Setting up Arlo Integration

Devices & Integrations
1

I have posted this to a couple of threads in response to questions but wanted to put it as a thread in it’s own right for people to find.

Here are step by step instructions for setting up Arlo camera integration.

Step by Step instructions for setting up.

In smartthings link to your Arlo account by adding Arlo cameras and entering your ARlo account and password
You will be given a list of camera you wish to add, select all of the cameras you want and then add.
By default the cameras are set to active, this means they will detect motion and record video even when smartthings is disarmed. Go to Things and set each Arlo camera to inactive.
Configure SHM to use whichever Arlo motion sensors you want to trigger an alarm. For me I have 3 that are internal that I want to trigger but I also have 2 external that I dont want to trugger the alarm. So I have added the 3 I want to trigger to SHM and left out the 2 I dont want to.
Configure the routine for Goodbye and select the switches you want to turn ON when away is selected, select all the Arlo cameras (including the ones you didnt include in SHM)
Configure the routine for I’m back and select the switches you want to turn OFF when you are back. Select all the Arlo cameras.
Go into Arlo through the ARLO app and go into Mode, there is now a new Smartthings mode, click edit mode and configure all the cameras as you want them when they are armed, so if you want motion detection and what to do with regards to video recording and duration and also notification.
Make sure that Smartthings mode is selected and active in the Arlo application.
Test it
That should be it, works for me. This should activate all your Arlo cameras when you arm your smartthings, only the cameras configured in SHM will trigger an alarm, the ones not in SHM will still alert (if you set them to alert in Arlo app) and record video but they wont set off the alarm. For the ones set up in SHM they will trigger the alarm, notify and record.
When you disarm smartthings the arlo cameras should be set to inactive to conserve battery.

2

So…this is my first post on this forum, in fact first post on any forum in a while,

but I have been reading up on this Arlo ST integration and relationship quite a bit and I might have stumbled upon some helpful settings…so here it goes:

Using the settings below, renders these desired results:

1 - The motion sensors on my three Arlo cameras seem to stay inactive and not use battery.

Confirmed from a refreshed current state panel in the developers panel. In fact when they do go active for SHM or a custom rule, the red lights for night vision mode come on and stay on for the duration selected (30 sec, 1 min, or 2 min) but the motion sensor returns to inactive within seconds, confirmed with a repeatedly, quickly refreshed browser.

2 - The cameras remain active and available to be turned on via SHM or custom rules with no lag.

3 - The cameras send the same duration clip to ST mobile app (visible in intrusion alert and in history) AND to Arlo (even though “do nothing” rather than “record video” is selected in ST mode within Arlo settings) In fact, the duration of the clip saved to Arlo matches the duration selected in ST, 30 sec, 1 min or 2 min, huh.

Settings: (I got lucky, wouldn’t have tripped over it w/o all the feedback above and on other posts, thanks!)

Within Arlo:

1 - Click on SmartThings Custom Mode
2 - click edit next to first camera
3 - Make sure to select the same camera under “then do the following” as is selected under "if the following"
4 - Select do nothing
5 - Select push notification
6 - Click Save
7 - repeat steps 2-6 above for each camera

Now the motion sensors are not active and do not cause any recording to happen via arlo until ST tells it to do so, via either SHM or a custom rule.

So now use SMH or custom rules to setup when to use each camera for recording.

I currently have mine set to record when glass break sensors or door open/close sensors trigger when “Armed (Home)” and set to record whenever any sensor goes off when “Armed (Away)”.

This is only my third day with the ST system, and I have yet to set a custom rule except for testing. I hope to set up the cameras to record only when their own motion sensors trigger (or adjacent glass break), rather than all three cameras recording when any door or glass triggers when home, or when any sensor triggers when away.

Turn off notifications for the Arlo App on your mobile device, or simply do not install it. For me, the clips on the ST mobile app, and the backup copy on Arlo is sufficient. Since I do not use the Arlo app, just STs mobile app, I never see or hear the notifications from Arlo. So the notification remains out of sight and outta mind:) Weird thing is that Arlo would not let me save my settings unless either the notifications or the email alert box was selected. I def don’t need any more email, ha, and in this case an invisible notification is perfect!

I do like having the double copy on Arlo, it is easy to see all the clips at once and navigate through bases on timeline; and can view on a larger screen if needed.

More weird things are that the duration settings within arlo will always default back to 10s no matter what you do or how many times you try to save them. Don’t worry about this, use the duration settings within SHM or custom rules and Arlo will follow suit. Another weird thing is that the “motion is detected” box in the “if the following” settings is clicked on by default and cannot be deselected. This does not affect this scenario, but is any additional observation.

Any feedback is appreciated, I just hope this helps someone with their scenario.

Best,

sjinx

1 Like
3

Thanks for these previous posts. I set mine up the same BUT
How do I change the Arlo time to record 1 minute? or two minutes?
I can’t seem to find anyway to to do it?

4

Curious about the original post. I have my arlo set up and although they show as active even when disarmed, they don’t record any video unless I’m away or at night (when smartthings has rules to record video in those situations).

Does this mean the motion sensors remain armed and therefore using some battery even when smartthings is disarmed etc? In that case I can maybe see smartthings turning them off like switches when you change modes, but I wonder if there are advantages in not changing that?