AC power has been disconnected from your Arlo device. Activity Zones are currently disabled

[411TTWB]

I have searched the forum - where this issue has been solved is not correct. The issue disappeared! Cause and effect have not been explained..

Issue these cameras have never been on Alternating Current power supplies and for a reason yet to be explained this warning pops up. One explanation was to just ignore it  - Does that mean the Activity Zones are or are not working?

Another explanation is  the error went away!

Arlo does not know their own product well enough to provide a rational cause and effect.

The cameras appear to be working, BUT if there is a feature one decided to BUY Arlo and that feature is unreliable or questionable, then ARLO has an obligation to be more forth coming  other than closing a problem because it randomly disappeared, or some folk lore solution. Arlo should be able to state the reason why this warning appears for systems that have never been on AC and this is how the warning can be resolved. AND the assurance that what ever features were paid for are still working, such as Activity Zones. Especially is that is a market differenetiator

[Diron]

In the Arlo website it says this about Activity Zones:

To create an activity zone, you need the following:

• A compatible Arlo camera
  • Ultra 2, Ultra
  • Pro 3, Pro 2, Pro, Wire-Free
  • Essential wire-free
  • Video Doorbell
  • Go, Q, Q Plus, Baby
• Either of the following
  • An Arlo Smart subscription to use activity zones with wire-free camera(s)
    Note: You must subscribe to Arlo Smart to use activity zones without plugging in your wire-free camera.
  • A connection to a continuous power source
    Note: If you don’t subscribe to Arlo Smart, you can still create activity zones, but your camera must be connected to continuous power to use them.

I had recently added a Pro 3 camera.  At that time it asked if I wanted a free 2 month subscription to Arlo Smart.  The free subscription just expired.  The camera is now telling me that AC power has been disconnected from my Arlo device and that Activity Zones are disabled.  It probably makes sense that this happens now that I am not an Arlo Smart subscriber.  I went to the Arlo website and signed into my account.  I went to the camera in question and deleted the activity zones.  The warning went away.  This may help with some.

[411TTWB · Accepted solution]

Thanx for your response!

Since I opened this thread I thought it might be worth closing it now.

The issue was: with nothing happening/changing, why would a warning for AC power suddenly appear after months on not appearing on a wireless (one without AC power) camera? Asking the Arlo technicians "what was the cause and effect"?

While there was no answer to specific questions even with citing the manuals ipage and verse there were many very help somewhat related responses. Great!

But fundamentally wireless cameras should not be getting warnings that 'your camera is not plugged in' so to speak. If it is to get those non-applicable warnings then they should have been made on day one, not nine months in to use.

With no comment anywhere three things have happened!

              The Warnings have gone a way! I have done nothing! They are now gone! (No I will not say problem solved)

               The only camera that is connected through the wireless inductive charge NOW has the warning! The one wireless that is "plugged in now gets the warning! (Earlier I addressed the watts, current(amps) and voltage from the magnetic induction, solar panel and battery and these are not the issue) .

              And.... get this ....one camera now only records in the 22K which my browser can't play, my iPhone can.

So what is consistent: Arlo changes things without notice, may change things without fully testing, and fails to respond to specific "cause and effect". Would I still get another Arlo system? Probably. There are a lot of good things, but now I know what I am buying versus what they publish (advertise, manual, anything).

For those that have not gone through all 51 messages know that

                                   specific camera type is references wireless ultra ( the issue may not apply to other cameras)

                                   ever possible source of power to the camera has been addressed

                                   all configurations of subscription were tested

                                   specific pages and paragraphs of the manual were cited

The issue is the warning on a wireless camera "Ac power has been disconnected" It is only interesting that also "the Activity Zones are disabled". Deal with the first issue.

And if one needs any other form of power other than the battery in its wireless state in order for Activity zones to work, then update the advertising and the manual .

Because the warnings have disappeared I am recommending that this be closed - not necessarily solved. The dialog has been great and the insight very informative.

.

[rjmcinnes]

Can you help sort me out: this very annoying notification will just not go away…

After my Smart Subscription expired, I decided to “give it a try” without the added functionality.

Yes, I understood that Activity Zones, and identification for people, animals, etc, in motion detection would be forfeited, and am prepared to accept that.  

And basically I am happy with performance (and the improved responses).

But I am not at all happy to see this erroneous notification every time I open my iPhone or iMac app.

Please…. A simple acknowledgement “Yes”, I understand and accept that Activity Zones are currently disabled” to make the notification go away, and please change the notification say what it really should be saying!

System installation:

Arlo Smart Hub: Hardware, VMB5000r4, SD Card 32GB, Firmware, 1.16.2.5_633_62dfaa0

Arlo Ultra Cameras (3): Hardware H6, Firmware, 1.070.50.4_223_df6cd69

No Smart Plan: expired in June 2020, not planning to renew.

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014), macOS Catalina 10.15.6 (19G73)

iPhone 11 Pro, iOS 13.6 (17G68)

[411TTWB]

RJ,

Are you getting the complete message: "AC power has been disconnected from your Arlo device. Activity Zones are currently disabled" or just partial message " Activity Zones are currently disabled"?

If you are getting the complete message, then as this thread indicates,  [Ultra Wire Free camera] Arlo technicians have never provided a rational for (or even comment on) why it started and, at least in my case, why it stopped and a new one started. Good luck!

If you are just getting the partial or shorter message, as obvious as it is to you, I suspect the marketing folks felt that annoying you to add a feature would enhance the company reputation, and you'll keep getting it as a friendly reminder that you are missing out on features that you have clearly opted out. 

Since they would not respond on the technical issue or even admit that the manual and other brochures do not address the problem, I doubt you'll get satisfaction. I hope you do! Good luck on this one too!

[rjmcinnes]

I am seeing "AC power has been disconnected from your Arlo device. Activity Zones are currently disabled"

I end to agree with your logic, "a marketing ploy" versus committing to their Hype.

I expect they will sort it out, if not, they will loose out to Net gear and others offering cameras that work with Apple Home, and iCloud.

[rjmcinnes]

OK, I have  a work around in place; very simple...

On the iOS app, for each Camera...

Select: Settings, Activity Zones, and delete all or any Zones that have been configured.  Once deleted, the annoying error message will no longer appear.

So easy, so why...

a) did it take me so long to figure it out

b) did no-one else give a clue as to how to get rid of this really annoying and erroneous prompt, every time I opened the iOS app...

Arlo Developers: please update the prompt to provide this simple advise Users to either...

1) delete any preconfigured Zones on each Camera, or

2) alternatively provide external power (via the optional Solar Panel or an additional Arlo Charger Adaptor per camera)

[West307]

I have been getting this warning for the past few weeks and am still getting it so this is not a resolved issue.  Batteries on camera are fully charged and the activity zone feature still notifies me when there is movement. 

Is a fix available?

[rjmcinnes]

West307,

Like you, I am keen to try to encourage the Arlo Development Team to sort this out.

But as I said earlier, in the interim, you can get rid of the erroneous "AC Power..." messages by deleting any previously configured Activity Zones (on each Camera), as follows...

Select: Settings, Activity Zones, and delete all or any Zones that you may have configured.  Once they are deleted, the annoying and erroneous "AC Power..." error message will no longer appear.

[rjmcinnes]

West307,

Without an Arlo Smart subscription, you do need to delete the Activity Zones from each Camera.  

The cameras will still pick up movement, but now it will be looking at the whole screen.

Activity Zones linked to Arlo Smart subscription being enabled, why I do not know.

But as I said, if:

a) you do not have an Arlo Smart subscription, and

b) you delete the Activity Zones from each Camera,

then the nuisance "AC Power has been disconnected" goes away...

Robert.