Arlo mobile app error, Redesign the App and Website for a better UX

[brandon-ux]

First off, I want to say your cameras and hardware are great. The range and the fact that they are truly wireless is not something I can get through any other system of this grade.

However, the User Experience of the Mobile Apps and Website is not good. I'm offering my services to you for free, for a week, to come help you completely redesign the app and website. Either I am a completely fringe case of a user or the UX of the service is poor. I feel it's the latter. 

I'll fly myself, pay for my own hotel, food, etc, just need to weeks notice.

Again, I love the service. But just now, as I needed to turn off the alarm at home and it was extremely painful. The app wouldn't properly load, so I tried the web. The fact that it kept trying to use flash, caused the security on my browser to flag the website. Secondly, it caused problems when logging in, because characters in my password were crashing the login script. 

Getting the siren turned off and re-adjusting the camera sensitivity was another large pain. An overhaul of the UX could make your offering an extremely killer setup. 

[JamesC]

brandon-ux,

When you say the app wouldn't properly load, were you seeing an error message? Was the error before or after login? Are you still experiencing an error?

If using the web client, Flash must be enabled. Be sure your browser and flash version is up to date.

JamesC

[brandon-ux]

• Wouldn't load properly
  • It would not allow me to log in. I continually got an error message and the page would not load. This was related to flash not being installed
  • However, at the same time, I could not log in to the mobile app as well. Both on different internet connections, both receiving 100/40 speeds.
• Flash must be enabled
  • This is a security risk. Flash shouldn't be used for anything. Switch your videos to HTML5. Most modern browsers will block flash unless given an exception. 
• How to set an overnight mode on scheduled.
  • I've tried both within the app and on the web interface to set a schedule for my custom "Nighttime Alarm". It will not allow me to set it from 11 pm to 5 am.  
    • I've attached a screenshot of both web and app. 
    • The app is worse because you keep blocking the user from making a choice because your error message is redundant. 
• Login
  • Why do I get logged out of the mobile app if I sign into the web and vice versa? This is odd behavior and not witnessed across any other app I use.
• Library
  • Minor, but would be great to have a swipe to delete videos. Having to do it 1x1 is not ideal. Could be an outlier as in my night time alarm, if I detect motion on a camera, I have all camera record at that time to see catch a possible larger event.

Again, the hardware you have is great. The app is lackluster. There are a few major points that cause a real annoyance in its use. Ex: Navigating away from the app and back to it and getting a pub/sub error message because I'm not logged in, while it's got the fingerprint screen up.

[jguerdat]

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@brandon-ux wrote:

• How to set an overnight mode on scheduled.
  
  • I've tried both within the app and on the web interface to set a schedule for my custom "Nighttime Alarm". It will not allow me to set it from 11 pm to 5 am.  
    • I've attached a screenshot of both web and app. 
    • The app is worse because you keep blocking the user from making a choice because your error message is redundant. 
• Login
  • Why do I get logged out of the mobile app if I sign into the web and vice versa? This is odd behavior and not witnessed across any other app I use.
• Library
  • Minor, but would be great to have a swipe to delete videos. Having to do it 1x1 is not ideal. Could be an outlier as in my night time alarm, if I detect motion on a camera, I have all camera record at that time to see catch a possible larger event.

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Overnight scheduling is easy. Since we may not want to span all days (Friday into Saturday, for instance) you schedule from 11PM to 11:59PM and again from 12:00AM to 7AM.

The login issue is a security measure. Only one master login at a time. If you don't want that, use Settings, Grant Access to a second email address.

Depends on what you're using for deleting files from the library but on Android, long press on one and then pick as many others as desired. For the web, use the Select option top right. iOS should be similar.

[brandon-ux]

I think you may be missing the point.

Yes scheduling overnight is "easy". But it's impractical and a flawed ux, especially in the mobile app.

You can't proclaim that the login issue is a security measure when the .com site uses flash.

Thank you for pointing out the long press. This is an action I've not needed to use in awhile, as most apps have included an icon to touch that allows for this. I have since tested the app and it allows this in the photo as well. Previous attempts may were missed when I accidently would fat finger the play button.