Troubleshooting Why Your Arlo Camera Missed Recordings
It's frustrating to discover that your Arlo security camera has missed recording an important event. Whether it's a person approaching your door or a vehicle in your driveway, these recording gaps can undermine your sense of security. Fortunately, most causes of missed recordings can be fixed by adjusting settings within the Arlo app.
This guide will walk you through the most common reasons for missed Arlo recordings and provide professional, clear solutions to ensure your camera captures everything it's supposed to.
## Step 1: Check Your Arlo's Mode
The most frequent cause of a camera not recording is that it is not "armed." In the Arlo ecosystem, modes control how your cameras behave.
- Armed Mode: The camera is actively looking for motion and will record when it's triggered.
- Disarmed Mode: The camera is off and will not detect motion or record.
- Schedule Mode: The camera will be armed or disarmed based on a timetable you create.
- Geofencing Mode: The camera arms or disarms based on your phone's location.
How to Fix It:
- Open the Arlo app.
- Go to the Mode tab.
- Ensure the correct base station or camera is selected.
- Verify that the active mode is set to Armed or a custom mode that has "Record video" as an action. If you are using a schedule, ensure it is configured correctly for the times you expect recordings.
## Step 2: Optimise Motion Detection Settings
If the camera is armed but still not recording, the issue may lie with your motion detection settings.
- Sensitivity Levels: The motion sensitivity might be set too low, causing the camera to ignore subtle movements.
- Camera Positioning: The camera needs a clear line of sight. Obstructions like walls, glass, or even a fly screen can block its ability to detect motion accurately. Arlo's passive infrared (PIR) motion sensors detect heat, so they work best when subjects move across the field of view, not directly towards the camera.
How to Fix It:
- In the Arlo app, go to Devices and select the camera in question.
- Tap on Device Settings > Motion Detection.
- Use the Motion Detection Test to walk in front of the camera and see when the LED flashes, indicating detection.
- Adjust the sensitivity slider. Increase it incrementally and test again until it reliably detects motion in the desired area.
## Step 3: Review Your Activity Zones
For users with an Arlo Smart subscription, Activity Zones can be a powerful tool, but if configured incorrectly, they can also be the cause of missed recordings. Activity Zones tell your camera to only pay attention to motion inside specific areas you draw.
How to Fix It:
- Go to your camera's Device Settings > Activity Zones.
- Ensure the zones you have created cover all the areas where you want to capture motion.
- If you have an important area that isn't recording, try resizing or redrawing the zone to be larger.
- Make sure the zones are active. You can have multiple zones but toggle them on or off.
## Step 4: Check Wi-Fi Connection and Battery
A poor connection or low battery can also prevent your camera from successfully recording and uploading footage.
- Wi-Fi Signal: A weak Wi-Fi signal can mean that while the camera detects motion, it is unable to upload the video to the Arlo cloud.
- Battery Level: If the camera's battery is critically low, it may disable high-drain functions like recording to conserve power.
How to Fix It:
- In the camera's Device Settings, check the Connection status. Arlo recommends at least two or three bars of signal strength for reliable performance. If it's low, try moving your router closer to the camera or consider a Wi-Fi extender.
- Check the battery level indicator. If it is low, charge or replace the battery immediately.
## Step 5: Subscription and Storage Status
Finally, ensure your Arlo subscription is active and that your cloud storage is not full (though this is rare). If your trial period or paid subscription has expired, cloud recording features may be disabled. You can check the status of your subscription under the Settings > Subscription section of the Arlo app.