Netgear Arlo: Stop Too Many Camera Alerts

How to Tame an Overactive Netgear Arlo Camera

Netgear's Arlo cameras are a popular choice for home security, but their effectiveness can be undermined if they're constantly bombarding you with notifications. An endless stream of alerts for every passing car, swaying branch, or neighbourhood cat can lead to "alert fatigue," causing you to ignore a notification that might actually be important.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of alerts from your Arlo system, don't worry. This guide will provide you with clear, actionable steps to fine-tune your settings and ensure you receive only the alerts that matter.

## Understanding Why Your Arlo Sends So Many Alerts

First, let's identify the common culprits behind an overactive Arlo camera. The issue is rarely a fault with the device itself, but rather its configuration.

• Motion Sensitivity is Too High: This is the most frequent reason. The default setting might be too reactive for your camera's specific environment.
• Wide-Open Monitoring Area: Without defined 'Activity Zones', your camera watches its entire field of view. If this includes a busy street, a neighbour's garden, or even just a rustling tree, you'll get non-stop alerts.
• No Smart Filtering: Without Arlo Secure's AI detection, the camera alerts you to all motion, whether it's a person, a pet, or a plastic bag blowing past.
• Sub-optimal Camera Placement: The camera's position and angle can have a huge impact on the number of triggers it registers.

## Your Guide to Reducing Netgear Arlo Notifications

Work through these steps in the Arlo app to bring some calm to your camera's reporting.

### 1. Calibrate Motion Sensitivity

This should be your first adjustment.

1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap on the Mode tab at the bottom.
3. Select the device (base station or camera) you want to adjust and tap the pencil icon next to the active mode (e.g., Armed).
4. Tap the pencil icon next to the rule, which will typically say 'If motion is detected...'.
5. You will see a Motion Sensitivity slider. If it's high (e.g., 80 or above), try lowering it to around 60.
6. Save the new setting and monitor the results. The goal is to find the lowest setting that reliably detects a person walking in the desired area.

### 2. Create Custom Activity Zones

This feature (which may require an Arlo Secure subscription) is a game-changer for reducing unwanted alerts.

1. Go to your camera's Settings (the gear icon).
2. Tap on Video Settings and then Activity Zones.
3. You can create up to five zones. Tap the '+' icon to create a new one.
4. Resize and position the zone to cover only the specific area of interest, like your front door or driveway.
5. Crucially, ensure the zone excludes areas of constant motion, like public footpaths or roads.
6. Once saved, your camera will only trigger when motion occurs inside this defined box.

### 3. Leverage Arlo Smart Notifications

If you have an Arlo Secure plan, make sure you're using its AI capabilities.

1. Go to your camera's Settings.
2. Tap on Smart Notifications.
3. Here, you can choose what you want to be notified about. For a front door camera, you might want notifications for People and Packages, but you could turn off notifications for Animals and All Other Motion.
4. This filtering is incredibly powerful for eliminating irrelevant alerts.

### 4. Set a Schedule

Tell your system when to be active.

1. In the Mode tab, you can add a Schedule.
2. This allows you to set different modes for different times of the day and week. For instance, you can have the cameras disarmed or sending fewer notifications when you're typically at home and fully armed when you're away or asleep.

By combining these adjustments, you can transform your Netgear Arlo system from a source of constant noise into a smart, efficient security tool that respects your attention.