Netgear Arlo Camera Not Recording? A Troubleshooting Guide
When your Netgear Arlo security camera stops recording, it creates a critical gap in your home security. This common problem can be alarming, but it's usually solvable by checking a few key areas within your Arlo system's setup. This guide will walk you through the most frequent causes and their solutions to get your cameras recording again.
Common Reasons Your Arlo Camera Isn't Recording
The Arlo system's flexibility is great, but it also means a misconfigured setting is often the culprit. Here’s what you need to check:
- Incorrect Mode: The camera might be in a mode (like 'Disarmed') or governed by a rule that doesn't include recording as an action.
- Arlo Secure Subscription: Modern Arlo cameras require an active subscription to save recordings to the cloud. If your trial or plan has expired, recording will stop.
- Local Storage Issues: If you're using a VMB5000 or VMB4540 SmartHub, the connected USB or microSD storage might be full, corrupted, or not set up correctly.
- Poor Camera Positioning: The camera may not be detecting motion because of its angle or distance from the target area.
- Connectivity Problems: A weak Wi-Fi connection between the camera and the SmartHub or router can prevent recordings from being uploaded.
Step-by-Step Solutions to Fix Arlo Recording Issues
Let's work through these potential problems one by one.
Step 1: Check the Current Mode and Rules
This is the most common reason for recording failures.
- Open the Arlo Secure app.
- Tap on the 'Mode' tab at the bottom.
- Select the Base Station or SmartHub your camera is connected to.
- Look at the active mode. If it is 'Disarmed', your cameras will not record. Change it to 'Armed' to enable motion detection.
- If you are using a custom mode or a schedule, you need to verify its rules. Tap the pencil icon next to the active mode.
- Select the camera in question. Ensure that under the 'Then do the following' section, the 'Record video' action is present and checked. If it only says 'Send notification', it will alert you but not save a clip.
Step 2: Verify Your Arlo Secure Subscription
If your modes and rules are correct, check your subscription status.
- Log in to your Arlo account at my.arlo.com.
- Go to Settings > Subscription.
- Verify that you have an active Arlo Secure plan and that the camera in question is covered by the plan. If your subscription has expired, you will need to renew it to restore cloud recording.
Step 3: Inspect Local Storage (If Applicable)
If you are saving videos locally to a USB drive or microSD card connected to your SmartHub:
- Safely eject the storage device from the SmartHub.
- Insert it into a computer. Can you view the recordings? Is the drive full?
- If the drive is full and you don't have automatic overwrite enabled, the system will stop saving new recordings. You will need to manually delete old files.
- If the drive is not readable by the computer, it may be corrupted. Try reformatting it (this will erase all data) in the Arlo app (Settings > My Devices > SmartHub > Storage Settings).
Step 4: Optimise Camera Placement and Settings
The camera might not be triggering because it isn't detecting motion effectively.
- Positioning: Ensure the camera is positioned to detect motion across its field of view, not directly towards it. The optimal height is typically 2-3 metres off the ground.
- Motion Detection Test: Use the 'Motion Detection Test' feature in the camera's settings (Device Settings > Motion Detection Test) to check if it is picking up movement in the desired areas.
- Adjust Sensitivity: In the camera's settings, try increasing the motion sensitivity to make it more likely to trigger a recording.
Step 5: Check Connectivity
A poor connection can prevent uploads.
- In the Arlo app, go to the camera's settings and check the Wi-Fi or signal strength indicator. If it shows only one bar, the connection is weak.
- Try moving the camera closer to the SmartHub or your router to see if the recording becomes more reliable.
If after all these steps your camera is still not recording, try restarting both your camera and your SmartHub/Base Station. If the problem persists, contacting Arlo support is the next best step.