Arlo Battery Draining Too Quickly? Here’s How to Fix It
One of the best features of Arlo's wireless cameras is the freedom to place them anywhere without worrying about cables. However, this convenience depends on a healthy battery life. If you find yourself climbing a ladder to recharge your cameras every few weeks instead of every few months, something is likely causing an abnormal drain. This guide covers the most common causes of rapid battery depletion and how to fix them.
### Understanding What Uses Battery Power
Every action your Arlo camera takes consumes power. The primary drains are:
- Recording Video: The process of capturing and transmitting video is the most power-intensive activity.
- Wi-Fi Connection: The camera needs to constantly maintain a wireless link to your SmartHub, base station, or home Wi-Fi.
- Live Streaming: Watching the live feed from your camera uses a significant amount of power.
- Night Vision: The infrared LEDs used for night vision also draw considerable energy.
Optimising these factors is the key to a longer battery life.
Top Reasons for Quick Battery Drain and Their Solutions
Work through this checklist to identify the culprit behind your camera's short battery life.
1. High-Traffic Placement
This is the number one cause of rapid battery drain. If your camera is aimed at a busy street, a waving flag, or rustling tree branches, it will be triggered constantly.
- Solution: Reposition the camera to focus only on the area you need to monitor, avoiding public paths or constant motion. Use Activity Zones (available on certain plans and models) to tell the camera to ignore motion in specific parts of its view.
2. Motion Sensitivity is Too High
If the sensitivity is set to its maximum, the camera will trigger from distant movements, falling leaves, or even shadows.
- Solution: In the Arlo app, go to your device settings and reduce the motion sensitivity. Lower it gradually until it stops triggering false alerts but still captures important events.
3. Weak Wi-Fi Signal
If the camera has a poor connection to your Arlo SmartHub or Wi-Fi router, it has to work much harder (and use more power) to transmit its video feed.
- Solution: In the Arlo app, check the camera's signal strength (usually shown as Wi-Fi bars). If you have only one or two bars, the signal is too weak. Move the camera closer to the hub/router or install an Arlo Chime or Wi-Fi range extender to boost the signal.
4. Sub-Optimal Video Quality Settings
Recording in the highest possible resolution looks great, but it uses more processing power and takes longer to transmit, draining the battery faster.
- Solution: Navigate to the Video Settings for your camera in the app. You'll find a "Power Management" or "Video Quality" setting. Change this from "Best Video" to "Optimised" or "Best Battery Life."
5. Frequent Live Streaming
Watching the live feed for long periods is a major power drain, similar to making a video call on your phone.
- Solution: Use live streaming sparingly. Trust the motion detection to capture events and review the recordings from your library instead of constantly monitoring the live view.
6. Extreme Cold Weather
Lithium-ion batteries, like those in Arlo cameras, do not perform well in freezing temperatures. The chemical reactions that generate power slow down, drastically reducing the battery's effective capacity.
- Solution: While you can't change the weather, try to place cameras in locations sheltered from direct wind and precipitation. If a camera's battery life plummets in winter, this is the likely cause.
7. Old or Faulty Battery
All rechargeable batteries degrade over time. A battery that is several years old will not hold a charge as well as a new one.
- Solution: If you have multiple cameras, swap the problematic battery with a known good one. If the problem follows the battery, it's time to purchase a replacement from Arlo's official store.
By methodically addressing these common issues, you can significantly extend the time between charges and ensure your Arlo cameras are always ready to capture what matters most.