versions?

[ADubTX]

iOS 17.5.1

I haven't updated to 17.6.1 that shows available. 

[jguerdat]

I think I saw a new app version is out. Have you installed that to see if it helps?

[ADubTX]

Wife has iOS 17.6.1 and geofence is not working with it either. 

[alex_loo]

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@jguerdat wrote:

I think I saw a new app version is out. Have you installed that to see if it helps?

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hi @jguerdat ,

I guess as superuser here, you have been active enough to witness tonnes of complaints here regarding "geofencing not working", eh? 😉

Geofencing has been FAILING at least for months.  Nothing to do with whatever app version, or iPhone/android model, or how many users involved (well it may be working well with only 1 user and 1 device).  ARLO has simply fxxked themselves up.  And they have been doing little, if not simply ignoring, these suffering customers like me.

Alex

[Manager_Pete]

Myself (main account holder) and my wife both have iPhones. Previously, Home / Away switching based on the location of both phones has worked fine. I had granted access for my wife as a 'friend', with access privileges for all cameras. At some point, following either an Arlo App update or an iOS update, the geofencing completely stopped working. Both iPhones are still fully supported by Apple, running the latest iOS updates. All other iOS settings such as Background App Refresh, Notifications etc., are correctly setup.

If I removed my wife from granted access and she then logged out of her account, Home / Away switching worked ok with just my iPhone. For some reason, with a Friend given shared access, the Location option under the iOS settings for the App had disappeared. Even after uninstalling the App, reinstalling, adding my wife as a friend again, the Location option was not available.

I deleted the App from my wife's phone again, reinstalled the App again, and then logged in with my account details. I was then able to set up the Location service as 'Always'. Logged out of my Wife's phone, added her again as a friend on my phone, and then logged her in again on her phone with her account. The Location setting was still showing as 'Always'. I setup the geolocation settings again on my phone, ensuring that the correct mobile devices were selected. These were correctly displaying green coloured arrows, indicating that both phones were in the Home Location.

However, when I left the Home location with my phone only, the cameras switched to Away mode. I checked, my phone was showing a grey arrow (outside home location) and my wife's phone was showing a green arrow (inside home location). So why is the App switching to Away mode?

I've come to the conclusion that the Family / Friend option no longer works with the geolocation setting, following an App update or iOS update?

I would also appreciate Moderator input into this problem. I have been an Arlo user for many years, with a subscription plan for 4 cameras. What I've only just realised is that this plan does not include full support? Only options are the Chatbox, which is extremely limited in terms of support, and the Community Forum. Unless I'm missing something? Thanks.

[StephenB]

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@Manager_Pete wrote:

Only options are the Chatbox, which is extremely limited in terms of support, and the Community Forum. Unless I'm missing something? Thanks.

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Since you have a subscription, you can get phone support.  You get that using the app (not the web browser).  Go into the support center, select a camera in the subscription plan, and you will find a phone option there.

[jguerdat]

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@alex_loo wrote:

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@jguerdat wrote:

I think I saw a new app version is out. Have you installed that to see if it helps?

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hi @jguerdat ,

I guess as superuser here, you have been active enough to witness tonnes of complaints here regarding "geofencing not working", eh? 😉

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Unfortunately, I've been here WAY too long (almost since the first release).

I know GF has been failing, especially on iOS devices of which I have none (and never will). However, if it works on ANdroid but not iOS then it's an iOS issue with either the OS versions and/or the app.

[BrookeN]

I have reached out to the development team with the information you provided. Can I get the app version you all are using as well please. Thank you and I will update as soon as possible. 

[Manager_Pete]

Thanks, I've now found the support link in the App that provides a phone option (I was previously signed in through a web browser).

[ADubTX]

App Version 5.0.1

iOS 17.5.1

Wife has iOS 17.6.1 and same version and both are not working with Geofencing. 

[jcrain]

I have a similar issue.

Two users on one account. Geofencing was only working for me, not my wife. So the system would not arm when we both left, only recognise me on my return (but already disarmed so no change, just a notification).

So I deleted the app from the wife's phone and reinstalled. Now it doesn't work at all for either of us.

Unbelievably frustrating. Can't believe this is still an issue after so many years and versions.

[alex_loo]

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@jguerdat wrote:

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Unfortunately, I've been here WAY too long (almost since the first release).

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haha good on you, "faithful" customer 😅

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@jguerdat wrote:

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I know GF has been failing, especially on iOS devices of which I have none (and never will). However, if it works on ANdroid but not iOS then it's an iOS issue with either the OS versions and/or the app.

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oh this is new to me.  are you saying with observations so far, multiple android devices are fine with geofencing?  If so, is that for multiple users (ie owner + multiple "shared" users), or multiple logins for the same owner account?

Sounds like you don't have iPhones in your setup.  How many androids and how many users do you have, is your geofencing working?

Alex

[Manager_Pete]

I’ve only been able to get the geofencing feature to work for two phones by logging into both phones with my account (after deleting the shared user), which totally defeats the purpose of sharing with friends and family. I’ve wasted many hours on this trying different options, uninstalling, reinstalling, etc., etc. There has to be an issue with the App somewhere, as previously it use to work, and then stopped working, I assume,  following an upgrade. There must be other users who have had the same problem. Maybe a lot of users don’t use the sharing option, or have just given up?

[StephenB]

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@alex_loo wrote:
oh this is new to me.  are you saying with observations so far, multiple android devices are fine with geofencing?  If so, is that for multiple users (ie owner + multiple "shared" users), or multiple logins for the same owner account?

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Both Android and iOS users have struggled with this.  Though I think Arlo has been fixing issues, so it is a bit of a moving target.

I am an iOS user, with just one user account.  I do see "location services" set up in my app, but at the moment Arrive and Leave are not triggering.  Though I think that is because I am using a field trial version of the app, and not 5.01.

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@alex_loo wrote:

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@jguerdat wrote:

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 iOS devices of which I have none (and never will). 

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FWIW, I've had both iOS and Android over the years, and both served my needs (and both were frustrating at times).

I switched to iOS a few years ago, because I realized my iPads were lasting longer than my Android devices.  I was thinking I might get more years of use from my smartphone if I switched to iOS.   My Samsung Galaxies either developed issues with their charging or had the battery swell after 2-3 years.

I'm still on my first iPhone, so that experiment is still in progress.  But it is 4 years old, and hasn't had any problems yet.

[BrookeN]

I appreciate all the information you provided me, I have passed this information onto the development team. As soon as there is an update I will reach out to you. 

[brianbish]

I have not had geofencing since being forced on the new UI a year ago.I posted about this and the post has over 20k views yet Arlo has done nothing about it. I keep holding off switching to another company because of how many cameras I have and that there was no way Arlo could let this go on for so long. But Arlo seems to be ignoring the issues. 

[BrookeN]

@brianbish can you please tell me a little bit more what you are experiencing with the Geofencing. 

[brianbish]

It simply does not work. I have everything set up correctly. But cameras do not arm or disarm when I enter or exit the zone. Location is enabled etc. verified multiple times with support. Very common issue for people that are on the new UI.