Push Notifications on Android (Intermittent)

[StuBee]

I'm still trying to figure out how Push Notifications work on android.  

My Android Phone (4.4) sometimes gets them...sometimes not.    Seems to be related to if the device is locked or not.   However the email notifications always come in.

My Android tablet (4.4 wifi only, always on) doesn't seem to receive them unless the Arlo app is launched/active prior to the movement.

I'm not blaming Arlo app for this.  Just trying to figure out if they are supposed to come into multiple devices even if they are locked and/or do not have the app currently running.

======

PS I prefer the Push Notifications as they occur at the beginning of the movement, unlike the emails which seem to get sent at the end/recording completed.

[TomMac]

I'm running an Android phone too...hard to say with all the variables why the push notifications don't work.  ( I have no problem as long as the phone is on , even in standby mode )

Best I can say is go into the Android app and in settings ( both app settings and phone settings) make sure Push is set on.

( that may help your tablet )

You might try and clear your phone and reinstall the app just in case if you can't get it to function.

As to Push VS Emails,...  I think one coming in sooner than the other is just the system processing for the notification.

I myself like the SMS messgs better ( so I have a push sent and a email and a SMS ) I think the SMS messg shows up as fast as the push and I find it very easy to check/read.  Try it and let us know how it works for you.

Sorry couldn't help more.

[StuBee]

I believe this issue might a Android programming problem on the Arlo side:

There is a ""delay_with_idle" flag that needs to be set to false on the messages.  Otherwise they will not arrive until we 'wake' our devices.

Example:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/27960419/android-gcm-notification-dont-appear-when-device-is-in-s...

Do I need to submit this a support case?

thanks.

[David_NG]

Hello StuBee,

Please try the following steps and see if this resolves the problem.

Please uninstall the Arlo App. and then reinstall. After you reinstall the app please log in to your account and fully log out by pushing the button on your phone to see settings and choose log out.Please make sure your phone is set to receive notifications. I have provided a link to the KB for Android devices.

Once you have done this please log back in and test to see if push notifications work. Please keep me posted on the outcome of these steps.

How do I enable and disable push notifications on my Android

The Arlo Team 

David S.

[StuBee]

Hello David,

I think the point I was making was misunderstood.....

Notifications do work on my Android device....but only when it is not sleeping/locked.     The reason for this would possibly be the way the Messages are pushed from the app.   This is a programming question for your development team.

[TomMac]

---

StuBee wrote:
snip..

Notifications do work on my Android device....but only when it is not sleeping/locked.     The reason for this would possibly be the way the Messages are pushed from the app.   This is a programming question for your development team.

---

What android device you running?   On my LG with 4.2(?) it receives the push as long as not in airplane mode.

I would take a guess it has more to do with the device/version combo.

[StuBee]

They are both 4.4.x devices.   One is stock (ATT Samsung Galaxy S4 MIni).

Do you have a lock/pin on your device?   will you get push notifications if you don't touch your device for an hour...then cause arlo to alert.    

Mine will work if I keep it active and cause motion.  It doesn't work when it's been sitting idle for 15 mins or so.  Meanwhile...notifications from other apps do work....like gmail, whatsup.      When researching the issue I found that if the notification is programmed a certain way...it doesn't alert on non-wake devices

[TomMac]

---

StuBee wrote:

snip

Do you have a lock/pin on your device?   will you get push notifications if you don't touch your device for an hour...then cause arlo to alert....snip

---

No, I don't have a lock pin in use, just sleep mode after 10 mins...

when I'm not using my phone for a while, I just airplane mode it so there are no interuptions.

will test a pin and get back to u

[TomMac]

---

StuBee wrote:

They are both 4.4.x devices.   One is stock (ATT Samsung Galaxy S4 MIni).

Do you have a lock/pin on your device?   will you get push notifications if you don't touch your device for an hour...then cause arlo to alert.    

Mine will work if I keep it active and cause motion.  It doesn't work when it's been sitting idle for 15 mins or so....snip

---

Hi StuBee

Running 4.1.2 here

First, I have to apologize to you... I made a mistake. I was thinking on my phone the Push was working all the time while yours' wasn't. 

I found out that the reason mine was working is that I wasn't getting Pushes while the phone was sleeping/locked but sms messgs.

My cameras send out the normal alert emails with push activated ( IOS and ANDROID ), but I didn't want the emails on my android phone so I used verizons format to send email to sms ( as shown in another thread ). I had forgotten this was set ( I only checked to see push active ). The sms/push notices shows up at the top of my phone (like on IOS where you slide down to read after notice )

So I disabled the email to sms and confirmed only PUSH was on... tested again. Push notice came thru. Then I put the phone to sleep and tested again... you got it !  No Push notice like you've experienced So you were right.

I'd contact Netgear and see about working on a possible solution. In the wait, try to use email to sms conversion which works all the time.( even tho it seems att doesn't strip out html like verizon )

[David_NG]

---

StuBee wrote:

Hello David,

I think the point I was making was misunderstood.....

Notifications do work on my Android device....but only when it is not sleeping/locked.     The reason for this would possibly be the way the Messages are pushed from the app.   This is a programming question for your development team.

---

 Hello StuBee,

Sorry for not understanding your question fully. But after reading all the posts in this thread I understand your problem and the issue at hand. I will bring this to the attention of our NETGEAR team.

The Arlo Team

David S

[StuBee]

PS.  It would be nice to know if the Arlo dev's were able to duplicate/fix the issue, and the resolution will be in an upcoming patch.

thanks.

[ant]

I noticed iOS apps is not giving notifications as well since yesterday after I powered off and on base station to work on the nest. A level 2 Netgear support guy e-mailed me this:

"... NETGEAR Support (Ricardo Bucog) 3/1/2015 3:32:00 PM

Hi,

We recognize the Arlo app push notification problem on iOS devices. This has been
escalated to our development team and they
are working on this issue. In the meantime please try the following steps and see if this
resolves the problem:

Log in to your account and fully log out by tapping the logout option on the Arlo app.
Please also make sure your phone is
set to receive notifications.

How to enable push notification on iOS
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Arlo-Knowledge-Base/How-do-I-enable-and-disable-Arlo-push
-notifications-on-my-iOS/ta-p/1133

Once you have done this please log back in and test to see if push notifications work.
Please keep me posted on the outcome
of these steps.

Regards,

Ricardo
Expert ID: 8315
NETGEAR L2 Support Expert"

And yes I checked iOS apps. Even uninstalled and reinstalled. 😞

[ant]

I think I found the pattern now in iOS apps. It looks like notifications only work with my primary e-mail address account that I signed up with, but not the Friends' e-mail address account that I added on the same sign up day. I even granted him administrative rights to match the primary account, but it doesn't show all access options? Does these notifications only work with sign up account?

[StuBee]

Any word from the Dev's if they found the issue with android notifications not appearing on locked/sleeping devices:

They can review this:

https://developer.android.com/google/gcm/server.html

specifically.  delay_while_idle=False

I'm willing to be a beta tester if they need one.

[ant]

I don't know if this is the same as iOS issue (non-primary accounts even with granted administrator access), but its support said a couple weeks to fix and release (ETA) of 6 Mar 2015 18:11:44 +0000.

[TomMac]

---

StuBee wrote:

Any word from the Dev's if they found the issue with android notifications not appearing on locked/sleeping devices:

.

---

No change at this point... to my knowledge.

[RobertRosal]

I also am having the no push alerts on my Samsung Edge, when device is locked and asleep.  I entered a case today and proved to the tech on the phone, that indeed while locked and asleep, there are no push alerts.

I am supposed to receive a call from an escalated tech tomorrow as there is a definite problem with the push alerts while the device is asleep and locked.  I hope this can be resolved soon.

[RobertRosal]

Never received a call with technical support.  I don't know if this will ever get fixed.  Again if someone knows a fix, that'll be great.

Again no push updates when phone screen locks/goes to sleep.  All push updates from other apps work and only the Arlo app does not.

[fserre]

Same here, I'm using a Galaxy S6 and an iPhone 6 Plus and both have the Arlo app installed. When both devices are locked, the notifications are ONLY showing on the iPhone device. Only when unlocking the Galaxy S6, notifications do appear. I tried all suggestions, push is on, set as priority, etc...it must be up to Netgear to fix this in the app. Please do so, I will tweet support for this to bring it under attention.

[RobertRosal]

---

fserre wrote:

Same here, I'm using a Galaxy S6 and an iPhone 6 Plus and both have the Arlo app installed. When both devices are locked, the notifications are ONLY showing on the iPhone device. Only when unlocking the Galaxy S6, notifications do appear. I tried all suggestions, push is on, set as priority, etc...it must be up to Netgear to fix this in the app. Please do so, I will tweet support for this to bring it under attention.

---

Same here on Galaxy Note Edge and already tried tech support.  They just can't seem to fix it or they just don't care to, I don't what it is.  I was on the phone with them for at least an hour total and we were getting nowhere.  I keep stating the problem and they have me keep repeating the same tests.  I quit with them, I hope someone else has better luck.

With the new Galaxy S6's that are now starting flood the market, if they purchase the Arlo, they are in for disappointment if they think that their Push Alerts work. . .BECAUSE IT DOESN'T!  Well only intermittently.

[StuBee · Accepted solution]

Congrats to Netgear for apparently fixing this one.

I've only tested it once but it seemed to work, and others are reporting it work, so looks good !!

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Release-Notes/Release-Notes-13th-May-2015/m-p/5007#U5007

[thegould]

my wife and i have samsung 5's - i have had the arlo system with 2 cameras since 8/23/15 - intially it worked just fine - got the push notifications (which is what we wanted) and all worked fine. last week started to not get the notifications - called arlo - they has me reset and it worked until monday 8/31. then, no notifications - called them again - reset again - worked fine again - now today not working. i have uninstalled and re-installed - not working on my phone but does work on wifes. we do not lock our phones; we let them sleep; have made sure notification settings on  the phone are correct - getting a little worried this system is not going to work if we go away

[StuBee]

I think you are right.  I just had an email notification without any arlo alert (android).

What exactly were you resetting?  something on the phone...or the arlo device?

I think Netgear has something broken on their end.

[thegould]

i was resetting the samsung - i got a call from them just now (guess they read these posts) and i have an open case with them for 3 days now - the push service is intermittent on wife's phone and dead on mine - i have rebooted phone and now testing wifi (with mobil data turned off) with them on the phone while i am typing - this system may not be ready for primetime yet

[StuBee]

To be fair...their system was working with the android notifications for quite a long time.   The problem is when there is a backend issue like this....it takes a long and frustrating time.........to get the first level helpdesk folks to realize this and pass it on to the next level.

Originally I had provided them the notification code for android which I believed to be the reason for why the notifications were not getting to locked android devices....still took them a long time to implement.