Enable Video Doorbell On/Off Toggle Missing after firmware update

[Jeffrey_tl]

This topic isn't solved

So you remove an on/off toggle that was easy to find on the app and to make it less confusing for customers but bury those different ways to either turn off the notifications or chimes or the entire system.  And if it is connected to a base station I can create a custom mode to turn off just the doorbell camera.  I just don’t understand how that makes it easier? 

I currently open the app now I see all my cameras click on the gear and easily able to turn on/off the device except the doorbell.  For the doorbell I have to click the gear, find Silent mode and turn it on to turn off notifications and chime.  But if I want to turn off the camera I have to go to a different tab (mode tab) and disable the doorbell cameras and maybe have to create a custom mode just for that camera.  And if I want to turn everything back on I have to rearm the camera and go back into Silent mode to ensure that is now off, or on, pretty sure off to ensure notifications and chimes are back on.  Again, how does this process make it easier and less confusing for a customer?  Even you agree that the silent mode is confusing. 

Another question that isn’t answered, if this was unintentionally made available why has it taken a year and half (at least) to remove it? 

Based on your answer and thinking that this has been solved I am guessing there is no plan to bring back the on/off toggle?  As a monthly subscriber I am requesting that this feature to brought back ASAP! 

What excellent customer service that is.  Make a decision to remove a feature that is on all other Arlo cameras and has been there for at least a year and half but don't consider how impacts users. 

To other Arlo doorbell users, please reply with yes to have the on/off toggle brought back or a no for it to be removed. 

[StephenB]

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@Jeffrey_tl wrote:

This topic isn't solved

I didn't say it was, I was just answering your two questions.

I am just a customer, I don't work for Arlo or represent them in any way.  I do have the video doorbells, but I just leave them on all the time. That said- personally, I do see the convenience of the on/off toggle.  

[Jeffrey_tl]

Someone tagged it as "solved" and I couldn't reply so I had to create a new thread with same subject

[Jeffrey_tl]

Does Arlo read these forums or do you forward this kind of information to them?

[JamesC]

Jeffrey_tl,

At this time, there are no plans to allow the on/off feature to be used with Arlo Video Doorbell. I will pass your feedback along to the development team for consideration.

JamesC

[Jeffrey_tl]

It has been a week.  Is there any update from the team about their considerations? 

[Rdlati]

arlo updated while my camera was off . Now when I try to turn it on the camera doesn't work! The toggle was off at the time! How do I get the camera back on? Very confusing!!

[Jeffrey_tl]

There was another person that had the same problem as you.  Here is the link to that conversation.  I don't know if it was resolved or not. 

https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Video-Doorbell/Enable-Video-Doorbell-On-Off-Toggle-Missing-after-...

As to why it was removed this is Arlo's support response:

To answer your questions, they intentionally removed it from the doorbell settings. The reason behind its implementation was that it comes in conflict with our doorbell's call feature. When the doorbell is off, it cannot make phone calls as intended. If you wish not to receive any phone calls from it, have the doorbell on silent or have it disarmed instead.

I totally disagree with this decision since it had been there for almost year and half.  Hope you get better results to get your problem resolved.

[RPM2]

This is absurd! The toggle has been available since I purchased my units and NOW you have to go through this ridiculous series of events to arm and disarm the doorbell. I pay $99/year for 10 cameras but I am about to trash Arlo and go with Ring if not returned to the toggle that has been available since inception.

[Jeffrey_tl]

You are correct RPM2 it is absurd.  I have had a few email exchanges with Arlo support and this is the latest of what they said:

"We really apologize for all the inconvenience. For now, we are encouraging all customer to post this on ideas exchange to add the On and off button back since it is more convenient for them to use this feature than having the doorbell on silent or have it disarmed. If more customer's will demand this feature to be added again, our development team may consider this feature in the next update."

Here is copy to the link that I posted a couple days ago

https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Idea-Exchange/Enable-Video-Doorbell-On-Off-Toggle/idi-p/1815022

Can you please post an additional comment about demanding the toggle back on the Idea Exchange as well so Arlo support can see it.  Thank you

[RPM2]

What a massive inconvenience! I need to toggle off my camera while I am mowing my grass or people are in the front yard, otherwise I have to delete 40-100 videos which is absurd. Removing the toggle that is on EVERY OTHER ARLO CAMERA on my system as premium customer. Please return the toggle and have your IT depart figure out a way to make the product you sold work without having to be an IT guy.

[Marcjl]

I am the one who created the topic below which I'm quite surprised that the status is solved. Definitely it is not as they have not brought the option back.

https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Video-Doorbell/Enable-Video-Doorbell-On-Off-Toggle-Missing-after-...

Dealing with Arlo support was the worst that I have seen and they have ghosted me since April 2 even after multiple follow ups. I do product support myself and I don't treat my customers like this.

And to my surprise they have updated me today that says:

=================

I really do apologize for the delayed response.

We have replicated this issue within our laboratory and ended up with the same experience as you did. When we consulted the problem with the engineers, they have confirmed that the Device On/Off switches on our Arlo video doorbells has been officially removed, since the recent software update. They have removed that option since they realized that it is a redundancy of the video doorbells' Silent and Disarmed modes. 

We really apologize for this unexpected change and if it was not officially announced through the online community. For more information, please also refer to the following online community forum thread:  (seriously Arlo support --- do you really think you can point me to a community thread that I created??? just because the status is solved?)

• Enable Video Doorbell On/Off Toggle Missing after firmware update:

https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Video-Doorbell/Enable-Video-Doorbell-On-Off-Toggle-Missing-after-...

Your understanding and cooperation with this matter are highly appreciated.

=================

Now, have they provided me resolutions?  Definitely not and I am going in circles with these bunch of support guys. And time and time again, I will ask what will be the resolution here? Since I again asked this question, my expectation is they are not going to respond again with anything as if I am talking to robots!

Your product is good Arlo, but customers beware that the product should work well otherwise you will deal with incompetent support people there.

[Jeffrey_tl]

So you pretty much have a worthless doorbell since you're unable to turn it back on?  And how long have you had it? 

That is what concerns me the most is that they could remove the on/off toggle on the cameras as well because they could be considered a redundancy and if the camera is off then those cameras would be worthless also.

And Arlo just does not care!  Can't find anywhere that a customer requested the toggle to be removed but there are several customers requesting it to be returned.  They can bring it back but they rather stick to their decision then listen to their customers. 

I concur with your comment about Arlo products being good but this reflects negatively.  

[StephenB]

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@Jeffrey_tl wrote:

So you pretty much have a worthless doorbell since you're unable to turn it back on? 

Where are you seeing that?  He's saying he wants the toggle control back, not that the doorbell can't be turned on.

FWIW, there is an alternative way to way to do what he wants (create a camera-only mode, and switch between that and armed).  I agree that's not as easy as the toggle control was. 

[Jeffrey_tl]

In Marcjl original message dated 3-27 the person posts:

I just received a firmware update -- 1.14.0.0_931_5ed3664_1c4138d on my Arlo wired video doorbell and installed it.

However in order to install it, I need to turn off my camera as it was saying it's currently in use so I did toggled the turn off device. After the firmware update is done, the toggle to turn it back on is missing and on the app it was saying that "

This device is currently disabled and will not respond to mode changes.To enable the device, turn the device ON from the device settings."  ---- There was no way to turn it back on as now the toggle is missing. Now my camera is off and my doorbell only has the audio working. I already logout and logged back in and nothing has changed.

That is why Marcjl wants the toggle back because he is unable to the camera back on.  I guess it isn't totally worthless since he has audio. 

Rdlati posted on April 7:

arlo updated while my camera was off . Now when I try to turn it on the camera doesn't work! The toggle was off at the time! How do I get the camera back on? Very confusing!!

Another person that has a pretty much worthless doorbell and in private message to me the person said that Arlo didn't help, didn't care so he quit the account.

Again, Arlo don't care about their customers.  And to prove it directly from Arlo's response to Marcjl

We have replicated this issue within our laboratory and ended up with the same experience as you did. When we consulted the problem with the engineers, they have confirmed that the Device On/Off switches on our Arlo video doorbells has been officially removed, since the recent software update. They have removed that option since they realized that it is a redundancy of the video doorbells' Silent and Disarmed modes.

They admit that they came up with the same experience as Marcjl.  Instead of bringing back the toggle so that person can have a functioning doorbell Arlo says it has been officially removed and screw the customer. 

Now Marcjl is out the cost of the doorbell, the subscription if the person had one and the cost of another video doorbell...which I highly doubt would be another Arlo product. 

I did have my doorbell on for the update so I am lucky I still have a functioning device.  What makes me angry about them removing the toggle is that option was available for a year and half and Arlo just removed it with no consideration to customers that used it.  Yes, it may have redundancy but other Arlo cameras have the same redundancy. Is Arlo one day going to remove the toggles from the other cameras as well and I may not be so lucky to have them on and have worthless cameras?  Plus, Arlo keeps giving different reasons on why it was removed.  This messages says redundancy, another message says it was confusing, another message says it was a mistake that it was added. 

[StephenB]

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@Jeffrey_tl wrote:

In Marcjl original message dated 3-27 the person posts:

I just received a firmware update -- 1.14.0.0_931_5ed3664_1c4138d on my Arlo wired video doorbell and installed it.

However in order to install it, I need to turn off my camera as it was saying it's currently in use so I did toggled the turn off device. After the firmware update is done, the toggle to turn it back on is missing and on the app it was saying that "

This device is currently disabled and will not respond to mode changes.To enable the device, turn the device ON from the device settings."  ---- There was no way to turn it back on as now the toggle is missing. Now my camera is off and my doorbell only has the audio working. I already logout and logged back in and nothing has changed.

---

Ok, none of that is on this thread (at least I'm not seeing it).

FWIW, I'd try removing it from the account, resetting it, and then re-adding it.

[Jeffrey_tl]

The person started a thread that was closed so another thread was created.  Here is the link to the original thread the person started on March 27.

https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Video-Doorbell/Enable-Video-Doorbell-On-Off-Toggle-Missing-after-...

[RandyJ]

I am really frustrated with the Arlo Doorbell Camera since Arlo removed the on/off slider button for video. We now have to put tape over the lens when we don’t want it on. We only want it on when we are not home or at night when we are home. I don’t understand why Arlo has removed this button we used for over a year. We still have the on/off slider button on the other cameras but not the doorbell. It doesn’t make since why it was removed. Please add it back to the next firmware update. Otherwise I will buy a different brand and cancel my subscription. I will not recommend the Arlo doorbell to anyone for this reason.

[Jeffrey_tl]

Just go ahead and buy a different brand because Arlo just does not care.  I submitted an idea to bring it back:

https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Idea-Exchange/Enable-Video-Doorbell-On-Off-Toggle/idi-p/1815022

after I was told that is where Arlo gets their ideas from.  However, there is no suggestion to remove it and other people submitted requests it to be readded but Arlo ignores those requests.  I contact the SVP of Sales, Marketing and Customer Care and she didn’t reply back to me but had one of her customer service reps contact me instead.  After his initial contact I haven’t received a reply after two follow-up emails to him.  I have made a complaint to the BBB which Arlo contacted me and then no response.  In total I have had Arlo contacted me four different occasions and then nothing even though they told me they would get back with me.  One customer service person told me that they had received several complaints about the toggle being removed but again…Arlo just does not care about their customers. 

This is my proof that Arlo just does not care and comes directly from Arlo.  This is thier response to a customer that had their doorbell camera off when the update occurred and was unable turn their doorbell camera back on:

We have replicated this issue within our laboratory and ended up with the same experience as you did. When we consulted the problem with the engineers, they have confirmed that the Device On/Off switches on our Arlo video doorbells has been officially removed, since the recent software update. They have removed that option since they realized that it is a redundancy of the video doorbells' Silent and Disarmed modes. 

No offer to replace the doorbell.  Just a confirmation of what the customer already knew and a referral to the community forum that he started. 

We really apologize for this unexpected change and if it was not officially announced through the online community. For more information, please also refer to the following online community forum thread:  (seriously Arlo support --- do you really think you can point me to a community thread that I created??? just because the status is solved?)

It is easier to change the time zone then it is to turn the doorbell on or off.  Guess that is helpful if your doorbell camera is on a mobile home.  I don’t like using the Disarm function but it is the only way to “turn off” the doorbell camera. 

Bottom line is Arlo does not care about their customers.  They disregard their customers that lost functionality of the doorbell camera due to the upgrade.  They ignore their customers that request to have it brought back.  Ironic that they say they removed it because of redundancy but ignore the redundancy of their customers requesting it to be brought back again.  You can try and submit another request on the Arlo idea page to see if anything happens but it will probably be ignored.  Replace the Arlo doorbell if you have the means because Arlo won’t bring that toggle back.  And why do I know they won’t bring it back…because, and I can not say this enough, Arlo just does not care about their customers!