Arlo App on Android is rubbish

[Sjgarth]

Slow to connect, slow to provide live view, slow to get status, slow to get mode. That's if it gets details at all. I have fast cable Internet connection at home with Arlo box wired in and cameras all within 20 feet. Phone is either within home wifi range or 4g. All works fine with other Internet using programs.
I have reset phone, closed down and restarted Arlo App., really entered login details and now reinstalled app. Finally after 56 seconds got status and after 73 seconds got modes. Turned cameras off after 4 minutes of notifications and emails.
Netgear MUST be aware of this issue due to lots of complaints and comments. Netgear MUST sort it out, it is a fault at their end.
At the moment I would tell people to stay well clear of Arlo, nice cameras, rubbish software and poor technical support.

[TKNT81]

Hi Sjgarth,

I experience the same problems as you describe.

For me everything worked fine until the newest Android Arlo app release (version 2.3.2).

Connecting time is the big thing here, it could take more than a minute or it shows my system is offline.

Using the older app (2.3.1) "solves" the problem for me, for now.

I hope Arlo will release a new Android app version soon.

Have a look at my post:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Arlo/Arlo-Android-App-2-3-2-16308-GETTING-STATUS-BUG/m-p/1252846#U1...

[Sjgarth]

Before anyone asks, i am using:
Arlo app 2.3.2_16308
Samsung S5 neo running Android 6.0.1_0034

System works fine on desktop, but very slow on smartphone.

[Sjgarth]

Where can I get the previous version?

[TKNT81]

Just use a search engine and look for "arlo apk 2.3.1"

[Sjgarth]

Cheers mate. I did that and have installed 2.3.1 and it is working fine.
I also had the problem with my wife's phone, installed the older app and it too is working fine.
Arlo/Netgear must admit it has a problem with the new version.

[Malsec]

Thanks. Now using ver. 2.3.1 instead of 2.3.2 and things are running a lot smoother 🙂  

[JamesC]

I have escalated this topic to engineering for further investigation. I will post back with an update when I have more information.

JamesC

[Sjgarth]

Thanks for escalating this issue, as reading this forum shows many people having issues like mine..

For clarity, my version of Arlo App on Android updated itself overnight and the issue of poor status finding returned. As soon as I uninstalled and returned the version 2.3.1_16068 everything startedworking as required again. (I have now switched off auto-update).

[ag100]

Has anyone heard anything else on this?  This was months ago, and judging from the negative comments here, and on the Play Store, this isn't isolated to a few people.  Prior to this issue I was considering replacing the rest of my Ring cameras with Arlo (2 replaced so far), but thankfully, I haven't.  I'll try the old version of the app (does anyone have the md5 hash of the original 2.3.1_16068 apk?  I'd like to verify before installing), but if this is how they treat QA, and terrible app issues, I'm not sure I want to keep the ones that I have.

[Sjgarth]

They seemed to have listened and the present android app is okay. There is still a slight delay, but not enough to be a problem.

[ag100]

Oh, I don't agree.  The app on my Pixel XL is awful.  I've cleared the cache, reinstalled, etc..  and when I try launching the app from an alert (especially when the app hasn't been opened in a while), it hangs.  It tries to request location (I see the  location icon pop up after 10-15 seconds), and then sometimes it will start, while others, I have to force close, and on those occasions, it comes right back up after I've swiped it away.  Glad your experience is better though.

Also - Reviews on the Play Store as recently as yesterday describe similar issues.

[Sjgarth]

Oh dear, obviously still have problems and I'm the lucky one, the latest version us fine - for me.
I suggest using the older version and turn off auto update. The old version worked fine for me.

[ag100]

Thanks - Yeah, that's the plan, as soon as I can get an MD5 hash of the original APK from Netgear.  🙂  

[ag100]

New version released today seems much better! I wish they would communicate better, but this version looks good so far.

[quarkdoll]

Running 2.4.4_17405 on my Pixel XL.

Geofencing problem #1, with the latest update (in the past several days), geofencing no longer works. If i look at the geofencing rule definition, it still exists and has the correct location.

Geofencing problem #2, occasionally I will get a card notification that geofencing needs an internet connection and I must open the Arlo app. This happens even if I've never left home (and so have not left my network). Worse, I open the app, it gets the camera statuses and feeds fine (so obviously has an internet connection) but does not clear the card (and the card can not be swipe-cleared.) Force-stopping the app is the only way to get rid of the card.

Security issue: run the app; authenticate so that you can see the camera views; background the app; force-stop the app; run the app. There is no authentication challenge this launch.

[Burmajim]

The Android app is dreadfully slow to connect. Ipad is much better

[quarkdoll]

Geofencing #3: The "needs internet connection" card, is regular when i leave WiFi and transition to cellular data. Unless i'm in outer-Mongolia, i always have an internet connection (whether it be cellular or WiFi), so this card makes no sense (and, of course, makes this app look even more junior league.)

[quarkdoll]

I've given up using geofencing; its implementation is the very antithesis of what geofencing is supposed to provide - it should seemlessly detect movement outside the region and change state in accordance. In its current broken implementation I'm actually required to do even more interaction than I would be were I to arm the camera myself when I leave the area.

I don't know where Netgear's development head is - but this technology is not new nor rocket science. That they leave it broken for so long speaks to their customer priorities, I suppose.

[clubped]

I have the same issues on a new Samsung A5. Annoying as the IOS app works flawlessly on my old iPhone 5