Video doorbell activity zones not working

[Elboydo]

I have activity zones setup on my new video doorbell in an attempt to stop cars going by sending notifications. However the app keeps flagging motion in the non-active area. Is there an update or a work around for this issue?

[slopes0213]

So you know,  Eufy has it's issues at the moment too. I had an Arlo doorbell 1 day and it went back in the box to Best Buy because It alerted to EVERYTHING. Ignored zones I set up, sensitivity, etc. I have been using the Eufy wired for 1 week and the human detection is junk. Picks up shrubs and car tires as people but not actual people most of the time in the zone I set up. I had to resort to full motion detection mode with a zone which avoids the street in front of my house, and it's "working". The caveat being it will pick up any motion in that zone not just people so I'm getting some false alerts, here and there. So my smart doorbell is in dumb mode at the moment. By posts and reviews recently on the Eufy, it seems the firmware updates are making things worse rather than better. Eufy offered me a full refund, or 20% off to keep it.  Since it was working better than the Arlo, or the junk Skybell that only lasted 18 months before that, I decided to take the 20% off which brought it down to like a 100 bucks for an HD doorbell with local storage, no monthly fee, but just currently working in dumb mode.. So it felt worth it to me. Hopefully someday, Eufy and the rest of these manufacturers will finally put their money where their mouths are and live up to all these claims they promise to sell their products. Also on the Eufy, if your heart is set on using your existing doorbell chime with the Eufy wired, you're SOL at the moment. it needs all the juice it can get from the transformer to make the doorbell work. They do include a wireless chime though that does the job. Good luck to you!

[unlimitedsounds]

So I just got and installed my video doorbell. I’m using it directly connected to WiFi and not through the other pro cameras use as I get better WiFi connection that way. I Have 3 Activity zones set and only have people and animals selected with vehicles and all other motion off. I still get notifications from vehicles, notifications that just say motion and notifications outside my Activity zones. I live on a busy street and don’t want my doorbell cameras to pickup cars and people walking on the sidewalk so I just set Activity zones that cover my porch, and walkway up to my house. I called support and they opened up a ticket and after speaking to 3 different techs, they finally tell me there is an issue with zones and they have added my case to the effected users. However, now I see this has been going on for months. When can we get a resolution? Also why are my smart notifications not working and respecting what I have set? I do pay for the subscription for my 4 pro cameras and now my doorbell.

Can someone from arlo provide it a working fix!

[Jsmitty66]

If you can still return it, do so. As you said , this has been going on for months.

[unlimitedsounds]

I’m going to hope they get it working. I have 4 other arlo pro cameras that Work great so I’d like to stay with the same doorbell camera brand. I did notice last Night that it seemed to pickup audio of be standing inside my house by thy door and started recording before turrets was motion. Hmmmmm.

[JamesC]

The development team is investigating reports of this issue. I will provide an update as soon as I have more information.

[Jsmitty66]

James, with all due respect...

[slopes0213]

LOL you're attached image isn't showing up. I can only imagine.

[unlimitedsounds]

Why is it that support just gives the same answers about looking into it. I have a case open for zones not working as well as smart notifications not working right. I only have people and animals turned on for the doorbell and it still picks up vehicles. I’m told to keep “all other motion” off when vehicle is off or it will count vehicles as other motion, which makes no sense.

[unlimitedsounds]

Btw...I wonder if sound triggering might be active even though the rule has nothing for that. I notice on some of my doorbell recordings it will start to record and I’ll hear audio before I see any movement at all. For example, I’ll see it start recording and I’ll hear people inside my hallway, then a few seconds later I’ll see the storm door open and someone come out. So video recording is starting before motion sometimes.

[JamesC]

Arlo recently deployed a cloud update enhancing Activity Zone accuracy. This should improve the experience for users reporting symptoms of motion detection alerts and recordings occurring outside of their defined Activity Zones. We are continuing to monitor Activity Zone behavior and will provide additional enhancements in the coming weeks.

[unlimitedsounds]

The cloud update did nothing. I still get notifications outside my zones and for vehicles, which I turned off.

[Jsmitty66]

The cloud update did nothing for me also.  I removed the Arlo doorbell and replaced with the Eufy wired doorbell on Saturday.  I have had ZERO false notifications since - refreshing.  I haven’t had any issues with Person detections that someone else on this thread mentioned with the Eufy.

Arlo is still dragging their feet on granting a warranty refund with a response/excuse every week or so to my technical case/BBB complaint.

[GregTR]

The latest upgrade just made things worse! Until now I did get false alarms, ie. movement that was not within the selected zone but now I just get constant alarms even when there is absolutely zero movement within the field of the camera.

I'm pretty close to completely abandoning motion alarms on the doorbell camera completely, record 600+ videos a day into the cloud for all I care.

At least my other 8 Pro cameras work as advertised. Please don't touch those!

[unlimitedsounds]

I noticed that too. I’m getting notifications that have no movement as well. I got 5 this morning already.

[aa1113]

I am having the same issue.  I am at my wits end and don't know what else to do.  I live on a busy street, have vehicles and other motions turned off, zones adjusted to to not catch the street, I get over 200 notifications a day.  It also seems that once I clear the notification counter more add up and shows even a higher number. Also mine videos are not available right away. I get the notification and about 2 minutes later I get the video.  Now I am unable to see the doorbell video camera live on a PC. When I click on LIVE it goes black. When we got it it worked perfectly,  now it's a mess.   Notification after notification BUT it does not catch the packages. I tried to chat with support yesterday and after waiting a bit I got disconnected. 

[DFgatcha]

Count me as another new and angry user.   1 week until I return it.  

[Frustrated55]

Count me in as another very frustrated customer. Over 6 months and I don't see any progress on this ticket.

[aa1113]

Several app upgrades but no improvement. I get close to 300 notifications a day, we live on a busy street. 80% of the notifications are for vehicles, I have vehicles turned off. Go figure

[unlimitedsounds]

I have vehicles turned off and I still get notifications. The worst part is that it notifies me in areas that aren’t in my zones I created. Seems like zones do nothing.

[aa1113]

Same here.  I even turned off "other motion" which it actually defeats the purpose of  having the video camera.  It's crazy. I don't know what else to do. I tried chatting with support a couple of days ago and after waiting for a while, they disconnected the chat. We are also paying for a plan now. Wonder if anyone from Arlo reads this board. 

[Frustrated55]

I was having similar issues as most of you, basically the activity zone did not work nor did the selection of only people detection make any difference.  Almost every car that passed by triggered the alarm notification.

I removed the camera from the application and then re-registered it as a different name.  Set the activity zone and it seems to be working just fine so far.  I have tested walking out of the zone, it has not been triggered nor has any passing car over the last 3 hours triggered it. walking into the activity zone did trigger notification and recording.

Note that this time I have not yet added it to the Google home.

Not sure what fixed it whether not adding to the google home of if the new cloud configuration mentioned by a support person earlier got triggered by the re-registering of the camera.

Hope someone else can try and let us know if it works for you as well.  I will keep an eye and report if things go back.  Will also try connecting to the Google home in a couple of days to see if that is what threw it off.

All the best.

[aa1113]

Another thing, my app is up to date but I don’t have the zones. I have to use a PC to see them and change them. Yesterday I changed the zones, seems a little better but now tells me they are vehicles when they are persons and I have vehicles turned off. HELP. This should not be so complicated.

[unlimitedsounds]

I must have had 10 notifications from the doorbell where there isn’t even any Motion. All of my other Arlo cameras are fine and work like they should.

[catsmeowgh]

I removed the device and re added it with a different name and it made no difference, I still get notifications outside my activity zone.

[Frustrated55]

That solution seemed to work for one evening. Then went back to ramdom recordings. Here is what finally worked for me for the last few days.
I used the mode custom configuration and have not got more than one false trigger or notification.
You need to set the sensitivity in the mode configuration and not the test setting.
Let me know if you can't find the mode configuration.
It is the button in the right hand bottom corner of the main screen in the app.
Good luck.
I was about to return the doorbell but thankfully it works great now.
Attached a screen shot. Hope it helps.