Integration with Google Home

[Jeff__h]

Have a new 5S and have linked it with Google Home.  I mostly access Google home from my IOS devices.  In the Google home app the camera is shown and I can get a live view for a few seconds before the feed stops.  My Pro 2s and essential stream ok.  Trying to get a full screen view of the camera fails for all devices.  All devices are at latest software/firmware.  

Is there a problem with the interface between google home and arlo?  Why does it only affect the 5S with dropped streaming?  Why can't the other cameras be streamed in full screen mode?

[ShayneS]

Hi @Jeff__h 

May I ask which troubleshooting steps you have tried so far? I don't want to suggest anything you have previously performed.

[Jeff__h]

Relinked Arlo…rebooted entire network.  Rebooted devices.  Checked signal strengths.  Check software and firmware versions.  Accessing the cameras in the Arlo app and everything works fine…though the new app is not exciting 😝.

the camera shows in Google as does the others. In my favorites I have an essential, pro 2 and the 5s.  They automatically start streaming when favorites is opened.  All cameras start then the 5s stops streaming while the other two continue.  On any camera if I select for full screen view, none of them steam which is a new problem.

Hope there is a fix as I rely a lot on Google for my home automation.

King regards.

[ShayneS]

The Arlo development team is currently investigating reports of this behavior. We will provide an update as soon as we have more information to share with the community.

[Jeff__h]

Express my appreciation to the development team

[gsuh]

I am having a similar issue, I can see my camera live feed in the cameras tab of Google Home, but once I click on one to go full screen it just shows blank or says can't connect. I also cannot view on my Nest Hub devices. Any updates on this issue?

[Jeff__h]

Developers are looking into the issue.

[gsuh]

@ShayneS , any update from dev team? I have seen some other threads about this and tried doing a test with a camera I am not using with a different account and had the same issue.

[ShayneS]

@Jeff__h 

Can you re-link the google account and attempt the stream again? The team didn't see any live stream events on the diagnostic log. Also, can you provide the time-stamp when you try to stream and screenshots of what it looks like when it streams/stops?

Thanks 

[gsuh]

@ShayneS one thing to add from my post, I do not normally use the Alexa integration, but decided to test and it is working fine on all cameras, Google Home app will only displays black full screen, but displays updated battery status. Google Nest displays time out but show battery status.

[Jeff__h]

Yes, I get the same on Google home. Full screen shows nothing and under favorites, they initially display then time out and display nothing. Development has asked me to test again and send screen shots and timestamps. Not sure why I must do their testing but will perform it tomorrow.

[ShayneS]

@Jeff__h 

Thank you, the info provided will help pinpoint the cause within the diagnostic logs/backend. Likely the team can not replicate the issue, so any information provided will help to get this resolved as soon as possible. 

[Jeff__h]

Yes, I will do the testing tomorrow. I’m extremely disappointed that employees there can’t do the test but since this is urgent for me and others I will assist but it brings into question how this can’t be recreated in your own lab. I will start my test tomorrow around 10AM eastern time in the US. Regards, Jeff

[Jeff__h]

Started my test at 8:30 and ended 8:37 eastern time US. Unlinked and relinked account. Restarted base unit. 4500R2. Rest iPad Air running latest iOS V17. Started Google Home. Under favorites I set up two 5S, one earlier mode essential and one Pro 2. Restarted Google home. Favorites came up, all cameras started to stream then all cameras stopped streaming. Under Google home devices none of the 8 Arlo cameras will stream in full screen. Went back to favorites several times and some or no cameras streamed. Some came back but in less than a minute stopped streaming. I have many screen shots but this forum doesn’t allow me to attach them. If you want screen shots then I need a way to send them to you.

[Jeff__h]

Tried to steam any camera on the Google home device at 9:15 AM. NO cameras will stream. Camera feed is not available is the message that is displayed.

[gsuh]

@ShayneS Any updates on this? I am still having the same issues as @Jeff__h . This has been going on for at least the last two months. It seems to be an issue with the way google is trying to access the live feed - I noticed with an indoor camera when initiating the live stream the privacy cover opens, but google is not able to pull the feed. This happens for all my cameras on wifi or connected through a hub. On Google Nest displays it try's to connect but eventually displays a screen saying Camera Feed is not available. In the Google Home app it displays the feed under favorites or in the Cameras section, but when trying to go to full screen it is black. Battery status is reported correctly.

[ShayneS]

@gsuh 

Thanks for the follow up. The team is still investigating the root cause and I will be sure to keep this thread updated as I receive more information. 

Thank you 

[alex_loo]

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@ShayneS wrote:

Thanks for the follow up. The team is still investigating the root cause and I will be sure to keep this thread updated as I receive more information. 

Hi @ShayneS , got another question regarding Google home integration here .  Could you help please?  This is about lack of option for ARM HOME, under google home automation.  thanks.

Alex

[alex_loo]

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@Jeff__h wrote:
Tried to steam any camera on the Google home device at 9:15 AM. NO cameras will stream. Camera feed is not available is the message that is displayed.

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interesting.  I am able to stream any of my ultra 2 cameras (got a total of 3) to any of my two chromecasted TVs at home here.

Alex

[ShayneS]

@alex_loo 

Thank you for creating a new thread with that info. I have inquired with the team and I will add more info to that thread as soon as possible. 

[alex_loo]

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@ShayneS wrote:

@alex_loo 

Thank you for creating a new thread with that info. I have inquired with the team and I will add more info to that thread as soon as possible. 

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thanks.  "as soon as possible" is important to both ARLO and its customers.  If ARLO thinks the 3 modes a "good design", smooth automation is one of the best way for customers to embrace and love.

Apparently, nobody can even use automation to the minimal, in the new world.

Alex

[HalinaK]

Regardless of the devices you own, if you're using the latest version of the Google Home App on iOS, starting a stream from the "Devices" tab will not function correctly.

You can follow the progress on resolving this issue here: Google Issue Tracker

[alex_loo]

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@HalinaK wrote:

Regardless of the devices you own, if you're using the latest version of the Google Home App on iOS, starting a stream from the "Devices" tab will not function correctly.

You can follow the progress on resolving this issue here: Google Issue Tracker

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another thank you to @HalinaK on this update 👍

As per message 19 above, I have been streaming fine to the chromecast of my TV --- likely because I was doing this google automation from my android device (vs google automation on iOS)

so @Jeff__h , for your failure case, were you trying to stream, using google automation installed on an iOS?

Alex

(ps: from message 1 above, @Jeff__h was exactly running this on iOS!)

[Jeff__h]

All I did was add some of the linked cams to the favorites.  When opening Google home it start with opening favorites and if there are cameras, it starts streaming the videos on all of them.  Random results..all stream then stop..some stream then stop..but they all eventually stop.

your question on using automation is very vague and I’m unsure how automation would come into the picture.

[alex_loo]

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@Jeff__h wrote:

All I did was add some of the linked cams to the favorites.  When opening Google home it start with opening favorites and if there are cameras, it starts streaming the videos on all of them.  Random results..all stream then stop..some stream then stop..but they all eventually stop.

your question on using automation is very vague and I’m unsure how automation would come into the picture.

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oh now I understand what you have been doing with google home and favorites .... since I never viewed that favorites page of Google Home before 😅

And yes I am seeing your "random" streaming issue too.  (though I won't bother since I won't use this)

The automation I was talking about is, for example, using "hey google" to voice command google home to, say, stream a particular camera to, say, the chromecast of a TV.   To me this has been working fine, though again I won't bother using such feature very often.

Alex

Alex