geo fencing

[scooobydooo]

Geo does not function with more than one device active.

it doesn't switch mode (home and away) unless you log in during the day at some point.

please address

[JamesC]

scooobydooo,

The app must be running on the enabled devices in order for location to be updated. If the app is force closed or logged out location will not update and geofencing will not switch modes.

JamesC

[TNVOL1111]

How can I get Geofencing to work with 2 IPhones activated on Arlo? Both have Location Services and Notifications turned ON. The Away mode is Armed and the Home is Scedule for late at night to early am. But as soon as I leave the Geofence area the Arlo system turns to Armed and Away mode. I doesn't sense that my wife is still home. So looks like the Geofencing will only work when someone has one phone and no one else is home. Geofencing part of Arlo needs to work with more than one phone and recognize that one of the activated Phones is still at home.

[JamesC]

TNVOL1111,

For managing multiple devices for Geofencing, take a look at this article: How do I add and manage multiple mobile devices for geofencing?

JamesC

[alsy27]

I have two devices. My iPhone and my wife's iPhone. I read the link above. My phone is out of the zone and her phone is in the zone. Yet the system is now Armed as I am away from the house. What am I not doing as per the link?

[JamesC]

alsy27,

Consider refreshing your enabled devices within Geofencing settings. Disable all listed devices, save and then enable the devices again.

Also be sure the app stays logged in and is running on both mobile devices. If the app is logged off/not running Geofencing will not work.

Do you still see the same behavior?

JamesC

[alsy27]

Things are running better now with the secondary device also logged in with the app open. Thank you.

[Matt_C]

I have refreshed my devices list today, yet when I arrive home, my phone says geofencing home (or words to similar effect) then notifies me I am on camera! Whay will it not disarm when I return home! Oh and Its my account, I am the primary user / admin for the system.

[tinokremer]

You have to specify the mode to use when you are in the zone or outside of the zone. Did you setup that correctly? Mine is set to "Armed" when not in the house. When we are at home, it's set to "Outside only".

[Matt_C]

Thanks for the reply. Geofencing should switch between modes (armed/disarmed etc) - I shouldnt go in to manually switch them over... unless I miss understood you. My geofencing is setup for all cameras to be armed when I am away, and disarmed when I am in zone.

Plus, how do you activate certain cameras when home using geofencing? On my app, I can only set all cameras on be armed/disarmed/schedule, and not individual cameras.

Thanks.

[tinokremer]

Geofencing works automatically without the need to go in and switch anything manually.

In the Geofencing setup you only select 2 modes:

1) When absent (outside of the zone)

2) When home (inside of the zone)

For me that is:

Absent: "Armed" (all camera's armed)

Home: "Outside camera's only"

The "Armed" mode is there by default. The "Outside camera's only" is a mode I created which only has the outside camera's active. I created this mode before setting up Geofencing.

You asked "Plus, how do you activate certain cameras when home using geofencing? On my app, I can only set all cameras on be armed/disarmed/schedule, and not individual cameras.".

You can create a new mode which only has the camera's you like to arm. New modes show up next to "Armed", "Disarmed" and "Scheduled".

[Matt_C]

Thanks for that. 

I use schedule when at home (turn on at night), so its not possible to set up a new mode and include schedules.

I wish the app had more flexibility!

[tinokremer]

Wouldn't this setup work for you?

• You always use the mode "Geofencing"

Geofencing Home: "Schedule" (and have the Schedule setup with the various modes you like to use based on time)

Geofencing Away: "Armed"

[Matt_C]

Yes, thats how mine is setup (Geofencing Home: "Schedule" ). But you can't set up cameras individually through scheduling - its a global whole system control. Scheduling is only one mode.

If you click on schedule, it opens the diary, and does not give option to select which camera its for.

[tinokremer]

That's correct, but you can setup modes to include and cameras you like and use "Schedule" to switch between those modes.

My example again:

Away: Armed: All 5 cameras armed

Home: "Outside only": Only 2 cameras armed, 3 are not armed.

[Matt_C]

I can't do that on my app! Wont let me create a new mode and include a schedule. New mode with different cameras on and off, yes, but not with schedules.

I'm running version 2.1.1 (June 2016)  if yours is any differrent?

[tinokremer]

I'm doing it on the site actually (https://https://arlo.netgear.com). Steps I took:

1. Mode --> Add Mode
2. Setup the new Mode
3. Schedule mode --> Edit (the box with the pencil)
4. Add the various modes on times I would like them to run
5. Go on your mobile into the Geofencing --> Edit
6. Select Armed for "away" and "Schedule" for when at home

 I'm using Android, with the app version 2.1.2_13737, released July 14th 2016.

[Matt_C]

Brilliant! Thanks.... got it! 

Thanks for the help.

[tinokremer]

Great, glad I was able to assist 🙂

[roseellen]

The concept of adding "geo-fencing" to my system seemed like a godsend to me as it would mean that I could leave my premises and not have the hassle of  remembering to turn on the security cameras - I have two Arlo Wi-Fi cameras and one Arlo Q - as this would be done automatically for me.  However it took me some while to get the "geo-fencing" to be properly functional and I'm still not sure that it's working as it should - only time will tell.

My initial problem revolved around leaving the Arlo app running as with all my previous mode switches I had logged on, engaged the mode and then logged off. I initially thought that I should do the same with "geo-fencing".It was only after a number of failed attempts at trying to engage the "geo-fencing" that I discovered a message recorded on the front screen of the telephone telling me that that the app should not be switched off otherwise the switch from disarmed to armed fails to take place.

This does raise a question and that is with regard to a prolonged absence away from the premises (home) such as a holiday. If the telephone battery expires before a recharge or perhaps the app is accidentally closed down does this mean that the geo-fencing will no longer work? Is there is a potential problem here and if so is there a workaround?
Many thanks for your thoughts.

[tinokremer]

You need the app to be running in order to change modes based on Geofencing. If you are away and it's set to be "out of the house", it doesn't matter anymore. If your app is not running, it will not change back to "in the house", but you are not there anyway. I have just finished two weeks holiday out of the house and I checked my house several times manually and got some alerts when people approached the front door. It works perfectly.

[jguerdat]

---

roseellen wrote:

This does raise a question and that is with regard to a prolonged absence away from the premises (home) such as a holiday. If the telephone battery expires before a recharge or perhaps the app is accidentally closed down does this mean that the geo-fencing will no longer work? Is there is a potential problem here and if so is there a workaround?

---

The app has to be working some at least one phone needs to be on for GF to work (the app needs to know the location of the device and there's no way to do that if the phone is off or out of contact for any reason).  Keeping the battery charged and the phone would be needed.

As for closing the app, the issue is (generally) not one of using other apps but whether you have used the phone's force close capability to kill the app or if you've specifically logged out from the app.  Simply swiping it away won't log you out.  

One thing I'm starting to suggest to GF users that happen to have Android 6.x installed is to check out the battery settings for the phone, specifically "Battery optimization" located in the phone settings under Battery and then using the menu. The default view is "Not Optimized" but you can use the pull-down for all apps.  Select Arlo and choose "Don't Optimize" and see if that helps with allowing the app to be more responsive to changes in location.  Yes, it can use more battery that way but it may also help with GF issues.  If enough folks try this, we'll get a feel for whether this change helps or not.

[rg14]

I tried with two phones and it would always stay armed when it should have been in the schedule mode while at home. I called Arlo support and she advised me they are getting a  number of calls on that issue and the techs are working on an update to correct it.

[Hpbolton]

Hi I've just discovered geofencing and have set up the following modes
Home - disabled
Away - activated

2 phones have been enabled. My phone being the account administrator.

It feels like my phone is picking up the locations when I'm in or out but on the second phone the location is "unknown". I've check the setting to ensure we both have it as same with locations enabled yet my phone "seems" to pick up my locations for in zone or out of zone.
Any reasons why the second phone is having issues ?? If this works correctly I was considering purchasing the Arlo pro and then adding to secure my outside perimeter with additional cameras. But want to see this in action before I stamp up the additional cash.
Also can the Arlo smart cameras be used on the Arlo pro ?

Thanks

[Rosey12]

I found a good app for various things called IFTTT.  Arlo works with this app.  It doesn't take much battery at all.  The geofencing with Arlo and IFTTT has been flawless for me.