SmartThings Mode Settings Reverting to Default

[ecuster]

I have my 3 Arlo cameras set on SmartThings mode.  The cameras are set to record motion and provide push notification when my SmartThings mode is set to Away.  However, in the past week my settings have been randomly changing back to only providing notifications of motion and not recording video.  Every day I log into the iOS app or the Arlo website and change them back to record video when motion is detected, and each day the settings are reverting back to only providing notification and not recording video.  Is anybody else having this problem?  I've had this setup for about 4 months and have never had this problem except for the past week or so.

[steve_t]

I think the problem might be in your smartthings app settings. The ST app was updated significantly recently

1. When you go into the ST app > Automation > SmartApps > Arlo (Connect), can you see the camera list of your 3 cameras?

2. Are you using the SHM for your recording and away mode triggering? If so, the arlo mode is changed to not record to the arlo cloud as the video is recorded to the SHM cloud instead and it can't record to both simultaneously (I tried)

[ecuster]

Thanks for the quick reply.

1)  Yes, I can see the 3 cameras in the ST app under SmartApps>Arlo (Connect).

2)  I think so?  I have the Arlo set to ST Mode, so they arm and disarm when SHM arms or disarms.  

It seems that whenever SHM re-arms, the rules I've setup in the Arlo ST Mode are being changed somehow.  I never recall having the videos upload to any ST cloud service in the past.

[steve_t]

The videos are accessible within the SHM. I think that's how it's designed to work. For a long time I just ran ST and Arlo uncoupled as I found it better that way. Now I have them connected but have no routines through ST. I just use it for a smart lighting routine where the camera detects motion and a light turns on. But I run Arlo through the Arlo app and run it on a mode that isn't Smartthings.

You could always try using the geofencing mode in Arlo instead of using ST

[ecuster]

The only videos I can access in SHM are when a door sensor intrusion occurs (usually when my wife comes home with her WiFi off and the presence sensor doesn't disarm SHM in time), not when a simple motion detection that doesn't cause a SHM alarm occurs.

I guess I can try the geofencing within Arlo until I can figure out what's wrong with my setup.

Thanks again for the input.

[funkgasm]

I am having the exact same problem. Everytime a camera is enabled in Smartthings (manually or through a routine), Arlo changes from "record" to "do nothing". It also changes the custom rule name to the serial number for the camera. It is getting very frustrating having to constantly go in and reset the cameras back to record.

[ecuster]

Yup, just realized mine is changing the rule name to the serial number too!  I've noticed that not all cameras change every time (I have 3), but at least 1 is changing each time SmartThings enables or disables the cameras.

[steve_t]

Also, these serial number rules are always weird. Mine generally say something like "If Front Door camera detects motion then Backyard camera does nothing". Why wouldn't it be Front door motion > Front door nothing?

[Themaxvoltage]

This is an incredibly frustrating bug. I use smartthings routines to turn my cameras on and off based on proximity settings for members in my family; IFTTT can't handle it as easily.

However last night our neighborhood mailbox was broken into (a large neighborhood mailbox) and the netgear Arlo we had purchased to monitor the Side Yard and mailbox was set to "do nothing" after I had literally just gone through all the steps to ensure that it would record. (Deleted iOS app, changed settings via web browser only).

I can't even explain how frustrated I am that these cameras failed during the only time I actually needed them.

[steve_t]

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Themaxvoltage wrote:
This is an incredibly frustrating bug. I use smartthings routines to turn my cameras on and off based on proximity settings for members in my family; IFTTT can't handle it as easily.

However last night our neighborhood mailbox was broken into (a large neighborhood mailbox) and the netgear Arlo we had purchased to monitor the Side Yard and mailbox was set to "do nothing" after I had literally just gone through all the steps to ensure that it would record. (Deleted iOS app, changed settings via web browser only).

I can't even explain how frustrated I am that these cameras failed during the only time I actually needed them.

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Maybe using the Arlo uncoupled but with Geofencing or even running on a Schedule would be better for you. Are you sure there aren't recordings accessible via the SHM in the ST app? The reason Arlo has to have no recordings is because it can't record the data to the Arlo servers and the SHM servers simultaneously. I've tried

[Themaxvoltage]

Ironically, using geofencing wouldn't actually be easier, as I have my Arlo cameras activity based on certain modes within ST, which are dependent on a few different variables outside of just proximity.

The recordings are not on the SHM; I don't have the arlo cameras linked up to SHM at all. I don't even use SHM, using CoRE and various modes allow some me much more specific control than SHM allows.

The fact that something overwrites user settings, in particular to "do nothing" for a product that is marketed for home security is unacceptable. I just hope it can be fixed.

[steve_t]

Can CoRE change modes in Arlo? Even just to ARMED or DISARMED? Or even better would be for it to change to a custom mode

How do you know this is an Arlo problem and not a ST problem?

[Themaxvoltage]

You're missing the point entirely. Something on the Arlo backend is allowing user set rules to be changed; even if it is a smart things problem, the fact that a user set rule can be reverted to "do nothing" is a security flaw. Because as it is right now, a literal crime was committed in front of my house, and it had an arlo camera purchased to view the exact area, and somehow the rule of "record video" was overwritten to "do nothing".

Completely and utterly unacceptable.

[ecuster]

I agree.  While the actual function of arming and disarming the cameras may actually be a ST issue and not an Arlo issue, the real problem is that the Arlo user rules are being changed without consent or notification.  That does seem to be a security issue, and it renders the cameras basically useless.

[steve_t]

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ecuster wrote:

I agree.  While the actual function of arming and disarming the cameras may actually be a ST issue and not an Arlo issue, the real problem is that the Arlo user rules are being changed without consent or notification.  That does seem to be a security issue, and it renders the cameras basically useless.

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But it's only the rules in the Smartthings mode, which is totally controlled by smartthings anyway. It doesn't change any rules in ARMED or any of your custom modes

[jgazz]

I am having same issue. Need to use SmartThings mode (not Geofencing in Arlo). Why would SmartThings cause the settings in Arlo mode to be overwritten. Suspiciously they are not just being overwritten, they are being reset to defaults. Sounds like may be an API issue... anyone figure this out yet???

[jgazz]

This is very reproducible. Go into Arlo, modify settings for Smarthings mode. Close Arlo app. Open SmartThings app. Run automation that "arms" enables SHM and "turns on" each Arlo camera. At this point, the settings for SmartThings mode in Arlo are reset to Default settings.

[ecuster]

I found a workaround for this after contacting both Netgear and SmartThings about the problem.  Netgear initially wasn't helpful and basically told me to contact SmartThings.  I told them I didn't think it was appropriate to be advertising that their cameras work with SmartThings when there are major issues, they sent me a link from the SmartThings forum with a workaround which can be found below.  SmartThings acknowledged there is an issue and said they were working on a fix.

https://community.smartthings.com/t/arlo-pro-integration-with-smartthings/83711/18

The workaround is great for me.  Basically you delete the SmartThings mode in Arlo and use the Arm mode instead.  You can then use routines in SmartThings to turn the cameras on and off, which is all I really wanted.  So I have the cameras set to turn off when my "Good Morning" or "I'm Back" routine triggers in SmartThings, and then the cameras turn back on when my "Good Bye" or "Good Night" routine triggers.  This saves me battery and provides for motion detection notifications and recording by Arlo when I'm away or asleep.  Don't know how / if it will work with Smart Home Monitor, but it's a temporary solution to the problem.  I've been running it this way for 5 days now and haven't had my camera settings reset during that time.

[Boss281]

This workaround has been working great, although the limitations already in place with a very basic integration are equally frustrating.  There is so much one could do with integration with ST and Arlo cameras if only more access to functions and triggers were available.

[georgebalanchin]

I have the same issue with my SmartThings! Please, anyone, provide a valid solution it's really pissing me off!

[ElNino77]

I have been using the workaround to use SmartThings to simply turn the cameras on/off for a few months now and it has mostly worked well for me.  At least for my Arlo Pro cameras outside, it does exactly what I want as the Base is always Armed, and SmartThings controls which camera is turned on.  Having Arlo control the motion recording allows it to record is quickly as the motion is detected (usually within a second) as there was a bit of a delay in triggering through SmartThings.

The only "issue" I have with this approach is that it doesn't work as well with my indoors Arlo Q cameras.  I like to them have on most of the time so that I can quickly log in and view the Live feeds to check on my kids when needed without triggering a recording, so I the cameras set as Disarmed much of the time.  I might playaround with the SmartThings SHM settings to use them for my Arlo Qs, but as it stands now SmartThings doesn't do much with them.