Geo Fencing + Multiple User Support?

[jasonr704]

Very happy to see Geo Fencing supported in the latest app update!  However, the biggest missing feature in this beta release is the support of multiple users.  If I setup the account under my email address and then grant my wife access with a different email address, the Geo Fencing needs to consider the location of both users devices.

Here's some real world scenarios:

1) If I leave the house in the morning for work, but wife is still home, then Geo fencing should not arm until she leaves the house. Then whoever comes home first will trigger geofencing to disarm.

2) If we both take a walk in the evening, but I'm the only one to take my phone with me and she leaves her phone at home, I'd like to be able to have the system arm itself somehow, maybe through a notification asking if I'd like to arm or ignore.

Also, I'd love to be able to turn on the sprinklers through my Rachio app if motion is detected at night from my arlo cameras to deter potential intruders.

Finally, really wish Arlo would allow the ability to outline or draw motion zones with lines instead of having to zoom into a motion sensing area.  I'd prefer Arlo record the widest field of view, but only detect motion within a defined area.  This would prevent so many false alerts.  Imagine Arlo in a front of house setting with multiple cameras.  You'd like to be able to record your entire driveway, walkway in front of your house and the road, but I only want Arlo to record if motion is detected on my driveway or grass, not the walkway or road.  Currently, it's not possible to define these areas.  Nest Dropcam has this feature and it works great.  Arlo need to add something similar!

[Mikeesf79]

I figured out a workaround through IFTTT. My alarm provides access through alarm.com, so everytime its armed, I get a notification (through a separate email address I use for home automation events), which triggers IFTTT to arm the cameras....then the opposite to disarm when the alarm is disarmed.

Not perfect, but at least when the alarm is set, cameras are rolling! And they turn off when I get home and disarm the alarm.

Just thought I'd throw this out for anyone else looking for a temp solution.

[Pavlova]

I agree that Geo Fencing is definitely the way to go.  However, as an interim solution for simple arming and disarming, you can use "IFTTT"s "DO Button" to easily arm and disarm Arlo for you.  I have done this for my wife and my iPhones and it is very easy to use.  The steps are:

• Download the Free "DO Button" from the app store
• Open the "DO Button" app, create an IFTTT account and sign into the DO button with that.
• Select "+" to add a new "Recipe" in the DO button app, choose "Channels" and select the Arlo channel,
•       For first time use on your phone, you will probably need to enter your Arlo master account details (email and password).  If you don't enter the master account, you won't see the Arlo hub in a later step, so DO NOT USE an Arlo guest account ven if it has been given admin access.
•       Specify create a new recipie then select "Arm" (you will want to create a recipie for Arm and another recipie later for Disarm)
•       Type a name for the recipie (e.g. Arm Arlo), select the device (you want the Arlo Hub) and click "Add"

Once you have created the Arm and Disarm recipies, all you need to do to arm/disarm Arlo is open the DO Button app and select Arm Arlo or Disarm Arlo.  No waiting required.  It is reaslly quick and easy.

Once you have conduced the above steps, adding the same routine to another phone is easy.  Just download the DO Button app from the App Store to that phone.  Sign in with your IFTTT account on that phone and everything else will already be there (you don't need to recreate the recipies).  Add the DO Button to all the phones in the household in this manner and then each day, get the last person to leave home to arm Arlo with their DO button and anyone who returns to disarm Arlo with their DO Button.

I hope this helps as an interim solution.

[Tranb]

Well said jasonr!

[EarlyAdopter]

Arlo iOS update this evening (6/16) with the details listed as "Bug Fixes".  I tested a couple of the scenrios I was having issues with and they seem to be working now.  ie, Husband phone left zone, wife phone stayed in zone and the in zone rule was to look at the calendar, when was to Disarm at that time.  Once 10pm arrived, the calendar then changed to 'armed" and all worked.  More testing to be done with a variety of scenerios - both phones leaving zone, etc.  But some hope....

[Hvedstrup]

Still not working. My wife is home now and the app shows her phone as in zone. It still arms cameras when i leave.

[EarlyAdopter]

Hvedstruo - did you download the App update on both devices?

[Proxiton]

App updated on both devices here. Same problem as before. 

[EarlyAdopter]

Experiencing same problems this morning.  Disregard my original post.  Hope was lost.

[jasonr704]

I have also downloaded the app update on both devices and unfortunately this not resolve the issue.

To recap, this test is failing for me:

1) primary acct holder downloads app, then grants access to another email address and device

2) GeoFencing continues to arm when primary device leaves the zone, even though secondary device remains within the zone.

3) Then when primary device returns to the zone, the system will disarm.

The desired result is that system will only arm when both devices leave the zone, but with disarm when either one of the devices return within the zone.

My next tests will be:

1) delete apps entirely from each device and re-install to see if that triggers something.  

2) may try deleting the secondary user after deleting apps and re-installing, then try granting access back to the same user to see if that triggers something.

[C-M]

The beta version released today APPEARS to work for us (at least initial test). I downloaded the new version to my (primary) phone (Iphone 4, OK you can laugh now). Several hours later (first chance I got), I downloaded the new version to my wife's phone (Iphone 5S). The radius seemed small, so I went with Medium. I went out. While I was out, I checked. My phone was out of zone, My wife's phone was in Zone & the cameras were in home mode. That's what I had hoped for.

[C-M]

Nope, I was wrong on my last post, it still doesn't work right.

I understood the first mistake. Geofencing was setup for a single phone. I didn't like the choice, but I understood it. Now you tried to make it multi phones. That's a necessary enhancement, but I DON'T understand this bug.

The algorythm is pretty simple & I don't understand why you can't get it right. A phone can only exist in 3 modes. "In zone", "out of zone" and "unknown". Treat "unknown" as "out of Zone", it's safest and the most likely option. So: If ALL phones are "out of Zone" or "Unknown" go to "away mode". If ANY phone is "in Zone" go to "Home" Mode.

It appears that the programmers are trying to be clever and/or your system is missing interrupts (assuming it's an interrupt based system). Here's what's happening to me:

Both phones in zone, system is HOME.

Primary phone leaves zone, but secondary phone is in zone, Still HOME. (good, it didn't used to do that)

Secondary phone leaves zone (all phones now out of zone), Still HOME... HUH???

However, if BOTH phones leave zone at the same time, system goes to AWAY. Since nothing REALLY happens simultaneously in computer world, I have to assume that the system picked up the secondary phone leaving first and then keyed off the primary phone leaving.

New situation: Both phones out of zone, system is HOME (from the screwup of the primary phone leaving first). Note: The system KNOWS both phones are out of zone, but is still set to home (I checked). The primary phone enters and then leaves the zone, it pushes both announcements (proof that it knows what's happening), then the system goes to AWAY.

Again, I'm assuming you're trying an interrupt based system. STOP IT. Simply check the status of all phones every time slice (second, 5 seconds, a minute, whatever). If ANY phone is "in zone" go to HOME mode. If there is not at least one phone in zone i.e. ALL phones are out of zone or unknown, go to AWAY mode. It really is that simple. You can key off interrupts to speed things up, but if you don't check the status of the phones periodically, you'll never be able to correct for a missed interrupt.

[bobuser]

Not exactly on topic - but was mentioned during this thread.

Would like to use GeoFencing and Schedules (not just either). So, rather than 'or' would like 'and'.

So, the schedules still operate AND geofencing works at the same time.

Therefore, I have my schedules to record when I'm at home (i.e. at night) and also work when I leave the place (during the day, when typically the schedules are not operating).

Would be nice to see as an option to allow this.

[archibella]

I had been having problems with multi-user geofencing also.  Just wanted to note that last night I tried removing my fiance as a user from the cameras completely (mine is the primary account), then adding him back and re-enabling geofencing for him using the same process as before and it seems to have worked; left mine active the whole time.  It correctly armed/disarmed the cameras this morning as we were coming and going from the house.  Hopefully this continues to work and helps someone else-

Both using arlo app for iphone.

[C-M]

Thank you. Mine seems to be working correctly also. It's almost like it took 2-3 days to sync up & work right.

[Proxiton]

Thank you archibella!

I can confirm that my initial tests confirm that this works.

What I did:

1) Remove the second device/person from "Grant Access" in settings.

2) Activate Geofencing. 

3) Invite the second device/person again from "Grant Access"

4) Once accepted, add the second device/person to "Enabled Devices" in the Geofencing settings.

We both use updated iPhones. I am the owner of the account and I am currently "out of zone". The second device is "in zone" and the system is in Home mode (disarmed). 

I hope this works for all of you!

[dan801]

Still not working. Wife is in bed and in zone I'm at work and it turned on when I left the house

[C-M]

It's been working perfectly for us since a few days after this version came out. (No idea why  it didn't work for a few days & then started.) I would suggest that you check the status of the phones when it's screwed up. Go to Geofencing, edit, enabled devices, (probably a number 2), tap the number. It'll tell you the status of the phones. The clue is there. If I had to guess, I'd bet it'll tell you that her device is unknown (or something like that). I'd  guess that your wife's phone doesn't have location tracking (or whatever it's called) turned on. Maybe you need to uninstall & reinstall the app on her phone or something.

Bottom line: I haven't been able to get the app to screw up, so it works. There must be something wrong with your setup.

Good luck. Hope the tips were a little help.

[EarlyAdopter]

My geofencing is working with the exception of one scenario. For whatever reason in the mornings, the system doesn't recognize that it should revert to the calendar mode and disarm at 7:30 AM. To correct, I have to login and change the mode to scheduled and then select the Geofencing mode and that promps the system to recognize that my phone is away and then the calendar functionality is back in the place. It seems the system goes to sleep overnight and for whatever reason doesn't awake when I leave the house in the morning and recognize that one phone is out of the zone. Anyone else having this issue?

[JamesC]

EarlyAdopter,

Consider refreshing your enabled devices within Geofencing settings. Disable all listed devices, save and then enable the devices again.

Do you still see the same behavior?

JamesC

[EarlyAdopter]

Hi James,

I refreshed both enabled devices a while back - that is how it started working to begin with.

But I did refresh again a couple of days ago and I am still experiencing the "morning" nuance after the second round of refreshing the enabled devices.

The system works when both devices are "home" and the system needs to arm for the night. But the system isn't working when both devices are home and it needs to disarm in the morning.

Any other thoughts on a fix?

[JamesC]

EarlyAdopter,

I will escalate this feedback to the Beta team.

JamesC

[arlooo]

ok, it looks like it finaly started working for me. I left for work this morning and it stayed in home mode because it recognized my wifes phone was still there. Lets hope this continues to work.

[EarlyAdopter]

The morning nuance seems to have been fixed - as I have not done anything different, but the system has worked as expected the last two mornings. I'll wait a couple of weeks to see if this consistently occurs - I hope it does. May be getting closer to loosing the BETA tag? Thanks James!

[EarlyAdopter]

James,

Regarding the issue / nuance in the mornings, where Arlo doesn't recognize that it should revert to the calendar mode and disarm at 7:30am.

I have used your guidance to disable the enabled devices, save and then renable. This typically works for the moment, but doesn't not work the next morning.  I have also deleted the Arlo App on my primary device and reinstalled.  This works for a couple of days and then it reverts back to the morning nuance.

Both appear to be short term fixes and it resets the App.  But there is still an issue here with it working consistantly.  Can you please continue to escalate this issue.  My iOS settings are to allow Arlo to view my phone and my wifes phone "Always", so there is a bug in the App.  If you fix this I think this is the finish line.

**original post / issue**

My geofencing is working with the exception of one scenario. For whatever reason in the mornings, the system doesn't recognize that it should revert to the calendar mode and disarm at 7:30 AM. To correct, I have to login and change the mode to scheduled and then select the Geofencing mode and that promps the system to recognize that my phone is away and then the calendar functionality is back in the place. It seems the system goes to sleep overnight and for whatever reason doesn't awake when I leave the house in the morning and recognize that one phone is out of the zone. 

[weezmatic]

Has there been any development on more than one user with geo fencing and the ability to draw custom zones? I just purchased Arlo recently and these features are really needed.