Mode won't appear in Android app

[star_boy_oz]

The mode tab won't appear on our Android apps any more. The only tabs visible are now Devices and Library.

The Mode tab worked yesterday for me (Google Pixel 2), and for my wife this morning (Google Nexus 5).

I can log into https://arlo.netgear.com/#/modes and change the modes.

I have restarted my base station, and reinstalled the app. Why would the modes disappear during the day without us changing anything? Is this another server issue at your end? We've had this problem before with an Arlo outage causing hours of confusion, and no notification of downtime.

[star_boy_oz]

I had to uninstall the app and reinstall/re-login to get the fix. No update appeared in the Play Store or My Apps list.

[JonKong]

Here is some screen shots. As you can see the video image is the same. The first two show the old version and the last show the claimed to be fixed version.

[JonKong]

@star_boy_oz is it still there when the app is closed I.e close all or when you reboot your phone???

It was there the first time I logged in after installing the latest version. But after I closed it, it was gone again.

[maqs]

Not working for me.
I logged out.
Stopped the app.
Rebooted phone.
Not working, so then i:
Uninstalled Arlo app.
Rebooted phone.
Installed Arlo app.
No success. Any more suggestions?
Samsung S7 Edge.

[star_boy_oz]

@JonKong yes, I seem to be one of the lucky ones for whom the fix has stuck. Can confirm that the Mode tab reappears after the app is closed and reopened.

[jayhavey]

My update is now working also. I did revert immediately to an older version found on apkmirror.com but after the post that a fix has been initiated, I installed it and its working fine for me again.

I am using a free account with 5 cameras, Android Oreo, Galaxy s8. I didn't uninstall anything, I just applied the update from an October version to  the latest. So far its been fine since yesterday evening.

[Kburr]

This fix is now working for me on the android app for viewing free subscription of 3xHD Arlo camera's.
I had to open app, navigate to library and let it load recordings. Then close the app completely (swipe it away entirely). Then update mobile connection (cellular to WiFi or viseversa) then open the app again. It should then open and show the mode tab once again.

[pc2k17]

@JamesC

@ChristineT

Are you kidding me............ still not working, NO MODE TAB. Why are you marking this as resolved when 75% of the customers still don't have a mode tab. I logged out and back in, I restarted phone, I cleared cache and data files, I uninstalled and reinstall. STILL NO MODE TAB. Get real....... did your "engineers" even test the fix? I guessing no. I'm an engineer myself and if I did such a terrible job at this like your team has done I would have been fired. FIX IT NOW (again)!!!!!!!!!!!

And for anyone that is is working for, I would ask a favor........ please don't post that it's working for you because now Arlo thinks it's fixed when for the majority of us it's not fixed.

[commodon]

The issue did not occur for everyone all at once.

Instead, it appeared to occurr for people over the course of 2-3 days. I suspect this is because there are many servers required to support the thousands or tens of thousands of customers.

Whereas the fix was inplemented late last night and there are persons like myself who have reported it to be working, I suspect for others the issue will become resolved over the course of the next 2-3 days.

BTW, in my experience logging out, then logging back in was all I needed to do to the application and the Mode option instantly present. I don't believe you should have to resort to force stop, clearing cache, uninstall, etc. The cause of the issue was never the application, it was on their server(s).

[pc2k17]

I have explained on here several times why the issue didn't affect everyone at once.......... just as you said, they have many servers and it took a few days for the change that broke things to replicate out to all the servers via distribution servers.

But.......

When you have a major outage (and this is/was), when you apply the fix you update all the distribution servers all at once, maunally if you have to, you don't let regular replication to occur. Then once the distribution servers are updated, you turn off trottling and/or throttled replication, you turn off bandwidth limitations, and you force push the fix to all your servers. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Yes it will tax the system resources for a few minutes, but once done all servers are updated. We have over 1000 servers at my company and when we need to apply a fix for a major outage the servers are updated as fast as possible. We don't just put the fix out and wait for normal replication to occur. This is how a real engineering dept and a real networking dept does it. I realize my company of 30,000 people world wide is much bigger than Arlo, but if you want to be in the iOT business and play with the big boys you have to work like the big boys as well.

All that said, the mode tab missing doesn't affect me at all because I leave my system in Armed all the time and let smartthings turn the cameras on or off. But it does affect 1000's of other people.

iOT (internet of things) which is the catagory these cameras fall under (not security systems), is becoming a crowded field with many options out there, you all know the names, and now you have big boys like Samsung who bought smartthings getting into the iOT business as well. If Arlo doesn't step up there game and learn to do things like the big boys they are doomed.

We'll see if my mode tab comes abck in the next few days or not......

[paulmike3]

Not fixed for me. Uninstalled and reinstalled, no change - still missing.

[Prostar5]

Still no fix here

[Falseallure]

Still not fixed! These "engineers" are a joke. I'm on 4 days now with no fix. This is ridiculous. Get your crap together Netgear

[Prostar5]

Mode just spontaneously reappeared thanks much.

[Steveasmp]

This has NOT been restored for all customers.  I was one of the early reporters on Monday, and I STILL have the problem.

I have (yet again) force-stopped the app (which I have to do REGULARLY just to get access to the system), and uninstalled/reinstalled, and I do NOT have the MODE tab.

As a suggestion, before declaring it's been fixed for all Android users, perhaps it would be a good idea to actually ask the Android users that have open support cases whether or not it actually has been fixed.  If they bothered to open a case to begin with, it's very likely they'll be happy to test the alleged fix.

UPDATE:  After uninstalling and re-installing a second time today, the mode tab is back.  My above complaints and advice still stand.

[pc2k17]

I won't uninstall and reinstall again because it's been reported in the Arlo Pro forum that everytime you uninstall and then reinstall it adds an extra notification when you get notified of motion. Some people uninstalled and reinstalled and started getting two notifications for every motion event. Then they did it again and started getting 3 notifications, and again and started getting 4 notifications. I know this was reported by users of Samsung S8 and S9, not sure about others, and since I have a S8 I'm not taking the chance. (and I don't need the mode tab anyway since I have smartthings control my cameras)

I'll wait and see if the tab just eventually reappears as others have reported in the Pro forum and they did nothing to get it back.

[millertime2188]

The reply said that all the android devices have been updated and fixed, but my arlo app still does not show the mode option.

[Speedy4ever]

I still have no mode tab! I uninstalled it reinstalled it and still no mode tab! I have installed older version from a third party. Still waiting for solution!!!! It worked the first day I bought the system, and that was a week ago.

[JoeCymru]

---

@pc2k17 wrote:

I won't uninstall and reinstall again because it's been reported in the Arlo Pro forum that everytime you uninstall and then reinstall it adds an extra notification when you get notified of motion. Some people uninstalled and reinstalled and started getting two notifications for every motion event. Then they did it again and started getting 3 notifications, and again and started getting 4 notifications. I know this was reported by users of Samsung S8 and S9, not sure about others, and since I have a S8 I'm not taking the chance. (and I don't need the mode tab anyway since I have smartthings control my cameras)

I'll wait and see if the tab just eventually reappears as others have reported in the Pro forum and they did nothing to get it back.

---

I 

---

@pc2k17 wrote:

I won't uninstall and reinstall again because it's been reported in the Arlo Pro forum that everytime you uninstall and then reinstall it adds an extra notification when you get notified of motion. Some people uninstalled and reinstalled and started getting two notifications for every motion event. Then they did it again and started getting 3 notifications, and again and started getting 4 notifications. I know this was reported by users of Samsung S8 and S9, not sure about others, and since I have a S8 I'm not taking the chance. (and I don't need the mode tab anyway since I have smartthings control my cameras)

I'll wait and see if the tab just eventually reappears as others have reported in the Pro forum and they did nothing to get it back.

---

Believe I found a fix for this multiple notification thing. Initially when we had the mode button problem I did a uninstall and reinstall and by doing so got double notifications (still no mode of course, this was four days ago). If you wish to do a reinstall (though the mode fix does not need it: loging in and out usually is sufficient). uninstall the app at your phone not the Play Store. Then go to Settings>Clouds and Accounts>Back Up and Restore, and untick the app Automatic Restore. Now go to Play Store and download Arlo. When done, you can go back and turn on the automatic restore of app setting and preferences. This resolved adding additional notification sounds for each reinstallation. Only Arlo has this reinstallation / audible notification problem on my device so far. Other apps I have with notifiers have been reinstalled normally without this convoluted process.

[mmorgens]

Reinstalled three times and still no mode tab ...

[madkiwi]

Arlo is the worst app, worst hardware package I have ever experienced. And I once used Windows Vista!

So I deleted the cache, rebooted the phone, uninstalled my email client, logged back into Arlo, (this is the critical step) watched a saved video, exited the app, closed all open apps, deleted app files, reinstalled my email client, stuck my tongue out and turned in a cirlce three times

Which, as you may have predicted DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Reading the convoluted crap some people say they did to get the app working again convinces me that it is pure **bleep**ing chance. Which is as bad a condemnation of Aro/Netgear as it sounds.

[pc2k17]

@JoeCymru

Good call. Thanks for the tip.

@madkiwi

I agree, some people have done nothing and the mode tab came back. Most likely just coincidence or chance when trying different things that the tab came back at the time. The issue was not with the app, but with the "backend", so a proper backend / server fix should just bring the tab back for all.

[Matchpoint]

I did not do anything and the Mod Tab just showed up, it wasn't there a couple of hours ago. I am just saying this as a feedback from my end, I know others are still not fixed. I know a lot of us are upset with Arlo with their crappy application and totally lousy customer support, just to give you a consolation on this Mod Tab problem, the Geofencing function does not work half of the time anyways ; )

[star_boy_oz]

@ChristineT This issue is clearly not solved for many users. How do I revert the "solved" status to not solved?

[ChristineT]

Hello @star_boy_oz,

Thanks for the @ mention! 🙂

I have unchecked the solution as requested and hope to have another update soon that can resolve this issue for the people that are still affected.

As a side note: I originally marked the update as the "solution" in order to float the update to the 1st page of the discussion for better visibility.  We need a way to mark a conversation as "Hey guys, we think we fixed it. Can you try it again?" instead of "Yep, it's absolutely solved!". Unfortunately, this platform doesn't support that at this time. So, my main goal of accepting the post as a solution is for greater visibility.  

Thank you for your feedback! I'll look into whether or not there is a better way we can broadcast updates for situations like this. 🙂

Best Regards,

Christine