Overwhelmed by Constant Arlo False Notifications?
Arlo security cameras are excellent tools for peace of mind, but that peace can be quickly shattered by a phone buzzing with constant, unnecessary notifications. Alerts for swaying trees, passing cars, or the neighbour's cat can become so frequent that you start to ignore them, defeating the very purpose of having a security system.
The good news is that you have powerful tools within the Arlo app to dramatically reduce or even eliminate these false alerts. This guide will walk you through the essential settings you need to adjust to make your notifications smarter, more accurate, and genuinely useful.
The Key to Fewer False Alerts: Fine-Tuning Your Settings
Most false alerts aren't a sign of a faulty camera, but rather settings that are too sensitive for the environment. By customising motion detection, you can teach your Arlo system what is and isn't important.
### Step 1: Create Custom Activity Zones
This is the single most effective tool for reducing false positives from areas you don't control, like a public road or a neighbour's garden. An Activity Zone tells your camera to only pay attention to motion within a specific, user-drawn area.
- Open the Arlo App and go to Devices.
- Select the camera you want to adjust and tap the Settings icon (gear).
- Tap on Activity Zones.
- Tap the '+' icon to create a new zone.
- Resize and reshape the zone to cover only the area you care about (e.g., your driveway, your porch, your garden gate).
- Crucially, ensure you only have this new zone active. Make sure the "Default Zone" (the entire screen) is not also selected if you want to exclude motion from outside your custom zone.
### Step 2: Use Arlo's Smart AI Notifications
If you have an Arlo Secure subscription, you have access to AI-powered detection that can identify what is moving.
- In your camera's settings, go to Smart Notifications.
- You will see toggles for Person, Vehicle, Animal, and All Other Motion.
- For a front door camera, you might want to turn ON notifications for "Person" and "Vehicle" but turn OFF notifications for "Animal" and "All Other Motion".
- This tells Arlo to ignore alerts from swaying trees or pets, drastically cutting down on irrelevant pings.
### Step 3: Adjust Motion Detection Sensitivity
If your camera is still too reactive, you can dial down its overall sensitivity.
- In the camera's settings, go to Motion Detection Test.
- You will see a slider, typically set to a high value by default.
- Lower this value in small increments. For example, if it's at 80, try lowering it to 70.
- Walk in front of the camera to test if it still detects you reliably. The goal is to find the lowest possible setting that still captures the important motion you need to see.
### Step 4: Optimise Camera Placement
Sometimes, a simple change in the camera's view can make a huge difference.
- Angle: Try to angle the camera downwards to focus on your property and minimise the amount of sky or distant background visible. This reduces the chance of alerts from clouds or far-off movement.
- Avoid Direct Sunlight: Pointing the camera directly at the rising or setting sun can cause false alerts due to the dramatic light changes.
By investing a little time in customising these settings, you can transform your Arlo experience from noisy and annoying to quiet, intelligent, and effective security.