Getting Too Many Alerts From Your Netgear Arlo Camera?
Netgear's Arlo cameras are fantastic for keeping an eye on your home, but not when your phone is buzzing every few minutes with a notification for a swaying branch or a passing car. When your Arlo's motion detection is too sensitive, it can drain the camera's battery and, more importantly, cause you to start ignoring potentially important alerts.
The good news is that you have a great deal of control over how your Arlo camera detects motion. This guide will walk you through the settings in the Arlo app to help you reduce false alerts and ensure you only get notified about the things that matter.
Understanding How Arlo Detects Motion
It's important to know that most Arlo cameras use a Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor. Instead of watching for pixel changes like a traditional camera, it detects changes in heat. When a person, animal, or warm car engine moves into its field of view, the sensor detects this heat signature and starts recording. This is why things like shadows or leaves blowing in the wind can still trigger it if they cause a rapid change in the temperature of the background they are moving against.
How to Reduce False Alerts on Your Arlo Camera
Follow these steps in the Arlo app to fine-tune your camera's motion detection and cut down on unwanted notifications.
1. Adjust the Motion Sensitivity Setting
This is the most direct way to control how your camera responds to motion.
- Open the Arlo app and select the camera you wish to adjust.
- Tap on Device Settings (the gear icon).
- Tap on Motion Detection.
- You will see a slider, from 1 to 100. A higher value means higher sensitivity.
- Action: If you're getting too many alerts, reduce this value by 10-15 points. Save the setting and test the camera by walking in front of it. You may need to experiment a few times to find the perfect balance for your environment.
2. Create Activity Zones (Subscription Required)
Activity Zones are a powerful feature for telling your camera exactly where to look for motion.
- In the camera's settings, go to Activity Zones.
- You can draw up to three custom shapes on your camera's view.
- Action: Draw zones around the areas you care about, like your doorway or garden path, while excluding high-traffic areas like the pavement or your neighbour's garden. Once saved, Arlo will only trigger an alert when motion is detected inside one of your zones.
3. Optimise Camera Placement and Angle
How your camera is positioned can have a huge impact on its performance.
- Angle it Down: Point the camera slightly downwards to focus on your property and reduce the amount of public road or pavement in its view. This minimises triggers from passing cars and people.
- Avoid Direct Sunlight: Pointing the camera directly at the rising or setting sun can cause false alerts due to the dramatic changes in light and heat.
- Look Out for Heat Sources: Avoid pointing the camera at things like boiler vents or air conditioning units, as the hot air can trigger the PIR sensor.
4. Use Smart Notifications (Subscription Required)
Arlo's Smart AI can differentiate between people, animals, vehicles, and other types of motion.
- Go to your camera's Smart Notifications settings.
- You can choose to be alerted only for specific types of motion.
- Action: If you only want to know when a person is on your property, you can turn off notifications for animals and vehicles. This is a highly effective way to reduce unwanted alerts.
By combining these strategies, you can significantly improve the accuracy of your Netgear Arlo camera's motion detection, leading to smarter alerts, better battery life, and greater peace of mind.