Geofencing with multiple devices

[defilade]

I have geofencing set up with two devices, my phone and my wife's. It's set up so that the system activates when we leave and disarms when we come back. This works perfectly with one device because it does exactly what you want - it turns on when you leave the house.

But what I've noticed with two devices is that it activates if either one of us leaves, so even when someone is still home, the system is activated. So it seems like the logic is, "if any device is out of zone, then do X" when what I'd like is, "If all devices are out of zone, then do X". If you think about it, if the point of geofencing is to allow you to activate the system when you leave then there's no point in activating it while someone is still home.

Am I missing something? Is there a way to set this up so that it only activates when both of us are out of zone?

[kjeckert]

I am trying to setup this workaround however anything related to Arlo get’s a 404 message when I try to set it up. Has anyone run into this with IFTTT?

[judsonzhao]

It's 2018 now, we still don't get this fixed. Do you, Netgear guys, will use such a device if it's not already free to you?

In another thread the OP got an Indian phone embedded into his account and is still not able to take it out.

Have bought the Q and 4 Arlo Pro, probably won't invest any more based on how the support goes. What a shame seriously.

[Adrian97c]

Wow.... feb 2018, I just spent $500 on a 2 camera system.... why can’t my wife & I get geofencing working properly?????!!!!!!!! I’ve tried all the BS adding/removing, etc.

Fix this!!!!!!!

[Zboz]

Couple things. Presuming you’re the admin on the account, get your wife’s phone, log into YOUR account using HER phone and set the geofencing for her. Log out and then have her log back in using her phone. I know...sounds strange. But it worked for me. If you ever find that geofencing isn’t workin again, use your phone to turn off > save > turn on > save, geofencing Enabled Devices settings again. Seems to lose geofencing settings if you force-close the app. On that note, you both need to keep the app running in the background and always keep WiFi on. Yes, geofencing does stink with arlo. But this workaround does work.

[Adrian97c]

Going to try that now. I’ll test it out over next few days. I’ll report back thx!

[Adrian97c]

Slightly off topic, but why does the “record” change to “do nothing” every time Motion/Audio gets triggered? I have to keep changing it back!

[Adrian97c]

Msg 79 def fixed the issue... great find on workaround!

Now if they can figure out how to minizimze the live steam lag & few other things we will be doing A OK.

[Adrian97c]

It’s back to not working, the fix isn’t fixing it anymore.... it was good while it lasted.

[IMSHAKN]

Stop working around 2 weeks ago. Been more than 2 years and they can fix these

[Adrian97c]

Not sure what they changed, I don’t even recall an iOS app update.... but yes for last few weeks it completely broke!

It shows I’m “in Zone” when I’m at work, I force change it, put it back to geo & when I return home it still has me as “out of zone”. My wife’s phone shows “unavailable” again.... what a nightmare!

[Ghostwave]

I have an Arlo,system, and now two of my co-workers have it as well as they loved watching me during the day as I’d check in on the home.  Love everything but geofencing.  Can’t go more than a day without it failing in some random fashion.  I often note that I have not gotten an alert and realize that it’s in barf mode again, and unfortunately just falls back on “let them take everything” mode.  Don’t even get started on two phone geofencing.  Both of my co-workers agree and we do telemetry for a living.

Think they have the intern squad on geofencing with not enough supervision.  Strongly suggest that netgear blow up this team and start over.  Might want to think about customer needs and priorities when building the feature vision before starting the coding this time.

P-a-t-h-e-t-i-c!

[Adrian97c]

Is there anyone out there?? Do I need to post yet another “geofence is broken” thread?! Hello where is Arlo support team on this???!! Do they not own there products

[Adrian97c]

Here is an option to completely dump Arlo Geofence for those that are smartthings users:
https://community.smartthings.com/t/release-arlopilot-enhanced-arlo-system-integration/117581

[Vest1968]

 We struggle with this as well.... It does not work consistently, but what is worse is that this very looong thread has stopped being answered by Arlo moderators.... January 2017 was the last moderator comment...!!

Is that how they deal with things??? Poor service, this issue should not be silenced 2 death!

Thats just not good enough!

The Geofencing is long past "Beta" mode and still people are having problems with this feature, it is a key feature and MUST work!

We have switched on and off a million times, deleted accounts, reinstalled, in fact all suggested fixes throughout this thread, but still out of luck!

Arlo would you please fix this and at least join in with information??? Seriously considering switching to Unifi, and once and for all get a fully functioning video system!

Disapointing!!!!!!!

[BillCostello]

James I have been following the posts on geofencing and have done all you suggested including removing the apostrophe from my wife's iPhone, however eve n after I delete her and add her again, the new iPhone name is recognised but it is always unavailable, location services are set to always for the app, have you any ideas.

Bill

[BillCostello]

Fixed, renamed the phone, restarted the base station, both phones are now available, so far so good

[Adrian97c]

Fixed, but now 2 way talk is broken 😕

[BillCostello]

Thought I had cracked it but it will not disarm when my wife comes back in the zone, it is so frustrating my phone works perfect, out of zone armed, back in zone disarm, jets arms when she leaves but will not disarm on return

[sebastianer]

I think It's time to update the Arlo app to Oreo 8.1 (API 27) and also time to start fixing this Geolocation issue.

I used the Nest app in the past and Geolocation it was great.
I also use Google maps location sharing is not instant but it works. I don't care if Arlo takes a few minutes to notice both devices left home....but currently sometimes you can wait days or until you don't open the app in both phones app doesn't notice they are not at home anymore. Is really frustrating.
Both phones already reports my location on realtime (with Android location sharing) sot shouldn't be to difficult for the Arlo app to get the location from there, just like happens with Google Maps location sharing.

Lastly, it would be nice to have a bit more standard Android UI. When you open apps like Arlo you feel a bit like entering to another operative system. Same complains I have for apps like Waze. It's more like a game ported to Android, than a native android app.

[sebastianer]

I finally found a solution to control my Arlos with multiple device location (I'm not joking, this is seriously working fine with a Pixel 2 and a Nexus 5X). 

The downside of this: you will lose the "schedule" setting. Because IFTTT app only knows how to set the Arlo to "Armed" or "Disarmed" modes, not "Schedule" (which would be the right "Disarmed" mode).

Steps:

1) Download Nest app (yes, Nest location Home/Away mode works perfect with at least 2 devices. Is one of the things I miss when switched from Nest app to Arlo app). Nest app also uses Android API 26/27 (Oreo) and it's not a battery hungry app at all.

2) Create 2 nest accounts. One main account, one invited account. Setup "Home/Away Assist" and all the Nest tutorial to define your home address, etc --> Use mobile phone location (YES) --> People --> under people you should have your device and your second device (both devices to Yes). You will have to invite another device to your "Nest home". You dont' need to have Nest cams, though I had a nest cam in the past (I hope this can be followed by anyone). 

- Now you should have one app that is tracking multilple devices at home, without major geolocation issues. And without draining your battery.

3) Install "IFTTT" app. (Another App that support Oreo APIs with limited background usage). 

4) Create the following 2 Applets (using Nest thermostat and Arlo): 

4a) "If Nest set to Away Mode, then arm Arlo.

4b) "If Nest set to Home mode, then disarm Arlo. 

Today I contacted IFTTT to ask them to have this rule: "If Nest set to home Mode, then "schedule" Arlo." I hope they/Arlo add the "schedule" mode as a new action. Because if you set your arlo to disarm mode, your cameras won't arm at night when you are sleeping (if you used shedule setting like me). 

Voilá! Your arlos should be armed/disarmed with multiple devices based on the Nest Home/Away mode. 
Let's see how long it works... 

Notes:

- You need to install Nest app in all your geolocated devices.

- You should to install IFTTT in only 1 device. 

- You should stop using geolocation in Arlo app and you will stop using schedule. (Well IFTTT will take care of this anyway). 

[Brujo]

I think I have found a solution:

Change your device's name in your phone settings (ios: settings, general, about, name) to remove any special characters, and then exit and reopen the app, the geofencing on multiple devices should start working again. 

Example: phone was previously "Brujo's Phone".  I changed to "Brujo" to remove apostrophe and space, and the geofencing mode now works as it should.

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@rjhenderson15 wrote:

I tried doing that with both my phone and my wife's phone to no avail. The cameras still arm every time my wife is at home and I am not. This is incredibly frustrating and I think I will be returning the cameras unless this gets fixed soon!

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[Brujo]

I think I have found a solution:

Change your device's name in your phone settings (ios: settings, general, about, name) to remove any special characters, and then exit and reopen the app, the geofencing on multiple devices should start working again. 

Example: phone was previously "Brujo's Phone".  I changed to "Brujo" to remove apostrophe and space, and the geofencing mode now works as it should.

[Zboz]

Try the following:

I had a similar issue: Using just my phone (the admin device), geofencing worked great. However, when I added my wife to the system with her own phone and own account, it would not work properly. For example, I would leave the house and she would stay, but the system would still arm. Even though the Arlo app clearly showed her phone “In zone”.
THIS MAY BE A WORKAROUND for the original post in this string - thanks to Arlo Support for the suggestion; it worked for me. My wife and I are both on iPhone 7’s with IOS version 10.3.3. and Arlo app version 2.4.3. It seems that I need to have the Arlo app running in the background AND wifi on (no need to actually be connected to a WiFi Access Point – it just needs to be on when traveling in/out of the geofence zone).
THE WORKAROUND: On your phone, the admin device, go into the app > mode > arlo base > geofencing settings > enabled devices > uncheck your wife's phone > tap done > tap save.
Now, go to your wife's phone. Log into the Arlo app on HER phone using YOUR credentials (the admin credentials). Still on her phone, go back into the geofencing settings and re-check your wife’s phone under the enabled devices. Tap done and save again. Give the phone back to your wife and have her log in to the app using her username/password. You do the same on your phone.
After following those steps, it all seems to work properly. However, it appears to help if you have the Arlo app running in the background + wifi on (not necessarily connected). If I don’t have those 2 settings, it can take the app an hour to “realize” we are both out of the zone. Wish these last 2 caveats were not required, but seems to be, at least for me.

[JoeKo575]

I'm having this issue as well. My girlfriend and I are both set up to geofence, with both phones logged in to the same account. The failure mode is that Arlo does NOT arm, even when we're both away. I have a Samsung Galaxy s9+ and my girlfriend has an Iphone 6. This issue also was present on my previous Samsung s8+. I have poor internet and phone signal in my work building, but I am still away from home so I don't think that matters.

[anusayan]

This issue was first reported back in 2016 Juneand this is July 2018 and Netgear couldn’t fix this??? This is horrible.