Arlo Secure: Home Security Reviews

by Justidude

Video 0/5: Pros- The night vision is great and it does well for daytime as well. Cons- Can’t monitor the video feed outside ArloSecure . The HomeKit integration is next to worthless and only allows one person to view the video feed at a time, sometimes not even that. 1080p while great for a nanny cam if you can put the camera close enough quickly becomes less adequate once the child is big enough to grab the camera anywhere near the crib and you are forced to move it farther away. Sensors 3/5: Pros- It is very useful to know how warm/cold the room is to appropriately dress the lad and know when to go in and put a blanket on him. Cons- We are not sure how accurate the sensors are since when we both have the monitor up on our phones the temperature and humidity readings are different in real time. Connection 4/5: Pros- Via the internet it is very functional and we enjoy being able to look in on our son from anywhere. Cons- This doesn’t allow a direct connection so when we have to go on a trip where internet or a secure network will be unavailable, this camera/app is worthless. Conclusion: This is a decent app since it has fixed a lot of it’s crashing issues but it needs to fix it’s HomeKit integration, inconsistent sensor readings, and add support for the Picture-in-Picture functionality. If/when those are fixed this is 5/5 as far as I am concerned.

by Thrnrjsjsjsj

It’s not enough that one buys Arlo’s overpriced hardware. They want all of you’re money! While it’s true, Arlo allows one to store and view video locally, they certainly don’t want the customer to do that. To watch locally stored video, one must purchase a hard drive that meets their requirements. Every time one tries to view a video, Arlo advertises their cloud hosting service before allowing access to the desired video. Arlo will not allow more than 1 device to view video stored on MY external hard drive. Therefore, my wife can’t view video on her iPhone. In addition, Arlo customer support is inadequate. The representatives do not have the ability to relate to their customers. For example: The initial 3 camera Arlo kit I purchased came with 2 defective batteries. Arlo boasts a battery life of up to 6 months. Two of my cameras went from 100% to 5% within 2 days. When recharged, they behaved identically and were dead within 48 hours. Arlo would not swap them out. Instead they wanted me to go through several Draconian steps (power off/on cycles, etc. and would not listen to reason. I uninstalled the entire kit and returned it to Costco for a new kit. All three batteries in the new kit have been running now for 5 months (on their first charge). Poor form Arlo. I’m very disappointed in Arlo and I’m waiting for something better to come along.

by Skip333er

The Arlo app is simply too fickle and unreliable. It does not want to be the first app turned on and often stalls when trying to turn off a camera as you are walking out the door. Also, many motion triggered videos for which you get a notification never show up in the library. And it’s fond of triggering phantom videos — a video of absolutely nothing from the camera nearest to you while you are trying to turn other cameras off or on. And don’t even get me started on complete failure of one or both base stations while you are far away from home and are left with a totally blind bunch of cameras and absolutely no way to re-sync them remotely. After earlier reviews of their app, Arlo suggested rebooting (turning off/on) my iPhone to resolve some of the problems. I have been doing that for several years, but that was a “fix” that lasted only a day or two. And why is the Arlo app the ONLY app needing to be rebooted? My suggestion to Arlo: Assign a team of your software engineers to completely redesign ArloSecure — and make sure it’s working properly before you release the new version. October 11, 2021 update: Still the worse app on my iPhone. Terribly fussy and difficult to rely on, even after installing new Fios router and upgrading to 1 gigabit Internet connection. Today I installed new batteries in one camera and it refuses to sync to the base station. Perhaps it will magically resync on its own in a few weeks as it did the last time I replaced the batteries.

by Nicholaus26

I recently spent over $1K on a six camera Arlo pro 3 system and have not been impressed! The system will NOT allow me to access two way audio using iPhone off site. This is unsatisfactory and I wouldn’t/will not recommend unless the issue is resolved in the next couple days before I return product. The video and audio work very well but it will not allow me to access two way audio off site and when I attempt to access it says connecting until I try to exit at which point it will not allow me to exit so I have to force close the application and then the cameras are froze and say offline! The system then needs reset and that isn’t a quick fix either, at times it’s taken as long as twenty minutes to have cameras back up. I spent countless hours reading/watching reviews on various totally wireless systems and decided I would spend the additional money for what was described as a superior product. I feel I have potentially made a huge mistake and should’ve saved myself a few hundred dollars and purchased a system I know first hand works as advertised. Before the questions, yes, the software for Arlo is latest, my iPhone has the latest update, all permissions in Arlo application are approved, the product simply doesn’t work as advertised. Frustrated is the safest, politically correct way to describe my current position on this product.

by Judy-Rae

This product could be great, if they wanted it to be, but there’s just too many issues. I have exhausted all attempts to fix the problems, over the last year and a half. The issues just keep coming back, I’m tried of going online to update, hours of work and it does even last the day. You only get to use 5 cameras without paying for the service, which would be great, if the cameras actually worked. The cameras are grainy, one has turned the video a weird reddish brown color, the microphones on two won’t turn off so when the wind blows it records the noise and wastes the battery. Several of my new cameras broke right away and I replaced them with older used cameras which work better then my brand new cameras. I want to love the system, I really do. We still use it even with all the problems however now I noticed another one of the cameras is not recording correctly, it use to record the front entrance now you only get the person leaving the frame so you get an their lower arm or lower leg. No more seeing them walk down the driveway (no adjustment was done to the camera recording area in the last 1-1/2yr. In the beginning it would have given the system 5 stars but decided to try it out first. If I could get the three cameras working properly, without microphone, discolored video and the frame issue this would be a 5 star review.

by Deans Account

After my all my time/efforts and my $400+ investment into Arlo i was frustrated to find: ArloSecure needs much improvement! I was faced with multiple recent scary situations where someone I didn’t know approached my door after i installed my Arlo pro 3 system and my biggest issue was I couldn’t connect to the cameras to speak to them through ArloSecure and question who they were or what they wanted and most times you get notified it’s almost well after the persons been standing at the front door for a few moments. They also need to add to ArloSecure a way to allow you to set different notification sounds for the Arlo alerts because It sounds exactly like all my other notifications so there’s no way to distinguish this from my other less important apps. They also need to figure out a different system for how the batteries in the camera are charged and replaced although the batteries do last a decent amount of time between charges having to change the batteries every so often is a large pain and inconvenience especially for people that have placed the cameras in high positions on their homes. Don’t even get me started on how expensive the reoccurring monthly charges are either for it to operate like it should. I’m giving it the two stars because the cameras actually record nice quality videos and the sound is good too, I have mine recording in 2K.

by Bonded & Secured

Sooooo we’ve been using ARLO for 2 years. Often, when you go to look at the camera because of some type of alert, you may or may not actually see what caused the alert in time. I.e. The threat has passed before you can actually see what happened. All of my outdoor cameras constantly send Alerts to my phone but when you look at the video nothing is setting it off. Seems dangerous to me but... I don’t even see trees moving. Recently we added 2 Arlo doorbell cameras. We had to disconnect one of the cameras because they won’t both work at the same time. And the same complaint as everyone else, when the subscription ends,there are absolutely no recordings. Not 7 days like my other cameras, not 7 minutes not 7 seconds. The thing that makes me angry is before I spent hundreds of dollars on these cameras,Nowhere did it indicate that this was going to be the case. They are getting just like the greedy competitor Ring. And to spend all this money and then have things not function the way it supposed to, it’s really upsetting. What’s the point to a camera without the recording? It’s a matter of principle. Just include it in the price already! Greedy companies just trying to be in your pocket every month of the year. Do I sound mad??? It just went off again for no reason!!! And my sensitivity is set low.

by TnTTichy

I love my Arlo set up except after a short time one of them stopped alerting or even storing any movements. If I watched it “Live” that’s the only thing that it would work. I found it difficult to get any tech support and I work my way around technology and such typically very well. I took the batteries out and removed the device and then added it as a device again is the only way to make it work. What a pain! I had to get up on a ladder. And there are alert zones you can set but you can only set them while they are plugged in. How do you do that with any accuracy, they are wireless. Also, they need more selections for pausing alerts. How about letting the customer choose an exact amount of hours? If I want 8 hours 2 hours or whatever? Then I bought a pack of two cameras label said Arlo Pro 2 but they were Netgear without rechargeable batteries nor a place to plug in a solar panel or zones to set nor two way voice. False advertising. I had to buy batteries and they are expensive. Two sets of batteries would have paid for the solar panel accessory. I guess I won’t be buying a solar panel which works great! I did buy one for one of my true Arlo cameras. Save your money for the pack that comes with as many cameras as you will need instead of adding more later because the additional “Netgear” cameras won’t have all the features. Besides that, “ I love my Arlo and app.

by 

Arlo has a great reputation. However, I don’t know why. It must be because they’re paying off reviewers. I have used ring and nest products in the past, and either are better products. One thing you must consider when purchasing, arlo doesn’t record at all times. Arlo only records based on events. So it’s not armed because you’re home then nothing gets recorded. They app is buggy. The only reason I bought them it’s because of the iOS HomeKit integration. However, only the pro 3 and the pro 2 lines are officially supported. I originally purchased the 4K ultras and they weren’t supported. Also the video doorbell is not supported by HomeKit. It’s a joke. It literally is the worse product you can put up. Their signal is so finicky also. I have a camera stopped working after charging. Their customer support is also a joke. I sent in complaints and they have responded 4 days later with a canned message. Then the following day I get a “it’s been 5 days since you contacted us” email stating they will be closing my case because of inactivity. I spent over $1000 for sub-standard equipment, received a mediocre app that constantly lags (takes about 5-10 seconds for your video feed to go live), and awful customer service. You could literally get that from any other company for a lot less. Not worth the money or the time.

by Lexycollins

At first it seemed like this was a great system. My husband did a lot of research before choosing these cameras for our house. After the first charge on one of the cameras, it wouldn’t turn back on or work. My husband contacted support and they said they would send us a new one BUT we paid shipping for it. That was the first irritating thing. We have had to contact support several times over the cameras not turning back on after charging them. We have three total. One camera won’t even connect on my app anymore but it does on my husbands. And this is probably the most important one as it points at our front door. The sensitivity on them doesn’t adjust well. We constantly get notifications for cars on the street passing when we have it on the lowest sensitivity. Some times it takes forever for alerts to load and pop up. Making it so I can’t even check on a motion. It has cool features like being able to talk through the system to whoever is outside or alerting emergency services. But like I said most of the time the videos or live feed won’t load. I constantly have to log back in which defeats the purpose, to me at least, of being able to check our surroundings fast and be aware of what is outside before anything happens. Would not recommend to anyone.

by BrownPartyof3

My wife and I use Arlo Baby primary on our smartphones.

Pros: We are impressed with the video quality. We use the music and light features to stimulate our baby before he gets out of his crib. This is a part of his morning daily routine which allows him to ease into getting up and give us a few extra minutes to get his bottle ready. Also being able to view the room from anywhere on your smart devices when you are away from the home is a clear advantage from other stand-alone baby monitors. This comes in handy when you have a babysitter for a night out or might be doing work around the house in areas where wifi signal is week or non-existent.

Cons: The live feed does take a few seconds to load (10-20 sec) which may not seem like a lot but can sometimes be frustrating when you just want to pop-in to take a quick look at your little one. The most annoying thing about ArloSecure is that every 10th time you open ArloSecure there is an ad to promote some paid Arlo premium feature like Arlo smart. Before you can view the live feed of the room you have to click past it. I find this to be a major turn off and considering regulate two-way monitors don’t do this, it sets Arlo baby a part, in a negative way. I haven’t found a way to opt out of seeing these Ads but I would suggest to Arlo to at least provide such a way to do so or stop the Ad creep altogether.

by Flyboyjake

When the system is working it works beautifully providing excellent video quality! I have two concerns that bother me somewhat: I have to reload ArloSecure several times a month when recorded events are cataloged but the video is brown and won’t play. After deleting ArloSecure and reloading it works well. I would prefer that the activity detection actually works when I’m running on battery power. If it did just limit activity detection to the activity zone that would be fantastic however any movement anywhere in the field of view whatsoever triggers a recording. That’s not all bad but I would prefer that it worked properly on battery power. A couple of times now I’ve had a problem with the hub going off line and others around the country have told me that their hubs were off/disabled at the same time so apparently there is some sort of system problem at all those facilities somewhere. I thought my hub was bad; nothing I tried worked even though I followed support instructions implicitly for a couple of hours each time. Don’t get me wrong though. I wouldn’t trade for my system. I just wish these little things were properly addressed and fixed fairly soon. Otherwise I certainly would have given a five star rating versus three stars. I chose Arlo because I found Netgear equipment to be outstanding and I’ve had very little experience with competitive equipment.

by Kfmjfil

Good picture quality BUT takes over 30 seconds to load when notification happens. Doesn’t help when you want to see who or what’s there in order to respond!! In colder weather hubby needs to bring camera inside to recharge, won’t recharge if it gets below 30 degrees...we live in midwest, pain in the neck to constantly bring our 3 cameras in to charge them, luckily they’re easily accessible!!! We have long winters... One camera needs recharging almost every day since it picks up every little movement or noise, you can adjust sensitivity to what they detect, for time period you want detection, subscribe monthly for video storage, etc. Audio is fair to poor when trying to converse with someone on a camera. Hubby being second user, most of the time has difficulty accessing cameras away from home on his iphone. All in all, we purchased a 3 pack camera system....spent additional money on covers and posts to attach 2 of them to since they did not work well on the gutters where we originally had placed them. We purchased 3 additional boosters for better wifi access so they wouldn’t lose their connections. We spent a LOT OF MONEY getting these cameras up and running....would we do it again....probably not.

by Pearly Lace

The cameras were expensive and, at the time of installation, I could not buy a camera without having to also buy a router with which to sync the camera. So, I wound up with extra routers because I synced all cameras to one router. I’m sure the expense of unnecessary routers was included in the cost of the cameras. So, even though I can find lone cameras now, my initial setup was expensive. Secondly, a camera’s video is always pink. Happened too long ago to talk about returns now. I just put up with it but I don’t like it. One can adjust the length of recordings. I like that. Managing ArloSecure is simple. That’s good. I regret buying the cameras that need batteries because the batteries are expensive and troublesome to replace (climbing ladders, etc). When I purchased one that uses electricity, everything worked better. The images were clearer, motion was more easily detected, etc. The battery-operated cameras often have visual glitches where images are broken up into pieces and there is stalling and skipping of movements. The good thing is that I have five cameras and pay nothing to use them and they provide some benefit of recording and retaining information for a limited period of time. So, the fact that they were expensive to purchase is offset by the absence of monthly fees.

by Like My Arlo

Pros: The Arlo system is user friendly, easy to set up and use with my IPhone. The camera has a wide and clear view. There is the capability to use voice or siren if there is a visitor or intruder. The camera can be muted which is a great feature when you know the area will be having high traffic for a period of time, or for when you don’t need a particular area under watch. There is also the capability of blocking out zones for the camera, for instance, I block out a shrub that blows in the wind and sets off one of my camera’s notifications. I have more than one camera and each camera can be adapted to its position, sensitivity to detect objects, light setting, volume, etc.

Cons: 1-There is a lag time in viewing the notifications or current view. 2- I gifted an Arlo system to my daughter. She shared her devices with me so that I could also be notified when her system detected movement. But there is no way to mute her system without muting mine. She has children and pets and her system constantly sends notifications. I have completely reset both of our systems and I AM STILL RECEIVING PUSH NOTIFICATIONS ON MY IPHONE FEOM HER SYSTEM!!!!!

by Bart Handley

The hook up was awesomely easy. Mounting and adjusting cameras was easy. Had to charge batteries first. They last months if you just look at the recorded alerts. Pairing was seem less. Range is good. I have not had any issues with durability. The night vision works well. I have tested the voice and speakers, not loud but works. They do pick up movement from 100yds or more. The high way in front of the house with trucks going by will set the cameras to record. The bugs and bees, tall weeds or tree branches blowing in the wind and birds will also be picked up on the motion. I was not able to set the camera view where I wanted due to the sensitivity of the motion sensor. I like that the cameras have a wide view. The video is clear. The alert is quick. You can stream the Video as the event is happening. The volume of the speaker is good. My internet cable broke off the house in a storm. The cable company came and harried it in the yard and the camera came right back when they hooked the cable back up. I did not have to be there to reset anything. One west ward facing camera had dew on it and the picture was foggy. This only happened once. I would buy this system again. I would tell my family and friends to purchase this system. I know that the motion sensitivity can be changed if you buy the subscription, and you cannot turn off any one of the cameras that is always giving you false alerts. You have to turn off all alerts .

by St*cy

Cheap subscription offers tho offers a couple free features free of charge w/o subscription needed. Easy to set up and even easier to continue to use. I have older cams that don’t have chargeable batteries, but looking to upgrade to them soon and once I do I see how w/ only a couple simple steps it will be to upgrade to new cams &/or hub. Excellent quality + works wonders during weather changing conditions in my experience. Lastly want to add if anyone is looking how to best use ArloSecure to set up a tv monitor/television as a solo or shared on any smart tv in your home; if you own or able to purchase Alexia/Alexia app; just download ArloSecure on any screen and therefore you can just ask “Alexia show me (front door) cam please”? It’s really a wonderful feature I wish I had learned about sooner bc now while watching tv I can have any Arlo camera either brought up to the small corner of my television OR covered in full screen on my tv!! It’s really cool. Just wish Arlo ArloSecure itself could do this feature solo and not have to purchase/own /use Alexia, but that’s the only struggle Ive experience in my 3 yrs of owning & using Arlo/Arlo app!!

by Rings Round

We have had a three camera system up for over 6 months. The cameras have worked amazing, even in negative winter temperatures in northern Wisconsin, (way north). The two outside cameras that are exposed to full weather and temperatures have only had problems when we were -30 degrees and lower. They will shutdown if to cold, but come back on when it warms up. The third camera is protected a little more and it doesn’t get any colder than 35 degrees and has had no problems. Strong wifi is needed to support the system. We are currently using Starlink satellite and have no problems with delay or coverage.
The video clarity is very good and the stored video library has been helpful on several occasions. We have a $9.99 monthly membership.
We recommend buying the official Arlo power cords to plug-in if your cameras will have a lot of activity. Otherwise you will be changing/charging your battery, (XL battery), every three days. The two cameras that have extensive activity for detection we have hooked up to Arlo outdoor power cords. The one camera that has very little activity, the battery goes several months between charges. Other family members also have Arlo cameras and they are very happy too.

Random pros are we have been able to monitor weather conditions while away from home, get great video of wildlife and monitor people that may be up to no good, but see our security cameras. We have no cons.

by Artomlo

I love it! The quality of components; the ingenuity of the functionality and physical design; the flexibility of ways to employ the devices for monitoring, and so far,(1 year), the durability. Perfect product! The “doorbell “ systems are stupid! The first thing they do is tell an intruder that you HAVE a security system, and then, whether or not anyone is actually monitoring that system! All the intruder needs is a can of spray paint or a piece of tape to totally disable the system! I put my ARLO cameras in places that are inconspicuous and unreachable. I want to see what potential intruders are doing when they DON’T think they are being watched! The movement detection feature tells me immediately when anything enters my security perimeters, and then, I can watch them to decide whether they are a threat. My system has detected and recorded, cats, birds and even hornets at my front door! I mounted an ARLO camera high in a tree at the back corner of my backyard; I can’t see or reach it, and I know where it is! This camera displays the entire yard and detects movement when I draw the shades on my back door! I feel COMPLETELY secure and in control with my ARLO products and system. Five stars!

by Cgordt1221

This is a very neat nice camera set. It works well for me. I wish I would have added solar chargers. I only. Use it to check my house and yard from time to time. The batteries have lasted for two months. Continued use would not have held up that long. Snow birding and conserving the batteries... I am pleased with the video quality, color is perfect, zoom works instantly I want two more cameras and hope the prices will drop some to make them more affordable! I do hope Arlo will sell individual pro 3 cameras and chargers (solar) at an affordable price soon. I am pleased with my current set overal! The internet is the issue occasionally as it seems slow to connect to cameras. I have added solar chargers since I wrote this earlier. One of the three doesn’t charge as well and occasionally the battery gets so low that the camera doesn’t function. Then it charges back up with camera off for a couple of days. Otherwise all is good. I like the ability to see what is going on around my home. 👍 I wrote this some time ago and now have solar chargers on all of them. This is perfect! I never have to charge them. I have changed locations for better views of my property. And am very pleased! Wind noise turns them on and street noise will also trigger them. Better safe than sorry! Definitely a 👍👍👍👍👍❤️

by Iamthecaptain07

As others have mentioned, I have no idea how there are so many recent five star reviews of ArloSecure. I invested close to $1000 to get cameras set up around my new house because we moved onto a busy street. The camera quality is fantastic - but I think people are getting confused when they are reviewing ArloSecure. The quality of the hardware isn’t in question. It’s this abhorrent application.

When I first installed the system a few months ago there were many frustrations in how slow and non-responsive ArloSecure can be. I’d get a notification that motion had triggered a camera, but I had to wait up to ten minutes to see the clip that triggered it. THIS SHOULD BE INSTANT and the fact that it isn’t is just so mindnumbingly atrocious. Do you understand that? If somebody is in an area of concern around my house I need to be able to see it IMMEDIATELY. Even tapping into the live feed could take up to a minute.

So ArloSecure got updated recently. Guess what? It’s worse. Far worse. ArloSecure constantly crashes itself, I’m constantly logged out, and all of the previous problems I had with ArloSecure are now worse.

How is this excusable? How do you push out an app update which is so obviously broken? Is nobody else giving Arlo this feedback? Is it not being taken seriously? I seriously can’t wrap my mind around it. It’s enough to make me consider reinvesting in a different ecosystem. Even if it means throwing $1000 of equipment into a trash can.

by Blackbone1

1 star because I had to select something. This is my first time writing a negative review. I don’t know what Arlo has done, however, this new upgrade is horrible and does not work. My cameras are no longer recording/capturing as they did the week before CHRISTmas. If they record any activity now, the recordings are over an hour apart. I have a screened in porch, and you have to open a door to come on the porch before you get to the front door. People can now be at my front door, ringing my doorbell and they haven’t been captured, nor am I receiving a signal. This is no longer a secure system. I’ve invested a lot of money in this system, including purchasing a system for someone else, extra cameras and 3 of the rechargeable battery systems and extra batteries. What ever Arlo has done, it should be undone in order for our cameras to again record within seconds/ minutes when movement is detected. I DON’T HAVE MONEY TO WASTE THAT I’VE NOW INVESTED INTO THIS SYSTEM. LIKE OTHERS, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY INTERNET, AS EVERYTHING ELSE WORKS PERFECTLY! PLEASE FIX!

by GardenGate

Do not buy these products. Although they have good hardware, their software support is not capable of keeping the platform features working. Anytime a feature breaks, either by a self-inflicted bug they cause or an IOS change they fail to account for it takes them months to fix it, even for key features. As an example Geo-Fencing, which is pretty important for a security application has been out of service 4 out of the past 8 months. It has currently been down for 2 months and is still down!! They do very little system testing of some key features and seem to rely solely on their customers for testing. I have used the Arlo products for 3 years since they started as a Netgear product. The camera hardware is very well designed and provides good basic functions.
However in the last couple of years the software has been full of glitches and bugs. Once they split from Netgear there has been literally no Software development for this product as their track record from above proves. Time to find another product.

by He Who Is Yet To Be Named

Since day one this system has been nothing but trouble. Early on trouble with cameras not functioning properly (still don’t), poor life with very expensive batteries (two weeks) and generally poor and unreliable performance. The last two times I have gone out of town the system has shut down completely when I need it most with no way to start it back up!

Now with the new app I cannot connect a camera that was lost in the transition, Geofencing doesn’t work, and there is no way for me to adjust camera sensitivity. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPPORT IS USELESS!!!! What a boondoggle this whole thing has been. RUN AWAY FROM THIS SYSTEM AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!! Mine is going into the trash today! I’ve had enough after several years of nothing but trouble! ARLO, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!!!! Since your stock is worthless, please GIVE your company to an organization with competent management who is capable of actually supporting it’s customers! Now there is a novel idea! 🙄. Let the class actions begin!!

by DMRainwater

I never write reviews, but I have become so frustrated with ArloSecure, I seriously want to take all of my cameras back and get my money back. The picture quality is great, but ArloSecure does not work. It was slow before they changed ArloSecure , now it takes forever for ArloSecure to load, even longer if you want to pull up one particular camera, the microphone option to be able to speak to someone on the other end does not work at all (keeps saying “connecting”), and when you want to view recording clips, it takes forever to get one of them to load and then it freezes multiple times. It’s not my WiFi, because I have the same problem when not connected to WiFi, or when connected to someone else’s WiFi. None of my other devices have any trouble on my WiFi. When I receive a notification on my phone that there is motion on one of my cameras, it takes me at the very least 3-4 minutes to get it to pull up. It’s pointless to have spent so much money on this camera system when I can’t even access the information. Extremely frustrated customer!!!

by The Funsters

Unless you have A LOT of patience, and are willing to try and try and TRY again to properly setup the Arlo system of connected lights (I bought 3) and cameras (I bought 6), don’t bother with this product.
For each light and each camera you want to add to the system, you must go thru a tedious, somewhat confusing, and unnecessarily time consuming process by the camera or light is “discovered” by the corresponding Arlo “base stations” (of which there are 2, one for the cameras and one for the lights, and for which you must also go thru a setup process to activate and connect with your Wifi network). It’s a pain, and worse yet, quite often doesn’t work. All you can do is keep trying. And trying.....It’s simply maddening.
And, finally, when you do get a camera and/or light discovered/connected to the corresponding base station, ArloSecure interface and navigation is simply not intuitive and labeled in geek speak that makes it hard to find things you want to do with the system.
Great idea, but the quality of the hardware, software and attention to the user experience doesn’t justify the expense, at least not in my case.

by Vteb2013

Since Arlo updated their app to Arlo Legacy, we’ve been having constant issues with connectivity and lagging (HUGE problem for a “security system”). It takes much longer to log in and pull up a camera feed. Then, once I’m viewing a live feed it either disconnects or starts to lag terribly within the first 5 seconds, rendering the camera useless as the activity is not captured or recorded, and on top of that I can’t even see what’s happening. If you’re logged in viewing a live stream, ArloSecure doesn’t record and save that clip, even if it’s lagging or disconnecting. The record feature doesn’t work as well either, since....ArloSecure is lagging too much to even activate it.

Our internet provider and WiFi setup haven’t changed. We’re experiencing dropped connections and lagging while using data (regardless of where we are or how we’re connecting). This issue only started with the new app upgrade.

I’m incredibly disappointed that Arlo can’t seem to maintain the software side of their product. The hardware is great! But, now I wouldn’t recommend this system to anyone since it’s nearly impossible most days to actually view your camera streams in a timely and reliably manner.

by Tessi62

After having this installed for a year now, I changed to a new WiFi and cannot get my system reconnected with the new WiFi. Customer support does not help. They offer suggestions they do not work and when I tell them it didn’t work they tell me they’ve closed the work order. So basically, I have paid for 6 cameras that don’t work. I have tried to deauthorize the base unit and treat it as if it was a new unit and still no help. The first thing ArloSecure says is to be sure the base unit is on the same WiFi as my phone. I CANNOT SEE THE BASE UNIT ON MY PHONE TO SEE IF IT’S THE SAME NETWORK.
I have another account in my 2nd home. I’m having work done there and I get notified that the workers are there. When I go to expand the view (enlarge), the people disappear from the screen and will not continue to play. The night vision coverage is about 2 feet from the camera and is a poor image of what it actually shows.
My suggestion is to not waste your money with this system. When there’s a glitch, customer support is useless.

by House Of Security

I am very disappointed in the way that ArloSecure works now. I have used Arlo Cameras probably for about 2 to 3 years now and when I first bought them they were great but since they’ve “upgraded” their System or whatever it was that they “upgraded”, they don’t seem to work as well.
1. ArloSecure lags when I open it.

2. When I go to review the live view of my camera feed, they lag to start up.

3. At times when I open the live feed, my night vision is turned off so then I have to close out the entire app and open it back again and go back to the live view and occasionally the night vision will turn back on.

4. The cameras or app, which ever it may be, lags when something moves in the detection zone and sometimes I won’t catch the entire action until it’s too late.

Don’t get me wrong, they still work pretty decent and I think it’s very handy that I can place them about anywhere within a certain distance of the base station so I’m not limited to what is secured on my property.
One major feature that I wish they would integrate into the system, is to be able to ask Siri or Google, which ever phone system you have, to turn the cameras on and off instead of having to open ArloSecure and turn them on and off individually.
Yes I have a few complaints about the system and there are still a few bugs that need to probably be fixed, but otherwise I still think it is a pretty decent system.

by Darren247ward

When I first purchased my Arlo Pro2 cameras, I was talked into the upgraded cameras because of the many options they had. You used to be able to set activity zones and receive alerts for only specific activity such as persons, animals, or vehicles. Since the update, you can no longer set these options or others unless the cameras are connected to AC power. What’s the point in wireless cameras if they need to be plugged in? Now I get alerts for every squirrel that runs down the sidewalk despite buying the upgraded cameras so I wouldn’t have to.

The Geofencing has never worked since day one. You’re also supposed to be able to add additional users but they will not be recognized by the Geofencing. My interior camera has also stopped working which they refuse to address. The camera will not reset and can not be connected to my base unit.

The only reason this product even received 2 stars is because the video image is impressive. The picture quality is great in daylight or in darkness and the ability to listen through the cameras is a nice option. Expect a slow connection and lagging picture though unless you’re on the network the cameras are on.

by Dishman Dan

Just started using my Arlo pro 2, four camera security system. Gets a solid four stars so far. Getting going was simple and intuitive. There is a variety of mounting hardware and optional power cables available to suit most needs in addition to the ones that come in the kit. Camera and base station set up was easy. First plug the base station into power and the modem, put the battery in the camera, then just download the Arlo app and tap. Within moments I was able to view and access all four of my cameras. So far I have had no problems with ArloSecure . It displays videos and information in a well organized manner. A good variety of settings and features allow for flexibility and customization. The surveillance cameras picture is very clear. The tap to zoom in and zoom out feature on your device maybe used to zoom in but this causes some degradation of clarity the more you zoom in. Being a new user I am happy so far.

by IamHawk

So I’ve had the Arlo Pro for a while now. 5 cameras and the base unit. Since the separation between Netgear and Arlo, ArloSecure has had these little quirks that are mostly a minor annoyance, but were things that didn’t happen before the split.
1) this is relatively new, but if I am looking at recordings on my iPhone XS plus, and I switch to another app, the last recording I watched starts playing again. Obviously I can’t see it, but I can hear it, and when I switch back to ArloSecure , the recording is playing. I have to completely quit ArloSecure to get it to stop. This needs to be fixed.
2) when I get a notification of a motion or audio detection, I get that it might take a minute for the recording to be available, but there are many occasions that it take minutes (more than 5 on WiFi) for the recording to show up.
3) in conjunction with #2, sometimes recording don’t show up- ever.
4) lastly, even on WiFi or a solid 4 to 5 bar signal (LTE) video playback is stuttered and choppy. Audio is fine. So while trying to watch it, you can completely miss whatever caused the detection.

I know, that’s quite a lot of negative things, but in truth, the system as a whole is well worth the investment. I’ve been a customer for years now, and I’ve actually had 2 instances where I have contacted police to go to my home because of someone being on my property that shouldn’t be.
ArloSecure needs a little tweaking is all. Once that’s done, it will be perfect.

by Micaiah1504

I have had my Arlo system for over a year now. It’s been perfect. I get the notice that my kids are home from school everyday. Log in and say hello through my phone.

I agree with some people that it can be difficult to set up. But let’s see if I can help you out. Read below.

For those that have it set up but it’s not working. Try to first reset the system “completely unplug and remove the batteries”. Turn it back on to see if it works.

If your still having problems. Next step would be to uninstall your APP on your phone and re-install it. Log into your account and check if it works.

Still having problem after trying everything above. Start completely fresh. On the back of your Arlo hub is a “reset”. You will need a small paper clip to reset it. Also reset your cameras by holding the power button until it starts flashing. Once you do that try again.

If it still does not work you may have a faulty system. These Arlo systems are very close to perfect. But sometimes things happen. Contact the company so they can walk you through the process.

Also one more thing to discuss. If you have multiple cameras then it’s more likely going to be the hub or ArloSecure on your phone.

Hope this helps some.

by Annoying Repetitive Lose O

Nice product, but horrendous customer service. One camera stopped working, called customer service... total hassle, obviously outsourced to foreign company. VERY poor comunication, tracking of customer requests, etc. Lots of time wasted there, but I finally shipped my defective camera back. Received an obviously refurbished one without a battery!!! Back to square one. I am eating my loss and can’t waste more of my time. More efficient to buy another camera than deal with their customer service department. I asked to escalate my request to a manager, but was put on hold in perpetuity. I gave up. Never received a call to fix. As a business owner mysef, I would be absolutely embarrassed if I provides a similar experience to one of my valued clients.

by NerdTechs

I’m IT person and I highly recommend this product. It’s very easy to setup. We own about 6 cameras, doorbell, and chime. The key to the setup is ensuring the base station is located in a central location in the home b/c like any wireless device it will disconnect or not be clear the further its from the base station which is the central hub for the cameras. It’s also the only truly wireless solution in the market and the battery life is great for the cameras. The motion sensors are great and the speed of the notifications once motion is detected is within 5 seconds. My only suggestion would be for allowing each camera to be armed individually... Great solution with people with small children b/c you can move the cameras around the house depending on where your kids are playing and keep an eye on them at all times since the cameras are connected to the mounts via magnets...