Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras

Can't Add Homekit on VMB4000r3 Q&A thread

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markjericho
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Star

I successfully setup my 4 Arlo camera for Homekit this morning while at home. They appeared within the Homekit app just fine and I could pull up my live streams. Now that I am not at home, all of the Arlo cameras say "No Response". All of my other non-Arlo Homekit devices are working just fine. Also, if I open the Arlo app, all of the carmeras are online and working properly. However, the Arlo cameras don't seem to want to work within the Homekit app when I am away. Yes, I do have celluar turned on as well as Backround app refresh. Anyone else having this problem?

377 REPLIES 377
AncientGeek
Hero
Hero

@AncientGeek wrote:

@AncientGeek wrote:

 @JessicaP wrote:

For those of you still experiencing the "Uncertified Accessory" error after trying the troubleshooting suggestions posted here, please contact the Support Team to further investigate this issue. You will find several options for contacting support in the provided link.

 


I tried this.  I removed the offending Arlo base station from HomeKit and restarted the base station. Then I re-added that base station to HomeKit in Arlo Settings. The only change was that the names I had entered on the HomeKit side for my cameras and motion sensors (10 in all) were all blown away.  They all still show up as uncertified accessories.   

 

I still have another open case case from January or February.  I really would like to have a life that does NOT include so much time debugging Arlo products. 


Ok.  I tried this again and this time I power cycled the Arlo base after removing it from HomeKit.  No change.  The I restarted the base again and now all of my devices on that base station are both uncertified AND non-responsive.   Definitely not an improvement.  Two steps backward as they say.


I spoke too soon.  The Not Responding error went away by itself...or perhaps after I logged back into the Arlo App.

lundoctor
Star
Star
Solution which worked for my setup
Issue was camera worked on arlo app but camera was not active on HomeKit when on cellular or WiFi away from home . Worked fine on both when at home
First step sign out of iCloud on Apple TV
Then sign back onto iCloud on Apple TV
Then restart iPhone
After these steps arlo cameras have worked on HomeKit at home and away from home.
Still working on arlo app as well.
Issue must be related to iCloud .
I hope this helps others get set up working
Tsandas
Guide
Guide

I just spoke to a support person , he said they are aware of the problem and say the workaround is to do a hard reset of your base station and then re-sync your cameras 

he said that should work

i asked if there will be an update with a fix and he said no

Crazy

SjoDad
Tutor
Tutor
I tried that and it didn’t work. Got the same error. I did get to sweat pretty good re-syncing all of my cameras mounted outside in this heat though, so yay?
Tsandas
Guide
Guide

I figured that would not work , that is why I did not go though it.

ill wait to see if they do an update 

DGArkie
Apprentice
Apprentice
I did all those steps TWICE. Not even a “workaround “. A workaround is not a fix.
riposter
Tutor
Tutor

Same issue for me. Definitely holding out for a solution that doesn't include resetting my Arlo base.

Junkan
Guide
Guide

Does not work getting unauthorized accessory and have restarted everything.

 

I’m done with Netgear products, time for a change tona different brand.

 

Skychief
Tutor
Tutor

Still no luck so far. Have tried virtually everything. And I don’t want to hard reset the base station anymore for it to work for around 5 minutes and then stop. I’m back to the spinning wheel and not finding any devices in the home app.

 

Is there a way to enter a HomeKit security code of the basestation manually in the home app? Since there isn’t a code on the bottom of the VMB4000 which I could scan.

 

Please Arlo, provide help. Provide an updated firmware or app.

 

 

AncientGeek
Hero
Hero

@Junkan wrote:

Does not work getting unauthorized accessory and have restarted everything.

 

I’m done with Netgear products, time for a change tona different brand.

 


Let us know if you find one that doesn’t have its own significant issues or deficiencies.  I have not found one yet.  I own IoT and IT products from Netgear/Arlo, Linksys, Apple, Sony, Logitech, Ring, TP-Link/Kasa, D-Link, Axis, Honeywell, Nest, Lutron, TiVo, Cisco, HP, Sonos, Netatmo, Chamberlain, Belkin/WeMo, SAMSUNG/SMARTthings, Tank Utility, and perhaps scores more.   All of them have had problems or deficiencies of some sort.   Granted, few have as many fiascos as I have experienced with Arlo and some have been well above average, but none have been flawless or even pain free.

Junkan
Guide
Guide

The problem with Netgear products is bugs, user friendliness and painful slow response for bugs.

The_Ricky
Apprentice
Apprentice

sorry @Brucequyle  deleting and adding back the basestation usually fixes all the issues. I run out of ideas

 

scrytch
Star
Star

@Pinifinina wrote:

In the beginning I was able to add Arlo Pro 2 to homeKit without any issues via Arlo APP. 


Just FYI - this means you don't have the core problem the majority of us have. We have NEVER been able to add our VMB4000r3 base station to Homekit.

 

Right now the workarounds for this are not consistent - if they work for someone, great! But they are not a "fix" as the majority of people impacted can't get it to work.

 

The Arlo team need to stop trying to find a workaround and actually find the problem. No other Homekit device I have purchased from any other vendor has had this issue - they have all been seamless and "just worked" which is what Apple intended.

 

Thanks,

Shane.

kmiller8821
Luminary
Luminary

I have had no success getting homekit to work. Regardless of what I do, I get an uncertified accessory message.

 

Base Station:

W VersionVMB4000r3
Firmware1.14.0.2_2776
 
I have also rebooted the base, router, apple tv, etc.  I am able to see the base station in the arlo app when I click on "Setup" next to homekit, but once I pick the base, it asks me to "allow the arlo bridge" (which I do) then it spins and says its an uncertified accessory.  This is supposed to be a simple setup, but so far, it doesn't work. I don't know how arlo can tout this support when so many people are having this issue. It would be nice to have a resolution.
 
 
CALLEN00
Star
Star

ARLO PLEASE FIX YOUR HOMEKIT ISSUES.

 

Please release another update that actually works. Workarounds are not allowed for cameras that cost users 1000 plus. 

 

KCDesert42
Guide
Guide
Spoorend
Aspirant
Aspirant

I have the same issue... also rebooted and reseted all..    now today Arlo removed the homekit reset button but the issue is not resolved

Curtterp
Guide
Guide

I got my Arlo Pro 2, base station and cameras working in Homekit while on cellular.

 

A few days ago, when I first got the notification, I had issues while away from home. I did see several popup boxes talking about deleting temphome blah blah blah.

 

I kept deleting them, but still would popup once in a while. I wound up deleting everything in Homekit and setting Homekit up from scratch. That solved the temphome issue but did not solve the issue with being away from home. A couple of days later, everything started working away from home. It has been working reliably for the past couple of days.

 

So I think I had 2 issues, one was a bad initial add to homekit, and the second was an issue on the server-side at Arlo, Since everything has started working, I no longer see the error of not being compatible with Homekit. 

 

I did not reboot my base station or remove/add cameras to the base station. 

 

Before I deleted my home in Homekit and started from scratch, nothing Arlo was showing up on my iOS and macOS beta machines. After I reloaded, everything showed up, but it was a couple of days before it worked outside of the home WiFi. Yes, reloading Homekit was a pain in the arse, but worth it in the end. I do have a couple of other devices that worked with homekit away from home throughout my whole ordeal.

gugars
Guide
Guide
Anyone able to fix the Device not supported error? I tried everything and I still have the issue. Reserved rebooted even my printer and I'm going crazy here.
Slimhaven
Guide
Guide
I am waiting for ios13 to be released before I try again. That will give the so called engineers at arlo a chance to fix their mess. Talk about not easy for prime time. Arlo is it! Rudy cameras are supposed to be HomeKit compatible so if they are and arlo doesn’t fix their issues then my cameras will become scrap and I am moving on
AncientGeek
Hero
Hero

@gugars wrote:
Anyone able to fix the Device not supported error? I tried everything and I still have the issue. Reserved rebooted even my printer and I'm going crazy here.

I was not able to “resolve it”, but I was able to “get past” that problem during the setup when I did it.  I was given a choice to “Add anyway “ and I chose that.  The one base station and attached cameras still shows up as “not certified”, but they are there.  I have not tried to set up any automations, so I’m not sure if those work or not.

Curtterp
Guide
Guide

I do not show that error anymore after I blew out Homekit totally and rebuilt it from scratch. The error disappeared when everything started working when I was away from home. That was a couple of days after I rebuilt Homekit from scratch.

sean7512
Star
Star

I never did get my system to work, but I was able to add HomeKit to my parent's system with VMB4000r3 on the first try without issue.  One thing I noticed and was disappoitned on was that on the Home notifications, it doesn't include a photo of the movement (which the other HomeKit cameras do). I guess this is Arlo's way to nickel and dime you to buy their "Smart Plan" to get the picture, really annoying.

 

I wonder if those of us having issues were the ones that tried to add it back in April when it "launced" and then Arlo pulled the firmware and then our sytstems were down for a few days until they pushed a new firmware.

Nhott
Guide
Guide

I tried to add mine last week for the first time ever and can't get past the initial adding to homekit. It's maddening that the kb article brushes over the fact that some people can't add it at all. https://kb.arlo.com/000062294/When-adding-my-base-station-to-HomeKit-what-should-I-do-if-I-receive-a... . I've been down the tech support route with them before dealing with multiple issues and billing issues to the point where I had to Twitter blast them and send emails daily to investor relations to annoy enough people to finally take a look at the root cause. This time I'm setting this out and waiting.

 

Model: VMB4000r3

Firmware: 1.14.0.2_2776

Home Hubs: 3 Apple TVs and 1 iPad Pro 1st gen

    Home Hubs and iPad are all running latest public beta for TVos/iPadOS 13

Primary device: Running latest iOS 12

Hombridge Running in Homekit (already have 1 uncertified accessory added)

 

The_Ricky
Apprentice
Apprentice
@sean7512 I sometimes get a photo notification but 95% I don't get them