Arlo Ultra "Your device is not connected" error

[yngveeide]

Before last app update, every once in a while, the Arlo iOS app would report that my base station and cameras were offline, even though everything was up and running. After a few seconds, the app would cycle back to online mode.

After last app update, there is a lot of "Your device is not connected" errors, all the time. And it takes forever for it to cycle back to correct online mode. This is very frustrating when something is going on outside, and you can´t access a live video feed, when everything is connected and up and running.

[Knost]

New app installed and seems to work so far.

So now we know that it takes one update from Arlo to screw up everyone’s cameras and one month to repair their mistakes.

My experience with Arlo Support (Swedish) still stands, one of the worst support experiences ever. When a support agent throws down the phone during a call that was bad.

Will continue to look for a replacement platform to Arlo. This is not a premium product.

[Meiko]

Updated app this morning. All now working! Still not going to buy anymore Arlo products have had enough. This is not a product that should be reviewed as the best wifi cameras on the market. Bad support and far to many issues. Video still pixelated on movement on all three of my cameras so now waiting for that fix.

[JessicaP]

This issue should now be fixed on the the latest version of the Arlo iOS app, which is 2.20. Make sure to update to the latest version if you haven't done so already. You can read more about it here: Arlo iOS App - 2.20 - 15th September 2020

If you're still experiencing this issue, please let us know.

[hokeysmoke]

It's still broken for me.  This is with iOS app Version 2.20 (1201).  2 of my 11 cameras give me the error, but no error using the web interface.  These are cameras on two different VMB4000 base stations, one is a pro, and the other is an original wire-free camera.

[JessicaP]

Hey hokeysmoke,

Try to remove the battery and re-insert it back in your Arlo Pro and Arlo Wire-Free camera and try it again. Also try bringing your camera closer to the Base Station to see if that helps too.

[steamyb]

Ok so I now have access to live view, however now I have about 20 seconds of lag And artefacts in the library snapshots 

[Phatle2383]

Still not fixed!!! It worked for like 5 minutes and is now doing the same thing!!

[ab21au]

All my Ultras are working fine, even the ones a lot further away from the base than the Pro 2 which is not working today. It was working until yesterday but not today. 

[hokeysmoke]

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@JessicaP wrote:

Hey hokeysmoke,

Try to remove the battery and re-insert it back in your Arlo Pro and Arlo Wire-Free camera and try it again. Also try bringing your camera closer to the Base Station to see if that helps too.

---

Sorry, that didn't do anything.  The camera appears perfectly fine for about 1 second after "getting status", and then the overlay appears saying "Your Arlo device appears offline...".  I can see an image of the last successful recording greyed out under the overlay.  The web interface and the library work fine, and the camera is recording normally.  The reported signal strength is three bars (highest strength).

[Nothappy1234567]

This is not fixed, download of new app has now changed message to ‘your arlo decide appears offline’.

Honestly what is going on with Arlo, such a dud product! I honestly wonder how are they still in business?

[Emmalou81]

Back working this morning! So far so good, let's hope that's the end of it. 

[rjmcinnes]

Nope, not good enough Arlo.
Now seeing this...
“Your Arlo Device appears Offline...” forcameras,
And similar Offline status for the Smart Hub.

Can we please just go back a few revisions of firmware that did work, while Arlo Development get this fixed and tested.

[Meiko]

Ok so has so far the “app”Has been working all day for me I updated the app this morning (didn’t reinstall just updated.
I have an iPhone 11
iOS 13.6.1
Cameras are Arlo Ultras with VMB500 hub.
Just sending all of this Incase the app is only working for some people and not others due to their ph, os, or cameras. You never know!

[t_welcome]

Hi Jessica,
The app has been broken for over a month. Unfortunately there’s nothing you can say or so to make a lot these folks happy. Arlo should have addressed this weeks ago. All developers have early access to iOS releases in advance. It should have been tested and signed off on. I do this kind of stuff for a living. The frustration people have is:
1) there has been zero communication acknowledging the issue. If there has, it’s been lackluster. Push a notification through the app, email us, text us, just let us know you identified the issue and an ETA for a fix.
2) there has been zero communication on an ETA for a fix to the app. I think people are sitting just wondering if they wasted their money and wanting to know if Arlington is doing anything about it.
3) customer service - This community should be foundational to Arlo. It is Arlo’s voice of the customer. It should drive most business decisions. I see moderators replying to threads, but a lot of the times it’s just please try recycling or removing battery. I haven’t seen a please contact me directly for private assistance. Is there an option for live chat assistance?When a thread blows up to multiple pages or you receive numerous posts about the same issue, does it get escalated internally?

How can Arlo be more transparent to the community? Everyone just wants to be able to get what they paid for.

I have a few other things I’d like to bring up however they are slightly off topic. Another thread on another day.

What I’m getting at here is that you stepped into a wolf den. There’s no way everyone is going to happy. People are pissed because of the 1 month + delay is addressing the issue. From what I’ve read, Arlo has lost a few customers because of the lack of transparency and urgency. Maybe a timely fix was out of Arlo’s control, but that’s where the transparency comes into play. Let every know what’s up with a push notification.

Thank you for letting us know a fix has been released and for sharing the article. Thank you for continued support.

PS - really hope Arlo is exploring giving users granted access the ability to watch locally stored videos. Also hope they are looking into giving users the ability to watch locally stored videos while away from home/not on home network (w/o a complex workaround)

Sorry for the lengthy note and hope you have a good day.

-Tom-

[rmanaz]

Still not working for me either but neither does the web app now so my guess is now the hub itself is bad.  Strange though how the web app stops working on the day I complain and the hub itself has all green lights so it thinks it's connected to the internet.

So I tried removing the base station from my account.  When adding it back in it could find the device so it is connected to the internet but it could not get the Firmware Updates.

Last resort was to remove the base station from my account, reset the base station to factory defaults, and then add the base station back into the account.

That looks like it finally did it. 

BUT NOW I HAVE TO GET THE LADDER OUT TO RESYNC ALL OF THE CAMERAS AS PER MY THOUGHTS RESETTING THE BASE STATION LOOSES EVERYTHING FOR YOUR DEVICES.  THANKS FOR NOTHING ARLO.

I would think as a fellow programmer their has to be a better way.  Your account should be storing all of the information in the cloud for your camera setups to repopulate the base station settings after the resetting to factory defaults.

Again I will NEVER EVER be able to recommend an Arlo system to anyone.

[rmanaz]

t_welcome is spot on.  If anyone from Arlo is listening and care in the future the troubleshooting in the app that comes up for things like this should link to a specific page for that version.  On that page in a matter or minutes when a problem is found like this you could have updated it with a message about the bug and what could be done and what you can

Instead you have thousands of users trying multiple different things because most uses are not going to come to this forumn.  So take the number of complaints here and times it by 1000 and you might have an estimate of the actual number of users who have come across this one particular bug in the last month.  I can't even begin to imagine the time spent with technical support technicians over the last month on phone and chat. 

I also can't begin to imagine how many users like myself are now so frustrated with the system and your lack of response and have sworn to never spend another dime on an Arlo product.

[NZ_Amber]

I also have the issue. The base station shows a solid blue light but the app tells me it’s offline. I get no notifications at all even when the alarm is going off (I set the garage one off last night, but no notification. No recording). 

In answer to your questions:

• Are you experiencing this issue on an the Arlo iOS app, Arlo Android app, and/or the web client on your computer? Arlo iOS app (iPhone and iPad - neither work) 
• What phone device and iOS/Android OS version are you running? iPhone 11 Pro on software 13.7. iPad Pro also version 13.7 software. 
• What version of the Arlo app are you running? 2.20 (1201) released 5 Sept 2020 - same on both devices
• What phone device are you using if you're experiencing this on the Arlo app? As answered above. 
• What web browser and computer are you using if you're experiencing this on the web client on your computer? Not using web client. 

This issue has been ongoing for weeks. Please provide some support / update. The popularity of the thread shows this is a serious issue affecting many users. 

[Phatle2383]

The update did not fix my issue
Still getting the error message. I have removed and reinstalled the cameras and base station after update and still not fixed. Arlo support on the phone has been useless as well. Please let me know how your company will be addressing this issue!

[Meiko]

Tom well said and totally agree with everything.

[JessicaP]

Thank you to everyone who mentioned that the issue is still occuring. We've informed the development team about this and they're investigating the reports about this issue again. We'll provide any new information when we hear back from the development team. We appreciate your patience.

[ab21au]

Now seeing this...
“Your Arlo Device appears Offline...”

rjmcinnes,  I am the same as you .... different message but still doesn’t work.

[Wembo]

Might sound an obvious question, but those still getting the issue did you try charging your batteries?
I only ask as this issue caused all my batteries to fully deplete (including the door bell) and I had to charge them all again before it was resolved

[rmanaz]

Also try logging into the Arlo online and seeing if it is connecting to your cameras there so you can rule out if it's actually your base station like mine was or if it's still the iOS Arlo app causing the problem.   If the online app isn't connecting either it's not just the iOS app causing the problem.

Where mine was just the app before the day before the patch I couldn't even see the cameras online either.  So even after updating the iOS app things wouldn't work and I finally had to reset the base station to factory defaults and start all over like a fresh install and relink all of my cameras.  Finally have my 3 cameras up and working again and it hasn't dropped out today yet.

[Susiebp1]

There’s been an update to the iOS app today. The problem seems fixed for me (at least for now).

[Rogch]

Problem is not fixed with the latest iOS update.  Just the error message changed.