New App Geofencing v schedule

[Skippygriff]

I cannot believe the state of the new app. I’ve had Arlo for years and years. It took me a couple of days to setup my system to how it was and I am actually unable to get it running as it was.

Geofencing  cancels my night schedule. So i have my cameras armed at night. But if i come home during that night schedule, they switch to standby. No cameras all night. Pointless. Bring back the old app. I’ve seen others with the same issues. Can’t get through to customer support or do anything else so right may aswell make a post. It took ages to sort out the old app. Had a bit of consistency with it finally. Now useless again. what a joke 

[BrookeN]

We can give some suggestions on schedules or custom modes if you provide more information how you would like your system to work and what times. 

[CYYau]

After several days of observation and testing, I believe I have identified a fundamental flaw in how the new app handles Automation.

The logic appears to be that an Automation only executes a mode change once when the scheduled time is reached. As a result, when you arrive home, the system is not actually evaluating your current circumstances and applying the correct mode. Instead, it is merely switching between previously triggered Automations, and the mode will not change again until the next scheduled Automation occurs.

The only apparent workaround is to create a large number of Automations—for example, one every 30 minutes—to reduce the amount of time the system remains in an incorrect mode. However, this creates another problem: users will be flooded with notifications. Without the return of proper Notification Preferences, this approach becomes extremely irritating and impractical.

Furthermore, when configuring an “Away” state, all scheduled Automations must effectively be disabled. Otherwise, the Automations will override the Away mode and force the system into another mode. The same issue applies to “Arrive Home” triggers. This completely defeats the purpose of geofencing.

In the previous app, scheduling worked as a time range (for example, 09:00–12:00). When a geofencing event such as “Arrive Home” occurred, the system would evaluate the current schedule and apply the correct mode based on both conditions. This is standard, common-sense logic for any modern security system.

Yet in the new app, this basic behaviour appears to be absent.

If the old app represented a proper security system, the new app feels more like a toy. The features technically exist, but they seem to have been implemented without sufficient thought, testing, or attention to real-world use.

What concerns me even more is that over the past few days I have repeatedly seen features that previously worked perfectly well in the old app—such as Custom Modes, Geofencing, Scheduling, and Notification Preferences—being discussed as if they are “future enhancements” or “upcoming features.”

But these are not new features. They already existed and functioned correctly in the old app.

This raises an uncomfortable question: after enough updates, will we simply be given back the functionality we originally had, while each update is presented as justification for increased costs or subscription fees? Then, years later, will the cycle repeat with another “new app” that removes essential functionality again?

I must emphasize this point once more:

These are not “exciting upcoming features” or “future improvements.”

They are functions that already existed and have been broken.

What users are experiencing is not the absence of new features—it is the reality of a security system that no longer performs core functions reliably.

[StephenB]

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@CYYau wrote:

After several days of observation and testing, I believe I have identified a fundamental flaw in how the new app handles Automation.

The logic appears to be that an Automation only executes a mode change once when the scheduled time is reached. As a result, when you arrive home, the system is not actually evaluating your current circumstances and applying the correct mode. Instead, it is merely switching between previously triggered Automations, and the mode will not change again until the next scheduled Automation occurs.

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Correct.  Not new information though, as these limitations have been pointed out in the forum for the past 2-3 years.

Definitely a miss by Arlo.

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@CYYau wrote:

What concerns me even more is that over the past few days I have repeatedly seen features that previously worked perfectly well in the old app—such as Custom Modes, Geofencing, Scheduling, and Notification Preferences—being discussed as if they are “future enhancements” or “upcoming features.”

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I agree that in many ways Arlo missed the mark with the new user interface.  Though they were a bit stuck, because their home security system was built around new interface.  It's taken a lot longer than it should have for Arlo to restore the original functionality.   

Custom modes have finally been restored for all users, so you now do have the geofencing and scheduling functionality you had before.  That is assuming you don't have the Q, Baby, or original Go camera, which aren't available in custom modes right now (hopefully Arlo will add those cameras soon). 

Your comment on notification preferences puzzles me, as the notification options haven't changed.  They are talking about adding some additional options that weren't there before.  This was motivated by an implementation gap (unwanted notifications when the mode changed), but it sounds like they are considering a broader set of new controls that did not exist in the old interface.

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@CYYau wrote:

These are not “exciting upcoming features” or “future improvements.”

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In general, Arlo doesn't talk about new features until after they are launched.  The "future, upcoming" stuff you are seeing here is just telling folks that their complaints were heard, and that Arlo is going to address them (often not as quickly as I would like).  

[CYYau]

@StephenB 

In the previous app, geofencing notifications were fully controllable by the user. They were reliable, accurate, and not merely triggered on an occasional basis.

Mode changes caused by schedules did not generate unnecessary notifications, and there were no conflicts when one mode ended and another began at the same time. For example, a mode ending at 18:00 and another starting at 18:00 would transition seamlessly without issue (with the obvious exception of 23:59/00:00).

Given these facts, I find it completely unreasonable when (if) users are advised to simply mute the entire system in order to avoid excessive or unwanted notifications. That approach defeats the very purpose of a security system.

Yes, it is possible to use additional settings on the phone itself to suppress some of the annoying alerts and sounds. However, the fact that users must rely on operating system workarounds to compensate for shortcomings in the app only highlights how poorly the notification system has been designed.

A well-designed security app should provide users with precise control over what generates notifications and what remains silent. If users are forced to disable notifications entirely or use external workarounds just to make the system tolerable, that is not a solution—it is evidence of a significant design failure.

[StephenB]

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@CYYau wrote:

In the previous app, geofencing notifications were fully controllable by the user. They were reliable, accurate, and not merely triggered on an occasional basis.

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I get that it was working correctly for you.  But there is a long history of folks saying geofencing didn't work reliably with the old interface also.  I don't know why that is, but would like to see Arlo do a deeper dive on what is going on there and resolve it.

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@CYYau wrote:

Mode changes caused by schedules did not generate unnecessary notifications,

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Yes, and that is one motivation for the new controls Arlo says they are working on.  But only one -  folks have wanted more control over notifications for a long time.  

Though personally I think Arlo should have turned off the mode-change alerts in the meantime - but kept them in the Feed  (which is useful and something that is an improvement over the old interface).

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@CYYau wrote:

If users are forced to disable notifications entirely or use external workarounds just to make the system tolerable, that is not a solution—it is evidence of a significant design failure.

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I agree there are design flaws.  While maybe not "solutions" in the sense you are using the term, the workarounds do eliminate the needless midnight wakeups while keeping system armed. So I point them out, since for many users they are better than nothing.  This particular workaound isn't mine, it was posted by @Sithgear. 

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@CYYau wrote:

or example, a mode ending at 18:00 and another starting at 18:00 would transition seamlessly without issue (with the obvious exception of 23:59/00:00).

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The new interface has a way to avoid that exception btw.  At least in my.arlo.com, you can now set up a single schedule entry that starts in the evening and ends the following morning.

Not sure where this conversation is going.  We agree there is more work needed on the "new experience" and that there have been too many stability issues and bugs.  Where we might disagree is on the merits of the old interface.  There were flaws there also.  

[CYYau]

@StephenB 

Agree & Thanks for the information. I will try later.

[Skippygriff]

I actually did get it all working as it should using custom mode. But now geofencing arms as it should and doesn’t record. Or it stays armed when I get home. Thought I’d cracked it. But seems one problem solved and others creep up.

[Skippygriff]

Just to add to this. Custom mode is doing nothing now. It basically goes into schedule and geofencing is non existent. I’ve made no changes. I’ve been using Arlo for best part of 10 years so know what I’m doing with it. It’ll give notifications of mode change for example into schedule disarmed. But it’ll still stay armed geofencing when you look into the custom mode. So it doesn’t know what it’s doing itself. Shambles 

[BrookeN]

Can you please share your set up?

[CYYau]

⋯⋯
I'm speechless about Arlo.

[BrookeN]

We can help with the modes as well as Geofencing. If we know what you are wanting set up and how we can walk you through the steps to see if it is all correct as well as give some pointers on the set up. 

[CYYau]

For me, I want a functional Geofencing and cooperate with Schedule (Custom mode ).

Your “Automatic “ is Not a good solution/ replacement of Geofencing. 

what about of your “automatic “ is already posted on above. The issue for Geofencing in custom mode also posted on the other post. 

Mostly issue is because of the app design/ broken software. Those not because of the user sitting.

So many of users got the same problem/issue and told to Arlo and waiting for fix about a week or longer.

But just like an other user said: broken is coming up when Arlo fix one. 

I can say that it seems starting to “broken” of motion sensor function . This week I received the fewest sensor clips I've had in all the years I've used it. Not only animals, but even vehicles passing by, and even me walking by, don't trigger it 100% of the time.

[CYYau]

(P.S. Still testing on 6.30, I hope this version can fix the Geofencing.
But already know the issue of time "conflict" for arrange Schedule haven't be fix )

[CYYau]

Update: the Geofencing seems back to work. Just the response of status in apps is quite slow. The video clips also.

the annoying mode change sounds still there. The schedule time conflict issue thing is the same.

Keep looking for motion sensor function. (sure for not 100% triggering  & more often of miscalculate motion type )

[Skippygriff]

Yes everything work as it should since the update 

[BrookeN]

The mode change sound we are still currently looking into as well as the scheduling with Geofencing. 

[CYYau]

one more problem for Geofencing(app version 6.30 & custom mode ) :

The radius for triggering geofencing has error. What ever the size you setting. The geofencing basically only using “Medium “ for the program reference to operate.

[BrookeN]

I will reach out to our development team and let them know what you are seeing. 

[BrookeN]

@CYYau are you still seeing this same behavior with your Geofencing? 

[CYYau]

I will say that it seems better, But sometimes it still not ruled by the radius you set. ( is totally not triggering the mode) 

And the schedule time settings conflict still there , the annoying sound for mode change still there.

app is slow. 

I already giving up basically. I think I will change it all, If the geofencing down one more time (like last time).