Cannot speak via phone to visitor at the doorbell

[splinternet]

There was an earlier post on the same topic but there didn't seem to be a conclusion.  I've had my Arlo in place for over a year and only just realised that I cannot speak with a visitor at the doorbell.  My phone rings when the doorbell is pressed, I select 'answer' but my voice does not come out at the doorbell.  I've got the microphone and speaker settings both 'on' for the doorbell.  The earlier answer suggested the OP check settings in the phone - which settings and where would I find them?

[jguerdat]

Check the phone settings for the Arlo app and ensure the mic permission is enabled.

[splinternet]

Where would I find this setting, please?  I can see microphone and speaker settings for the doorbell and they're both set to max.

[StephenB]

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@splinternet wrote:

\I can see microphone and speaker settings for the doorbell and they're both set to max.

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Make sure the app has permission to access the phone mic

Instructions for doing that on Android phones depend on the version of Android you are running, so it is simplest just to google for it.

If you have an iPhone, open the Apple settings, and then Privacy & Security.  Then select "Microphone" and make sure the Arlo app has that enabled.

If you have a bluetooth headset, you might also try seeing if that works properly.

[splinternet]

OK I found "microphone permission" for the Arlo app and it's set to "allow only while using the app".  The other options are "ask every time" or "don't allow".  I've got a Google Pixel 8 running Android 14

[StephenB]

Does the audio work when you try using 2-way talk (which is different from the phone call you get when someone presses the doorbell)?

• https://kb.arlo.com/1004319/How-do-I-use-2-way-audio-on-my-Arlo-camera

[BrookeN]

.

[splinternet]

So there's good news and bad.  The good news is that I've discovered the microphone symbol when I press the 'answer' button after the doorbell has been rung and also when someone just pitches up and doesn't ring the doorbell.   If the doorbell is pressed the phone presents me with an 'answer' button - I'd always assumed I only need to press this to initiate a conversation - why would I press 'answer' without wishing to speak?  The bad news is that from both ends there is a delay of between 1 and 2 seconds and also a lot of feedback which makes verbal communication unusable.  It reminds me of the Ronnie Barker sketch where he answers the question before last.  Similarly, if someone is just standing outside by the doorbell without pressing it, I'm now aware of the small microphone button, but when I press this the communication still has delay and feedback - conversation is pretty much impossible.   So at the moment, the quality of the communication is not particularly impressive.

[splinternet]

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@StephenB wrote:

Does the audio work when you try using 2-way talk (which is different from the phone call you get when someone presses the doorbell)?

• https://kb.arlo.com/1004319/How-do-I-use-2-way-audio-on-my-Arlo-camera

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I've got the Essential wire-free video doorbell.  According to the devices listed in this KB article, this uses full duplex?  

[splinternet]

BrookeN, I assume the blank space in your message was "Have you tried to reset the camera to see if that helps?" which I saw in the email.  (It's actually a doorbell rather than a camera.).  The answer is no I haven't.  Apart from (presumably) factory-resetting any configuration I've done, what else would a reset do?  

[Edinburgh_lad1]

Connecting the doorbell directly to your router (WiFi) will improve the situation (i.e. eliminate the lag), though it depends on how fast your fibre/DSL connection is, and how far away it is from the router. Also, with connecting the doorbell to your router, you'll lose the option of storing recordings from the doorbell on the local storage. However, the delay is essentially gone, if that's what you want to achieve. 

In relation to you not being heard after answering a doorbell call, check your settings for the doorbell. There's a misleading setting in 'Call settings', where it says 'Phone microphone'. For a reason unknown to me, this option should be disabled in order to be able to answer calls without having to press any further buttons. Enabling it, from what I remember, mutes the microphone when the doorbell rings and one has to manually unmute it to be heard. So, this setting should be called 'Mute phone microphone', but you end up with having to put up with that keech instead.

Please report back on your experience once you've tested the above solutions.

[StephenB]

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@splinternet wrote:
I've got the Essential wire-free video doorbell.  According to the devices listed in this KB article, this uses full duplex?  

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Yes.  Which means that you will still hear audio on your phone while you are speaking (and similarly, the person at the door will hear you while they are speaking).

[splinternet]

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@Edinburgh_lad1 wrote:

Connecting the doorbell directly to your router (WiFi)......

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Not sure what this means.  The doorbell (and my other doorbell, also 5 Chimes plus my Android phone) is connected to my Wifi.  Isn't that directly connected to my router?  I'm using the 2.4GHz band and the doorbell is less than 10 metres from the router.

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@Edinburgh_lad1 wrote:

.... you'll lose the option of storing recordings from the doorbell on the local storage.

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Not bothered by this.

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@Edinburgh_lad1 wrote:

In relation to you not being heard after answering a doorbell call, check your settings for the doorbell. There's a misleading setting in 'Call settings', where it says 'Phone microphone'. For a reason unknown to me, this option should be disabled in order to be able to answer calls without having to press any further buttons. Enabling it, from what I remember, mutes the microphone when the doorbell rings and one has to manually unmute it to be heard. So, this setting should be called 'Mute phone microphone', but you end up with having to put up with that keech instead.

Please report back on your experience once you've tested the above solutions.

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I've disabled "Phone Microphone" in call settings and sure enough, when the doorbell button is pressed, I don't now have to press the microphone symbol.  That said, there is still major feedback at the doorbell etc....

[Edinburgh_lad1]

Feedback is usually caused by other devices being in the vicinity like speakers etc. so try answering your doorbell call in a different place to test that. Or it could be the location of the doorbell itself. Further testing is required. If answering it in a different place doesn't improve the situation, then you can remove the doorbell from its cradle and answer it in a different room to treat its feedback/echo 

If your doorbell is already connected to the WiFi, then there is nothing you can do about the delay, other than:

- bringing the router closer to the doorbell;

- ensuring that you use a channel on your WiFi that is not used by other routers in the near neighbourhood (difficult with 2.4 GHz WiFi, as you only have 3 non-overlapping channels on this frequency) to ensure a good connection rate;

- update your router/firmware to ensure it's in the n standard for 2.4GHz, which you probably do already, but worth checking (getting a router in ax standard won't make a difference, as your devices need to be in that standard to effectively communicate,);

- limit the number of devices used by your router at any time, as there is a limit (depending on the router, it can be 32 or more, or with older models, fewer), and with more internet enabled devices, it's difficult to manage and easy to exceed this number;

- improve your fibre/cable/DSL connection, especially in relation to latency; so, having a fibre connection is better than DSL because the former is more resistant to noise and so latency caused by potential noise on the line;

- use a better DNS server that is faster like Google DNS or Cloudflare DNS; you can change these settings in the router's set up, but some routers like those provided by British Telecom here in the UK don't allow you to do that.

[splinternet]

Further experimentation today shows that the feedback problem at the doorbell only occurs after the bell has been pressed and a "call" is made to my phone, I accept the call and the feedback starts at the doorbell without the caller even speaking and even though there is little background noise there.  However, if I bring up the live feed to the doorbell and press the phone symbol to initiate a conversation, then no feedback is heard at the doorbell and a two-way conversation can take place.

[StephenB]

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@splinternet wrote:

Further experimentation today shows that the feedback problem at the doorbell only occurs after the bell has been pressed and a "call" is made to my phone, I accept the call and the feedback starts at the doorbell 

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Generally with acoustic echo cancellation, the device that causes the feedback is not the device where the feedback is heard.   So if the feedback is only being heard at the doorbell, then the phone+app is almost certainly causing the problem.  

Do you have a headset you can connect to the phone, that you can test with?  If your car supports bluetooth calling, you could alternatively test with the phone audio being rendered in your car.

[Edinburgh_lad1]

Do you have your phone on you when you're pressing the doorbell and answering it at the same time to test? If so, then ask another person to stay at the door and to then ring the doorbell, and you should answer it using your phone when at home. The live feed scenario you're describing suggests that there is nothing wrong with the doorbell, and that the feedback is caused by, and is expected from, nearby electronic devices, such as, for example, when a delivery person holds their phone in their hand while speaking to you.

Feedback usually happens when there is another device with a speaker and a microphone nearby. It happens with any device, not just Arlo doorbells. 

To recreate feedback (!), bring the doorbell indoors, then press call, and answer it on your phone whilst still having the doorbell nearby. You'll hear a lot of feedback.

[StephenB]

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@Edinburgh_lad1 wrote:

Do you have your phone on you when you're pressing the doorbell and answering it at the same time to test? If so, then ask another person to stay at the door and to then ring the doorbell, and you should answer it using your phone when at home. 

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Agreed, I should have mentioned that.  If you are experimenting that way, then there is no way to tell what device is at fault.

But if you aren't near the doorbell, and the feedback is hear at the doorbell, then the problem is being triggered by the phone.  

BTW, if you are ever in a zoom conference that has an echo problem, it is almost always the person who doesn't hear the echo whose device is causing the problem.  The exception to that rule is when you have two people connecting to the same conference from the same room.