Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell Wired User Manual

Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell Wired User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell
Wired
User Manual

Contents
1.

Get to Know Your Doorbell

Front view…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Rear view……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
Installation requirements…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
Get the Arlo app…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
Optional Arlo SmartHub or Base Station…………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Do more with Arlo………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
FAQs……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9

Get Started

Voltage requirements…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
Use the Arlo app for installation and setup……………………………………………………………………….. 12
Install the Power Kit in your chime box……………………………………………………………………………… 12
Install your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell………………………………………………………………… 13
Use the optional wire extensions………………………………………………………………………………………. 14
LED……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15
Test motion detection……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16
Control when your doorbell detects motion…………………………………………………………………….. 17

WiFi Setup and Connections

WiFi connection options for your doorbell………………………………………………………………………… 18
Tips for optimal WiFi performance……………………………………………………………………………………. 18
Connect your mobile device to a 2.4 GHz WiFi network during setup �� 19
Connect an optional Arlo SmartHub…………………………………………………………………………………. 20
Connect an optional Arlo Base Station with Siren…………………………………………………………….. 21
Move your doorbell’s WiFi connection to a SmartHub or base station �� 23
Move your doorbell’s WiFi connection to a direct router connection �� 24

Optional Arlo Chime 2

Meet your Chime 2……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 25
Do more with your Chime 2……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 26
Find a good location for your Chime 2………………………………………………………………………………. 26
Set up your Chime 2…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 26

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Chime 2 LED……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 27
Select a melody for your Chime 2……………………………………………………………………………………… 27
Use silent mode to stop the Chime 2 from ringing……………………………………………………………. 28

Use Your Doorbell

Answer your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell from your smartphone �� 29
Accept a call from your Video Doorbell……………………………………………………………………………… 29
Respond to a visitor with a Quick Reply…………………………………………………………………………….. 30
Play a message from a visitor…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 30
Use silent mode for the doorbell……………………………………………………………………………………….. 31
Control the doorbell LED…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 31
Change the call settings…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 32

View and Record Videos

View your doorbell’s camera feed……………………………………………………………………………………… 35
Record clips from live video………………………………………………………………………………………………. 35
Take a snapshot from live video………………………………………………………………………………………… 36
2-Way Audio……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 36
Change the order of the camera feeds………………………………………………………………………………. 36
Motion detection activity zones…………………………………………………………………………………………. 37
View recordings and snapshots…………………………………………………………………………………………. 38
Download recordings………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 39

Change Your Settings

Two-step verification…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 41
Use face or fingerprint authentication………………………………………………………………………………. 42
Customize your profile………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 43
Change your Arlo password……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 44
Reset a forgotten password……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 44
Grant access to friends………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 45
Change the time zone………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 47
Doorbell settings………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 47
Adjust the flicker setting…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 50
Optional SmartHub and Base Station settings………………………………………………………………….. 50
View device information…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 51
Remove a device from your account…………………………………………………………………………………. 52

Contents

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Restart the doorbell from the Arlo app……………………………………………………………………………… 52

Modes, Rules, and Alerts

Arm or disarm all your Arlo devices…………………………………………………………………………………… 53
Modes…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 53
Select a mode…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 54
Mute Notifications……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 54
Rules for modes…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 55
Trigger a Chime 2 when the doorbell is pressed……………………………………………………………….. 55
Change motion sensitivity…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 56
Automatically stop recording when motion stops…………………………………………………………….. 56
Add a rule with a base station siren trigger……………………………………………………………………….. 56
Manage alerts…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 57
Schedule when your doorbell camera is armed……………………………………………………………….. 57
Set up Arlo Geofencing………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 58
Geofencing with multiple mobile devices…………………………………………………………………………. 60
Use your doorbell to trigger a camera to record……………………………………………………………….. 63

SmartHub SD Card Local Storage

Insert a microSD card………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 64
View the SD card status……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 65
View available SD card storage………………………………………………………………………………………….. 65
Turn SD card recording off and on…………………………………………………………………………………….. 65
Turn on Best Local Recording……………………………………………………………………………………………. 65
Change the SD card overwrite setting……………………………………………………………………………….. 66
Format a microSD card………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 66
Safely eject an SD card………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 66
View videos on a microSD card………………………………………………………………………………………….. 67

10. SmartHub or Base Station USB Local Storage

View the USB storage device status…………………………………………………………………………………… 69
View available USB device storage…………………………………………………………………………………….. 69
Turn USB recording off and on………………………………………………………………………………………….. 70
Change the USB device overwrite setting…………………………………………………………………………. 70
Format a USB device………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 70
Safely eject a USB storage device………………………………………………………………………………………. 71

Contents

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

View videos on a USB device……………………………………………………………………………………………… 71

11. Arlo Connect

Add your doorbell to the Google Assistant app………………………………………………………………… 73
Use Arlo with IFTTT……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 74

12. Troubleshooting

The doorbell doesn’t scan the QR code in the Arlo app during setup �� 75
Arlo doesn’t discover your doorbell during setup…………………………………………………………….. 76
Use Bypass mode for the Power Kit…………………………………………………………………………………… 77
Traditional chime doesn’t ring when I press the doorbell………………………………………………… 77
Doorbell LED doesn’t light…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 78
Power interruption notification…………………………………………………………………………………………. 79
Remove the doorbell from its mount………………………………………………………………………………… 79
Reset the doorbell……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 80
Can’t see video streams in a browser………………………………………………………………………………… 81
Not receiving push notifications………………………………………………………………………………………… 81
Troubleshoot Arlo Geofencing…………………………………………………………………………………………… 82
Scan the QR code during Chime 2 setup…………………………………………………………………………… 83
Arlo doesn’t discover Chime 2 during setup……………………………………………………………………… 84
Chime 2 doesn’t ring when the doorbell is pressed………………………………………………………….. 84
Reset your Arlo Chime 2…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 85
Verify that an optional SmartHub or base station is online………………………………………………. 86
The SmartHub or base station is offline…………………………………………………………………………….. 87
Reset a SmartHub to factory settings………………………………………………………………………………… 88
Reset a Base Station to factory settings…………………………………………………………………………….. 89

Contents

User Manual

1. Get to Know Your Doorbell
The wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell lets you get notifications when motion is detected and
view live video on your phone. Get the bigger picture of what’s at your door, from head to toe
or a package on the ground. Even see clearly in low light with night vision. Speak to visitors
with two-way audio or use pre-recorded quick reply messages when you’re busy. The wired
Arlo Essential Video Doorbell uses your existing doorbell wiring for continuous power.
Features:
•

HD Video. See a clear picture in every detail through your doorbell’s high performance
lens.

•

Motion Detection and Alerts. Receive alerts when motion is detected.

•

Video Call. Calls your phone directly so you never miss a visitor

•

Night vision. See who’s at your door at night, even without a light on.

•

180° Viewing Angle. See a person from head to toe or a package on the ground.

Front view
Microphone
Lens with 180-degree
field of view
Light sensor
Weather-resistant casing

Status LEDs
Doorbell button
Speaker

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Rear view
Reset button
(pinhole)
Wiring screws

Installation requirements
To install your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell you need:
•

A wired doorbell and chime with existing electrical wiring

•

Voltage between 16V AC and 24V AC, and a 10VA transformer

Follow the instructions in the Arlo app to connect the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell to
your home’s existing doorbell wiring. If you need further help, contact a local electrician or
professional to assist you.

Get the Arlo app
Download the Arlo app. The Arlo app lets you create an Arlo account in the cloud and set up
and manage all your Arlo devices.

Note: If you already use the Arlo app, make
sure that you’re using the latest version. To
find out if an update is available, go to the
app store and search for Arlo.

Get to Know Your Doorbell

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Optional Arlo SmartHub or Base Station
You can connect your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell directly to your home router’s 2.4
GHz WiFi network, or you can connect your doorbell to an Arlo SmartHub or Base Station with
siren. Your doorbell is compatible with any of the models described in this section.

Arlo SmartHub
The Arlo SmartHubs offer the best Arlo experience and are compatible with all Arlo wire-free
cameras, except Arlo Go.

SmartHub VMB4540

SmartHub VMB5000

Base Station with Siren
The Base Stations with Sirens are compatible with all Arlo wire free cameras except Arlo Go
and they’re also compatible with the Arlo Audio Doorbell.

Base station with siren VMB4500

Base station with siren VMB4000

Do more with Arlo
You can add these options, which are sold separately:
•

Arlo Chime 2. The Arlo Chime 2 lets you receive instant alerts from your Arlo doorbell and
cameras. For more information, see Chapter 4. Optional Arlo Chime 2 on page 25.

•

Add more Arlo cameras and devices. Cover more areas in and around your home by
adding cameras, security lights, and more.

•

Upgrade your Arlo subscription. For more information,visit What are the available Arlo
subscription plans and how much cloud recording is available?.

Get to Know Your Doorbell

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

FAQs
•

Does the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell require a SmartHub or base station?
No, you can connect your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell directly to your home’s 2.4
GHz WiFi network if you prefer. The doorbell is compatible with Arlo SmartHub models
VMB5000 and VMB4540 and with Base Station with Siren models VBM4500 and VMB4000.

•

Is leaving a message on the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell the same as leaving a
message on the Arlo Audio Doorbell?
Yes. If no action has been taken 20 seconds after a doorbell press, the visitor is prompted
to leave a voicemail. This also happens when you decline a doorbell call. You must have
an Arlo Smart plan for users to access voicemail prompts. (You can enable the voicemail
feature through Leave your message under Call Settings.)

•

Is the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell compatible with my existing Arlo system?
Yes. The wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell doesn’t require a base station or SmartHub
but it can still be configured to trigger recordings on other cameras or vice versa.

•

Can I pair the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell with other Arlo cameras?
No. The wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell has its own integrated camera. However, you
can set up cross-triggering so that other Arlo cameras record when the Video Doorbell
detects motion.

Get to Know Your Doorbell

User Manual

2. Get Started
You can install the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell yourself, or contact a local electrician or
professional to assist you.
Note: In some regions, a transformer is included in the package with the wired Arlo Essential
Video Doorbell. It is recommended that the transformer be installed by a professional
electrician.

Voltage requirements
The wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell requires a wired doorbell and chime with voltage
between 16V AC and 24V AC, and a 10VA transformer.
We recommend that you check the voltage on the transformer that powers your existing
doorbell before installing your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell. If the transformer’s voltage
isn’t 16-24 VAC, you must upgrade your transformer before you use the doorbell.
You can check the voltage level of your doorbell transformer by one of these methods:
•

Use a multimeter to test the voltage.
A multimeter is an electronic tool that measures
the precise voltage level of your existing doorbell
wiring. Using a multimeter gives you the most
accurate estimate of your transformer’s voltage,
and it can be done without finding the
transformer. We recommend that you measure
at the existing doorbell wiring or at your chime.

•

Check if the voltage is printed on the
transformer that provides power to your
existing doorbell.
The estimated voltage is commonly printed on transformers. This is typically accurate, but
it isn’t as precise as using a multimeter.

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Use a multimeter to check the voltage of a transformer
1. Disconnect your existing doorbell.
To do this, unmount or unscrew your existing doorbell to expose the wiring or AC
terminals on the back.
2. Set your multimeter to AC (the V with a wavy line on top or next to it).
3. Connect the two probes from the multimeter to the wires from your doorbell.
4. Read the voltage level on your multimeter’s display.
If the voltage level is between 16-24 VAC, you can use the wired Arlo Essential Video
Doorbell with your current doorbell transformer.
If the voltage level is lower than 16VAC or the transformer is underpowered (less than
10VA) then consider having the transformer replaced by an electrician or a professional
service provider.

Check the voltage level printed on the doorbell transformer
A doorbell transformer is a device that steps down your household AC voltage to a lower
voltage suitable for powering an electric doorbell.

Sample doorbell transformer

The transformer is typically found:
•

In the front closet near your existing doorbell

•

Near your house’s circuit breaker

•

In the basement or attic

•

In the garage

•

Near your house’s furnace

•

In the crawl space under your house

Get Started

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Use the Arlo app for installation and setup
You must use the Arlo app to install and set up your wired Arlo Essential
Video Doorbell. The Arlo app guides you through installation and setup:
1. Create your Arlo account.
You use the same account to manage all your Arlo devices.
2. Follow the instructions in the Arlo app to install and set up your wired
Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.
Once you set up your Arlo account, you can access it by using the Arlo app on a smartphone
or tablet, or from a computer using a web browser. If you’re using a computer, enter https://
my.arlo.com/#/login in the address bar of the browser.

Install the Power Kit in your chime box
The Power Kit ensures that your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell receives consistent
power. The Power Kit is required for the Video Doorbell to function reliably and prevents
your chime from ringing when the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell is recording or livestreaming.

Power Kit

Note: If your chime box uses only batteries, it is not compatible with the wired Arlo Essential
Video Doorbell. Before you install the doorbell, consult an electrician to replace your chime
box with a wired doorbell and chime, with voltage between 16-24 VAC.
WARNING: To prevent fire and injury, connect the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell and
Power Kit only to a voltage between 16 – 24VAC.
The Arlo app guides you through the process of installing the Power Kit in the chime box for
your existing doorbell. These are the main steps:
1. Turn off your power at the breaker.
Warning: Failure to turn off your power might result in serious injury.
2. Remove the cover of your chime box.

Get Started

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

3. Follow the specific instructions in the Arlo app for how to connect the Power Kit wires to
your chime.
If your chime is more complex than two or three wires, then you might need to consult a
professional electrician.
4. Place your Power Kit in the chime box.
Make sure to place the Power Kit in a safe spot in the chime box that won’t interfere
with the operation of the chime. See the suggested placements and areas to avoid, as
illustrated in the Arlo app.

Install your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell

You need:
•

The items that came in the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell box

•

Phillips screwdriver

•

(Optional) power drill

After installing the Power Kit in your chime box, follow the steps in the Arlo app to install your
doorbell.
The Arlo app guides you through installation in this order:
1. Turn off your power at the breaker.
Warning: Failure to turn off your power might result in serious injury.
2. Remove and disconnect your existing doorbell.
3. Determine whether to use the flat mounting plate
on its own, or combine it with the angled mounting
plate to adjust the field of view for your doorbell.

Get Started

Angled mounting plate

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Installing with an angled mounting plate depends on the position of the doorbell and the
walkway to your home. The angled mounting plate lets you install your doorbell so that it
is angled toward the left or angled toward the right.
4. Follow the instructions in the Arlo app to connect the wires and install your doorbell.

Arlo Video
Doorbell

Angled
mounting wedge
(optional)

Mounting
plate

5. Turn on power at the breaker.
6. Check the LED on the front of your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell. See LED during
setup on page 15.
7. Connect your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell to your home network’s 2.4 GHz WiFi.

Use the optional wire extensions
Two identical wire extensions and fasteners come in the package with your wired Arlo
Essential Video Doorbell.

Wire extension

Fastener

If the existing wires for your doorbell are too short to connect your wired Arlo Essential Video
Doorbell you can use the wire extensions and fasteners to lengthen the wires.
To connect wire extensions to your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell:
1. Remove the rubber ends from the wire extensions.

Get Started

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

2. Attach a wire extension to one of your existing doorbell wires.
To do this, connect the wire end of the wire extension (not the prong end) to your existing
doorbell wire and twist the wires together securely.
3. Attach the second wire extension to the other doorbell wire.
4. Place the fasteners on top of the connected wire ends, and twist the fasteners.
The fasteners funnel and secure the wires together.
5. Attach the extended wires to your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.
6. Tuck the wire extensions and the fasteners into the wiring cavity in the wall, behind your
doorbell.
If there isn’t sufficient space, you may need to use the angled mounting plate to create
additional space behind the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.
7. Place your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell
onto the mounting plate in an up-and-in
motion.
Ensure that the mounting screws are
completely screwed in and flush with the
mounting plate so that the Video Doorbell
clips securely into the mounting plate.
You are ready to use the Arlo app to continue the
setup process for your Video Doorbell.

LED
The LED is on the outside of your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell and indicates how the
doorbell is operating. The following sections describe how the LED works if you didn’t change
the default LED settings.
Note: For information about changing the LED behavior, see Control the LED on page 31.

LED during setup
•

Off. The doorbell is not receiving power.
Check that the power at the breaker is on.
Check that the wiring to the doorbell is secured.

•

Solid white. The doorbell is powered on and ready for setup.

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User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

•

Solid amber. The doorbell isn’t receiving enough power.
You might need to activate bypass mode. For more information, see Use Bypass mode for
the Power Kit on page 77

•

You can also consult an electrician or replace your transformer and chime with one that
offers 16-24 VAC, with 10VA minimum.

•

Flashing amber. Your Video Doorbell didn’t connect to your WiFi network. During setup,
make sure that your phone and doorbell connect to your 2.4 GHz WiFi network.

•

Flashing white. Your Video Doorbell is scanning for a QR code, attempting to connect to
WiFi, or attempting to connect to the Arlo network. If your doorbell LED continues to flash
white for more than a few minutes, change the WiFi settings in your phone to connect to
the same 2.4 GHz WiFi network as the doorbell. Also confirm that your WiFi router has an
Internet connection..

•

Alternating amber and white. The operating temperature or voltage is too low. Wait up to
13 minutes for the doorbell to warm up or for its internal battery to charge.

LED after setup
•

Slow breathing pattern white. The doorbell detected motion.

•

Solid white. The doorbell was pressed and is calling you or the doorbell is connected to a
call.

•

Fading white. The call from the doorbell ended.

Test motion detection
You can use the motion detection test to find the right motion sensitivity setting for your
doorbell.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the gear icon next to the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.
3. Tap Device Utilities > Motion Detection Test.
4. Move in front of the camera.
During this test, the camera LED blinks white when motion is detected.
5. Move the slider to adjust the motion sensitivity level as needed.
6. Edit the rule to enter the motion sensitivity level that you want to use. See Change motion
sensitivity on page 56.

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User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Control when your doorbell detects motion
You control when your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell detects motion and the rules it
uses to record and alert you by selecting a mode. The Arlo app comes with four modes:
•

Armed

•

Disarmed

•

Schedule

•

Geofencing

You can customize each mode and you can also create custom modes. For information, see
Chapter 6. Modes, Rules, and Alerts on page 53.

Get Started

User Manual

3. WiFi Setup and Connections
When you install and set up your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell the Arlo app guides you
through the process of connecting the doorbell to your router’s 2.4 GHz WiFi network or to an
optional Arlo SmartHub or base station.

WiFi connection options for your doorbell
When you install your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell you can connect it directly to your
router’s 2.4 GHz WiFi band, or you can connect the doorbell with WiFi to an Arlo SmartHub
VMB5000 or VMB4540, or an Arlo base station VMB4500 or VMB4000.
An Arlo SmartHub or base station isn’t included in the package with your doorbell. They are
sold separately. Using your Arlo Video Doorbell with a SmartHub or base station gives you
access to these additional features:
•

Use local storage on an SD card in a VMB5000 SmartHub or on a USB storage device
connected to the SmartHub VMB4540 or base station VMB4500 or VMB4000.

•

You can set up rules so that your doorbell triggers the Arlo Chime to play a tone when the
Arlo Video Doorbell button is pressed.

•

Use remote access for SmartHubs VMB5000 and VMB4540.

After you install and set up your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell you can move its WiFi
connection from your router to a SmartHub or base station. You can also move your doorbell’s
WiFi connection from a SmartHub or base station and connect it directly to your router’s
2.4 GHz WiFi band. To do this, you must remove the device from your account and reinstall
through the Arlo app, selecting the appropriate option to move back and forth.

Tips for optimal WiFi performance
The distance between WiFi devices can affect the WiFi signal:
•

Maximum recommended distance. We recommend that you place your WiFi router within
300 feet (90 meters) from the Arlo Video Doorbell. The maximum line-of-sight range of 300
feet is reduced by each wall, ceiling, or other major obstruction between the doorbell and
the router.

•

Minimum recommended distance. To reduce WiFi interference, allow at least 6½ feet (2
meters) between your Arlo Video Doorbell and any Arlo cameras that you install.
18

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

These materials can reduce WiFi signal strength if they are located between WiFi devices:
•

Unusually thick walls and ceilings

•

Brick

•

Concrete

•

Stone

•

Ceramic

•

Glass, especially mirrors

•

Metal

•

Large quantities of water, such as the water in a fish tank or water heater

Connect your mobile device to a 2.4 GHz WiFi
network during setup
If you’re connecting your Arlo Video Doorbell directly to your router’s WiFi network, it’s
important to understand that your mobile device must connect to the same WiFi network as
the doorbell during setup.
Your Arlo Video Doorbell can only connect to a 2.4 GHz WiFi network. Many routers broadcast
WiFi networks in both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, so your phone might connect to the 5 GHz
WiFi band. During setup, connect your phone to your 2.4 GHz WiFi network, then connect your
Video Doorbell to that same 2.4 GHz WiFi network.

Find your 2.4 GHz WiFi network name and password
Your phone might connect to your 5 GHz WiFi network most of the time. If you’re not sure
about how to find the 2.4 GHz WiFi network:
•

Look on your WiFi router label.
Many routers have a label that shows the WiFi network name, which is also called an SSID.
Your 2.4 GHz network name might have a 2, 2.4, or 2G at the end. Your 5 GHz network
name might have a 5 or 5G at the end. If you changed your WiFi settings, then check the
place where you saved your custom settings.

•

If your WiFi network name or SSID doesn’t indicate whether it’s 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz, ask your
Internet service provider (ISP) or the person who set up your WiFi router.

•

If you have a mesh WiFi network, it uses only one WiFi network name for both WiFi bands.
The doorbell finds and connects to the 2.4 GHz WiFi band. As long as you connect your
phone to the same mesh network, Arlo can discover the doorbell.

WiFi Setup and Connections

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Connect your iOS (Apple) device to a 2.4 GHz network
1. Unlock your device and tap Settings.
2. Tap Wi-Fi, near the top of the list of Settings options.
3. Turn on WiFi by tapping the switch next to Wi-Fi at the top.
Note: WiFi is activated when the switch is green.
4. Select a 2.4 GHz WiFi network.
This is commonly indicated by a 2, 2.4, or 2G at the end of the network name.
5. If prompted, enter the password for the network.
When you’re connected to the WiFi network, a blue check mark appears to the left of the
network name.

Connect your Android device to a 2.4 GHz network
1. Unlock your device and tap Settings.
2. Tap Network & Internet > Wi-Fi.
3. Turn on WiFi by tapping Use WiFi at the top.
4. Select a 2.4 GHz WiFi network.
This is commonly indicated by a 2, 2.4, or 2G at the end of the network name.
5. If prompted, enter the password for the network.
When you’re connected to the WiFi network, the word Connected appears under the
network name.

Connect an optional Arlo SmartHub
Your Video Doorbell can connect to a SmartHub or Base Station with Siren. The SmartHub or
base station uses an Ethernet cable to connect to your router.

Connect a SmartHub
The Arlo app guides you through the steps to install and set up
your Arlo SmartHub.
1. Connect the SmartHub to your router with an Ethernet cable.
2. Connect the AC adapter to the SmartHub and plug it in.

SmartHub
VMB5000

The LED on the front of the SmartHub lights.

WiFi Setup and Connections

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

The SmartHub LED
The SmartHub LED located on the front panel indicates the status of the SmartHub.

LED
SmartHub VMB4540

SmartHub VMB5000

The LED blinks once when the SmartHub is first powered on. Then the LED lights as follows:
•

Solid blue. The SmartHub is connected to the Internet.

•

Slow blinking blue. The SmartHub is ready to sync and pair with a camera or is connecting
with a camera.

•

Fast blinking blue. The SmartHub paired with a camera.

•

Solid amber. An error occurred or something is wrong with the connection.

•

Slow blinking amber. The SmartHub can’t connect to the camera. The camera can’t be
found, is out of range, or another connection error occurred.

•

Alternating blue and amber. A firmware update or a reset is in progress.

Connect an optional Arlo Base Station with Siren
You can connect your Arlo Video Doorbell directly to your home router’s 2.4 GHz WiFi network,
or you can connect your doorbell to an Arlo SmartHub or Base Station with siren. Your
doorbell is compatible Base Station with Siren model VMB4500 and VMB4000. The base
station uses an Ethernet cable to connect to your router.
The Arlo app guides you through the steps to install and set up your base station.
1. Connect the base station to your router with
an Ethernet cable.
2. Connect the AC adapter to the base station
and plug it in.
The LED on the front of the base station lights.
Base station with
siren VMB4500

WiFi Setup and Connections

Base station with
siren VMB4000

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Base Station LED (VMB4500)
The LED located on the front indicates the status of the base station.

LED

The LED lights as follows:
•

Solid blue. The base station is connected to the Internet and to an Arlo camera.

•

Slow blinking blue. The base station is ready to sync with a camera.

•

Fast blinking blue. The base station is synching with a camera.

•

Solid amber. The base station is booting.

•

Slow blinking amber. The base station can’t connect to the camera. The camera can’t be
found, is out of range, or another connection error occurred.

•

Alternating blue and amber. A firmware update or a reset is in progress.

Base Station LEDs (VMB4000)
This base station has three LEDs located on the front.

The LEDs light as described in this table.
VMB4000 LEDs

Color

Power

Solid green. The base station is powered on.
Blinking green. A firmware update is in progress. DO NOT TURN OFF THE BASE STATION OR THE
CAMERAS.
Solid amber. The base station is booting.

Internet

Solid green. The base station is connected to the Internet.
Blinking green. The base station is transmitting data.
Solid amber. The base station is connected to the router, but it isn’t connected to the Internet.

Camera

Solid green. A camera is connected to the base station.
Blinking green. The base station is attempting to synch with a camera.
Solid amber. A camera is too far from the base station. The signal strength is weak.

WiFi Setup and Connections

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Move your doorbell’s WiFi connection to a
SmartHub or base station
You can change your Arlo Video Doorbell’s WiFi connection from your router to an Arlo
SmartHub VMB5000 or VMB4540, or an Arlo base station VMB4500 or VMB4000. When your
Arlo Video Doorbell is connected to an Arlo SmartHub or base station, you can use the
doorbell to trigger an Arlo Chime or other cameras.
To add a SmartHub or base station and connect your doorbell:
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Add the SmartHub or base station to the same Arlo account that your Arlo Video Doorbell
was originally connected to.
If you’re using an Arlo Smart trial associated with this account, doing this keeps the Arlo
Smart trial active so you don’t lose it.
3. Follow the Arlo app instructions to set up your SmartHub or base station and connect it to
the Internet.
4. Tap Settings > My Devices.
5. Select your Arlo Video Doorbell.
6. Scroll down and tap Remove Device.
Your device is reset and removed from your account.
7. Make sure that the Arlo Video Doorbell status LED ring is solid white.
If the doorbell status LEDs are not white, reset your Arlo Video Doorbell (see Reset the
Video Doorbell on page 80).
8. From My Devices, tap Add New Device > Doorbells & Chime > Video Doorbell.
9. Follow the Arlo app instructions to add the Arlo Video Doorbell.
10. When the Arlo app detects your SmartHub or base station, follow the instructions to
connect your doorbell to your SmartHub or base station.

WiFi Setup and Connections

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Move your doorbell’s WiFi connection to a direct
router connection
You can change your Arlo Video Doorbell’s WiFi connection from a VMB5000, VMB4540,
VMB4500, or VMB4000 SmartHub or base station, and connect the doorbell directly to your
router’s 2.4 GHz WiFi network.
Note: When you connect your Arlo Video Doorbell directly to your router, you can’t use the
doorbell to trigger an Arlo Chime or other cameras, and you can’t store Arlo recordings to a
local storage device in a SmartHub or base station.
To move your Arlo Video Doorbell’s WiFi connection directly to your router:
1. Open the Arlo app and log into the same Arlo account that your Arlo Video Doorbell is
connected to.
If you are using an Arlo Smart trial associated with this account, doing this keeps the trial
active so you don’t lose it.
2. Make sure that your mobile device is connected to your router’s 2.4 GHz WiFi network.
For more information, see Connect your mobile device to a 2.4 GHz WiFi network during
setup on page 77.
3. Tap Settings > My Devices.
4. Select your Arlo Video Doorbell.
5. Scroll down and tap Remove Device.
Your device is reset and removed from your account.
6. Make sure that the Arlo Video Doorbell status LED ring is solid white.
If the doorbell status LEDs are not white, reset your Arlo Video Doorbell (see Reset the
Video Doorbell on page 80).
7. From My Devices, tap Add New Device > Doorbells & Chime > Video Doorbell.
8. If Arlo detects a SmartHub or base station, tap Connect without SmartHub or Connect
without a Base Station.
9. Follow the Arlo app instructions to connect your doorbell directly to a 2.4 GHz WiFi
network.

WiFi Setup and Connections

User Manual

4. Optional Arlo Chime 2
The Arlo Chime 2 lets you receive instant alerts from your Arlo doorbell and your Arlo cameras.

Meet your Chime 2
Speaker

Front view, integrated items and features:
•

Speaker: The speaker rings or plays a melody
when someone presses your doorbell. You can
also set up audio alerts or a siren sound to alert
you when motion or audio is detected on an Arlo
camera.

•

Sync button: Use the sync button to help set up
your Arlo Chime 2, or to factory reset the chime.

•

Status LED: The LED indicates the status of your
Arlo Chime 2.

Sync
button

Status
LED

Rear view, integrated items and features:
•

QR code: Use the QR code to set up your Arlo
Chime 2.

•

Power prongs: Plug your Arlo Chime 2 into a
wall outlet.

QR code

Power
prongs

Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free

Do more with your Chime 2
You can add an unlimited number of Arlo Chime 2 devices to your Arlo account. These devices
do not count toward the device limit of an Arlo Smart subscription.
You can pair more than one Arlo doorbell with your Chime 2. For example, if you have two Arlo
Essential Video Doorbells (Wired or Wire-Free), you can set both to trigger your Arlo Chime.
You can also customize your Arlo doorbell’s melody, so you know which doorbell rang.

Find a good location for your Chime 2
When placing your Arlo Chime 2:
•

Place your chime in a central area in your home. This helps to ensure that you hear the
chime from multiple areas of your home.

•

Place your chime in a room where you are most often present. If you need to select one of
many rooms in your home to place your chime, place the chime wherever you are most
likely to be when someone presses your doorbell.

•

If possible, use a raised wall outlet. A higher position for your Arlo Chime 2 improves audio
and WiFi connectivity.

•

Use a vertical wall outlet. Place your chime into an outlet that is vertical along a wall,
rather than horizontal like a power strip.

•

Use multiple chimes throughout your home. If you have a large home, you might benefit
from placing a separate Arlo Chime 2 on each floor or wing of your home.

Set up your Chime 2
Set up your Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free first, and then set up your Chime 2 to pair with
your doorbell.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Add New Device.
3. Follow the instructions in the Arlo app to install and set up your Chime 2.
When your Arlo Chime 2 is connected to your Arlo Essential Video Doorbell, the chime
appears under PAIRED DEVICES on the Device Settings page in the Arlo app.

Optional Arlo Chime 2

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free

Chime 2 LED
The Arlo Chime 2 LED indicates the chime status and activity. When the chime first powers
on, the LED lights solid white for a brief period. During regular operation, the LED is off except
when the Chime 2 is making a sound.

Status
LED

LED behaviors during setup
•

Fading white. The chime is in pairing mode, and is ready to be set up.

•

Fast blinking white. The chime connected to your WiFi network and your Arlo account.

•

Slow blinking amber. A setup error occurred. See Arlo doesn’t discover your Chime 2
during setup on page 84.

LED behaviors after setup
•

Alternating flashing white and amber. A firmware update is in progress. Do not remove,
reset, or unplug the chime.

•

Fast blinking white. The chime completed a factory reset. For information about resetting,
your chime, see Reset the Chime 2 on page 85.

•

Slow blinking white. The chime is ringing or playing audio.

•

Slow blinking amber. The chime is offline.

Select a melody for your Chime 2
You can select one of 11 melodies to play when someone presses your Arlo doorbell and
triggers your Arlo Chime 2. If you have multiple Arlo doorbells associated with one chime, you
can set a different melody for each doorbell so that you know which doorbell was pressed.

Optional Arlo Chime 2

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free

To select a melody for your Arlo Chime 2:
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings > My Devices.
3. Select an Arlo doorbell that is paired with your Arlo Chime 2.
4. Tap Melody > Chime Melody.
5. Select a melody.
Your settings are saved.

Use silent mode to stop the Chime 2 from
ringing
The Chime 2 rings when it’s paired to your Essential Video Doorbell and someone presses the
doorbell button. To stop the Chime 2 from ringing, select silent mode for the doorbell.
To turn silent mode features on and off:
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the gear icon next to the doorbell.
3. Tap Silent Mode.
4. Adjust the settings.
For more detailed information, see Turn Silent mode on and off on page 31.

Optional Arlo Chime 2

User Manual

5. Use Your Doorbell
Answer your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell
from your smartphone
When a visitor presses your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell your mobile device receives a
video call through an Internet connection. You must install the Arlo app on your smartphone
and you must be logged in to the Arlo app. The caller displays as the name you gave to your
doorbell. You can accept or decline the call the same way you do for other calls that you
receive on your smartphone.
When your smartphone rings, you can do the following:
•

Accept the call and speak to your visitor.

•

Answer the call with a Quick Reply. Select a recorded message for the doorbell to play for
the visitor.

•

Decline the call. If a visitor presses your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell and you don’t
answer your smartphone after five rings, your doorbell prompts the visitor to leave a
message. If the visitor leaves a message, it is saved as a Doorbell recording in your Arlo
library.

If you want to receive the call on a different phone, you can log out of the Arlo app on the first
smartphone and log into the Arlo app on another smartphone or tablet.
To receive the call on multiple phones, you can create a grant access account (add doorbell
to the grant access account) and log in to the Arlo app using the grant account on the other
smartphone. (See Grant access to friends on page 45.)

Accept a call from your Video Doorbell
To accept a call on your smartphone from your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell:
1. When you receive a call from the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell tap Accept.
2. If you are prompted to allow Arlo to access the camera, tap OK.
The incoming call page displays.

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

3. To talk to the visitor, speak into your phone as you normally do.
You can also tap a button to toggle between hands-free and earpiece mode, play a quick
reply message for the visitor, or mute your sound.
4. To toggle between hands-free and earpiece mode, tap the speaker button.
5. To play a quick reply message, tap the message icon and select a message from the list.
6. To mute yourself so that the visitor doesn’t hear sound, tap the microphone button.
7. When you’re finished, tap End.

Respond to a visitor with a Quick Reply
1. When you receive a call from the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell tap Accept.
2. If you’re prompted to allow Arlo to access the camera, tap OK.
The incoming call page displays.
3. To play a quick reply message, tap the message icon and select a message from the list.
The messages are:
•

We will be right there.

•

Leave the package outside.

•

Sorry, I’m not interested.

•

Can I help you?

•

I’m busy right now.

Change the language for Quick Reply messages
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the gear icon next to the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.
3. Scroll down and tap Language.
4. Select a language.

Play a message from a visitor
If a visitor leaves a message after pressing your doorbell, the message is saved in your Arlo
library.
1. Open the Arlo app.
Use Your Doorbell

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

2. Tap Library.
3. Tap the doorbell recording.

Use silent mode for the doorbell
Silent mode allows you to temporarily disable incoming calls and/or chime rings on your
doorbell.
To turn Silent mode features on and off:
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the gear icon next to the doorbell.
3. Tap Silent Mode.
4. Move the Silent Mode slider to enable or disable silent mode.
When Silent Mode is enabled, all the doorbell-press notifications are disabled by default. If
you want your chime to ring or receive a phone call when someone presses your doorbell,
you can move the individual sliders to enable each feature. When the toggle is green, the
feature is enabled.
5. Depending on your settings and whether you use an optional chime, select which of the
following you want to be silent:
•

Incoming Call. Your mobile device receives a call when someone presses your Arlo
doorbell.

•

Arlo Chime 2 or Arlo Chime. If you have an optional Arlo Chime 2 or Chime (sold
separately), you can select it.

•

Traditional Chime. The chime that you wired your Arlo doorbell to rings when
someone presses your Arlo doorbell.

Note: When Silent Mode is enabled, third-party smart home assistants—such as Amazon
Alexa and Google Assistant—are disabled for your doorbell.

Control the doorbell LED
The LED on your Video Doorbell indicates how the doorbell is operating. By default, the
doorbell lights white in a slow breathing pattern when motion is detected and lights solid
white when a video call is accepted and active. You can toggle these LED patterns on and off.

Use Your Doorbell

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

To change the settings for the Status LEDs:
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the gear icon next to the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.
3. Tap Doorbell LED.
4. Tap Breathe LED on Motion Detection to enable or disable this setting.
When Breathe LED is enabled, the LED lights in a slow breathing pattern when motion is
detected. When this setting is disabled, the LED remains off when motion is detected.
5. Tap LED on Call Accepted to enable or disable this setting.
When this setting is enabled, the LED lights solid white when a video call is accepted and
active. When this setting is disabled, the LED remains off when a call is accepted.

Change the call settings
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the gear icon next to the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.
3. Scroll down and tap Call Settings.
4. To turn the speaker on your mobile phone on and off, tap Speaker.
5. To mute the audio on your mobile phone, tap Mute.
6. To allow a visitor to leave a video message if you don’t accept a doorbell call after 20
seconds, or if you decline the call, tap Leave your message.

Turn the doorbell siren on and off
Your doorbell includes a siren that you can turn on to discourage tampering by an unwanted
visitor. You can turn the siren on and off from the Arlo app.
Note: With an Arlo Smart plan, you can also activate the siren from the push notification sent
on motion detection.
To turn the doorbell siren on or off from the Arlo app:
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Siren

on the upper right.

3. Tap Activate Siren.

Use Your Doorbell

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

If you have multiple Arlo devices with sirens, you’re prompted to select a device.
4. Swipe the Siren icon to the right.
The siren remains active for five minutes or until you turn it off.
5. To turn off the siren, tap the slider at the top of the Devices page.

Use Your Doorbell

User Manual

6. View and Record Videos
When you open the Arlo app, the Devices page displays your video doorbell feed.
Tap to turn the siren on
and off.

Live camera feed
from the doorbell

Tap Play
to begin streaming
or Stop to stop.
Number of new recordings
Tap to view device settings
for the doorbell

Motion detection is on.

Tap a button to go to Devices,
Library, Modes, or Settings.

Camera Located below each camera
icon
feed

Camera Tap the camera feed to display
feed icon these icons

WiFi connection

Play/Stop

Motion detection is on

Mute the audio

Silent mode

Talk and Listen

View or change the settings

Record video manually
Take a snapshot

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

View your doorbell’s camera feed
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Play
on the camera feed.
The camera feed updates and camera feed icons display.
3. To stop viewing and listening to the live feed, tap Stop

Pan and zoom video
You can pan and zoom to focus in on the high-definition details of any live or recorded video.
Just pinch and drag any image as you do with photos on your smartphone. You can also
pinch and zoom in live feed, or use pinch and zoom to adjust your field of view from the Video
Settings.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Library.
3. Tap any live video or prerecorded video from your Arlo library.
A full screen view displays.
4. To pan and zoom using a mobile device:
•

Pinch to zoom in and out of the video.

•

Touch and drag to move around the zoomed-in frame.

5. To pan and zoom using a computer:
•

Click the Zoom icon.

•

Use your mouse to move around the frame.

Record clips from live video
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the camera feed image.
3. Tap Record
to begin recording.
This icon turns red to indicate that you’re recording the live feed.
4. To stop recording, tap Record

View and Record Videos

again.

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Take a snapshot from live video
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the camera feed image.
3. Tap Snapshot
.
The snapshot is saved in your library.

2-Way Audio
The doorbell includes a microphone that supports 2-way audio.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the camera feed image.
3. Tap the microhone icon .
4. The first time you use 2-way audio, allow Arlo to use your phone’s microphone.
5. Tap the microphone button.
Two-way audio is activated.
A Tap to mute microphone button displays below the camera feed. This button toggles on
and off
6. To turn off 2-Way Audio, tap the x on the upper-left corner of the page.

Change the order of the camera feeds
If you use more than one camera, you can change the order in which the camera feeds display
on the Devices page.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Under SYSTEM, tap Device Order.
4. If you’re using a smartphone or tablet, tap Edit at the top of the page.
A list icon displays.
5. Tap and hold the list icon and drag each device to the correct position on the list.
6. Tap Save.

View and Record Videos

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Motion detection activity zones
With an Arlo Smart subscription, you can designate zones within the doorbell camera view
where you want the camera to detect and record motion.

Add an activity zone
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings > My Devices.
3. Select the doorbell.
4. Under VIDEO, tap Activity Zones.
5. Tap +.
An activity zone box displays in the camera feed image.
6. Move the zone to the desired position in the camera feed image.
7. To reposition the zone, tap and hold the zone and move it.
8. To customize the zone name, tap Edit
and enter a name.
If you’re using a web browser, click > next to the zone name.
9. Tap Save.

Change an activity zone
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings > My Devices.
3. Select the doorbell.
4. Under VIDEO, tap Activity Zones.
5. Tap a zone to select it.
6. Move the zone to the desired position in the camera feed image.
7. To reposition the zone, tap and hold the zone and move it.
8. To customize the zone name, tap Edit
and enter a name.
If you’re using a web browser, click > next to the zone name.
9. Tap Save.

View and Record Videos

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Delete an activity zone
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings > My Devices.
3. Select the doorbell.
4. Under VIDEO, tap Activity Zones.
5. Tap a zone to select it.
6. Delete the device.
On an iOS device, slide the motion detection zone to the left and tap Delete.
On an Android device, slide the motion detection zone to the left.

View recordings and snapshots
With an Arlo Smart plan, your recordings and snapshots are stored in your Arlo library. You can
use the filter and the calender to find and view specific recordings.

Access cloud recordings
Your Arlo Video Doorell records when it is in an armed mode and detects motion. Your Arlo
recordings are sent to your Arlo account in the cloud and stored in your library. Recordings are
encrypted with your user name and password.
You can access your recordings from the Arlo app on your mobile device or by using a web
browser to visit https://my.arlo.com/#/login. You can download recordings from the cloud and
save them.

Use the Library
You can use the library to find and view recordings based on the date.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Library.
A green circle indicates the selected day. A green dot below the date indicates each day on
which a video clip was recorded.
3. Tap a highlighted date.
Recordings from that date display below the calendar.

View and Record Videos

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Use the filter
You can use the filter to find and view recordings based on criteria that you select.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Library.
3. Tap Filter in the upper left corner of the page.
4. Tap the filtering criteria that you want to use.
5. Tap Done.

Turn off the filter
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Library.
3. Tap Filter in the upper left corner of the page.
4. Tap Reset.
5. Tap Done.

Download recordings
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Library.
3. Tap a recording.
4. Tap Download.
5. Tap OK to confirm.

Make a recording a favorite
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Library.
3. Tap a recording.
4. Tap Favorite.

View and Record Videos

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Share recordings
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Library.
3. Tap a recording.
4. Tap Share.
5. Share the file.

Donate recordings for research
You can donate video or snapshot files to Arlo to use for research and development of Arlo
products.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Library.
3. Tap a recording.
4. Tap Donate.
5. Tap OK to confirm.

Delete recordings
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Library.
3. Tap a recording.
4. Tap Delete.
5. Tap OK to confirm.

View and Record Videos

User Manual

7. Change Your Settings
Once you set up your Arlo account, you can access it by using the Arlo app on a smartphone
or tablet, or from a computer using a web browser. If you’re using a computer, enter https://
my.arlo.com/#/login in the address bar of the browser.

Two-step verification
Two-step verification helps protect your account by adding another layer of security when you
log in to your Arlo account. Arlo will verify your identity anytime you sign in with a new device.
You can have up to five different two-step verification methods, in addition to the email
address associated with your Arlo account.
Note: If you’re a Friend on someone’s Arlo account, and the account owner sets up two-step
verification, you don’t have to use two-step verification to log in. Likewise, if you set up twostep verification as a Friend on an Arlo account, the account owner isn’t affected.
To sign in with two-step verification, you must first enter your email address and password.
Then, you must authenticate your identity with a security code (delivered by SMS text
message or email) or confirmation from an already trusted device. Requiring two pieces of
information helps to prevent any unwanted log in, even if someone has your Arlo account
password.
•

Push notification. When someone attempts to log in to your Arlo account on a new device,
Arlo sends a push notification to a previously trusted (and currently logged in) iOS or
Android device. Tap the push notification on the trusted device to approve or deny the log
in.

•

SMS text message. When someone attempts to log in to your Arlo account, Arlo sends a
text message to the phone number that you verified for two-step verification. Enter the
security code from the text message to complete the log in.

•

Email. If you can’t access a trusted device with push notifications, or if you can’t receive
SMS text messages, you can request a security code to be sent to the email associated
with your Arlo account.

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Set up two-step verification
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings.
3. In the ACCOUNT section, select Profile > Login Settings > Two-Step Verification.
4. Tap the switch next to Enable.
5. Select your verification method.
Note: Your Arlo account email is an automatic back-up option.
6. Follow the instructions in the app to complete your two-step verification setup.

Add a phone number or device to two-step verification
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings.
3. In the ACCOUNT section, select Profile > Login Settings > Two-Step Verification.
4. To add a phone number, tap Add SMS Verification and enter the phone number.
5. To add a trusted device, tap Add Trusted Device.

Remove a phone number or device from two-step verification
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings.
3. In the ACCOUNT section, select Profile > Login Settings > Two-Step Verification.
4. Tap the trashcan icon next to a phone number or trusted device.

Use face or fingerprint authentication
You can use Touch ID® or Face ID® with a compatible Apple device. With a compatible Android
device, you can use fingerprint authentication.
Your device must meet the following minimum requirements:
•

Apple devices:
iOS version 10.3 or higher
A Touch ID compatible device (iPhone 5s, iPad Air 2, or newer)

Change Your Settings

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

A Face ID compatible device (iPhone X, iPad Pro 2018, or newer)
•

Android devices:
Android OS version 6.0 or higher
A compatible Android device with fingerprint authentication

Turn fingerprint authentication on and off for the Arlo app
1. Enable fingerprint authentication on your iPhone or Android device.
2. Open the Arlo app.
3. Tap Settings.
4. In the ACCOUNT section, select Profile > Login Settings.
5. Slide the toggle for fingerprint or Touch ID to the right (on) or left (off).

Turn face authentication on and off for the Arlo app
1. Enable Face ID authentication on your iPhone.
2. Open the Arlo app.
3. Tap Settings.
4. In the ACCOUNT section, select Profile > Login Settings.
5. Slide the toggle Face ID to the right (on) or left (off).

Customize your profile
You can enter your name, add a profile photo and home address, and opt-in or opt-out of Arlo
news and support updates.

Add a profile picture
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings.
3. In the ACCOUNT section, select Profile > Edit Profile.
4. Tap the profile picture at the top of the page.
5. Select Take Photo or Choose from Library.
Note: If you already have a profile picture, you can also select Remove Current Photo.
Change Your Settings

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

6. Upload your preferred profile picture.
7. Tap Save at the bottom of the page.

Edit profile settings
You can enter your name, add a profile photo and home address, and opt-in or opt-out of Arlo
news and support updates.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings.
3. In the ACCOUNT section, select Profile > Edit Profile.
4. Enter your profile settings.
5. Tap Save at the bottom of the page.

Change your Arlo password
You can change your password in the Arlo app or by logging in to my.arlo.com.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings.
3. In the ACCOUNT section, select Profile > Login Settings.
4. Enter your old password.
5. Enter a new password and then confirm it.
6. Tap Change Password.
Your new password is saved.

Reset a forgotten password
If you forgot your Arlo password, you can reset it with a verified email address.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Forgot Password?.
3. Enter your email address.
4. Tap Send Email.
An email is sent from [email protected] to your verified email address.
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5. Tap the link provided in that email.
6. Enter a new password.
7. Tap Submit.
Your password is reset.

Grant access to friends
You can add friends to your Arlo account. Friends can view live streams from your cameras;
record video clips; view, share, mark as favorite, and delete clips from your library; and take
snapshots. Friends are granted limited access to some of the settings and features of your
Arlo account. You can select which cameras friends can see and what administrative rights are
available to them.
Friends without access rights can:
•

Play and view library content.

•

View live footage.

•

Zoom and drag video footage.

•

Control brightness.

•

Enter full-screen view.

Friends who are granted access rights can also:
•

Play and pause video footage.

•

Record video footage.

•

Mute the speaker.

•

Access and change modes.

•

View motion detection statuses.

•

Manually record.

•

Take snapshots.

•

Mark as a favorite, share, download, and delete video footage.

•

Use a camera’s microphone.

Add a friend
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings.

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3. Under ACCOUNT, tap Grant Access.
4. Tap Add or +.
5. Enter your friend’s first name, last name, and email address.
6. Tap the Arlo devices that you want your friend to access.
7. To grant access rights to your friend, tap Allow Access Rights.
Selecting Allow Access Rights allows this friend to change your account and camera
settings.
8. Tap Send Invite.
An email message is sent inviting your friend to create an Arlo account. This friend’s name
is displayed with the status Pending. When the friend accepts your invitation, the status
changes to Accepted.

Edit a friend’s access privileges
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Under ACCOUNT, tap Grant Access.
A list of your friends displays with the status of their accounts.
4. Tap the friend, and tap Edit

5. Tap Arlo devices to select or deselect them.
6. Tap Allow Access Rights.
Selecting Allow Access Rights allows this friend to change your account and camera
settings.
7. Tap Done.

Delete a friend
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Under ACCOUNT, tap Grant Access.
4. Select the friend, and tap Edit

5. Tap Delete Friend.

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6. Tap Yes.

Change the time zone
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings > My Devices.
3. Tap the doorbell.
4. Tap Time Zone.
5. Tap a time zone.
If you’re using a mobile device, your settings are saved.
6. If you’re using a computer, click Save.

Doorbell settings
You can view or change the settings for your doorbell using either of these methods:
•

Tap Settings > My Devices and select the doorbell.

•

Tap the gear icon

below the doorbell’s camera feed.

Change the doorbell name
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the gear icon next to the doorbell.
3. Tap Edit

next to the doorbell name.

4. Enter a new name.
Names are limited to 32 characters.
5. Tap Save.

Change the type of traditional chime the doorbell triggers
You can set your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell to trigger a mechanical, digital, or no
chime when someone presses the doorbell button.
Before changing the chime settings in the Arlo app, you must wire your wired Arlo Essential
Video Doorbell and Power Kit to the correct chime configuration.

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To change the type of chime that your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell triggers:
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the gear icon next to the wired doorbell.
3. Tap Traditional Chime.
4. Select Mechanical, Digital, or None.
•

Mechanical. Mechanical chimes make a traditional ding-dong sound when rung.

•

Digital. Digital or electronic chimes have a speaker and can play a melody or ding-dong
when rung.

•

None. Use this setting if you’re bypassing the doorbell chime or are installing to a
transformer, without any chime connected. For more information, see Use Bypass
mode for the Power Kit on page 77.

Change the brightness of the video
This change takes effect on the next video stream or motion recording.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the gear icon next to the doorbell.
3. Tap Video Settings.
4. Move the slider to increase or decrease the video brightness.

Change the video quality
This change takes effect on the next video stream or motion recording.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the gear icon next to the doorbell.
3. Tap Video Settings > Video Quality.
4. Tap to select 1536sq, 1080sq, or 720sq.

Turn night vision on and off
When night vision is enabled, the camera automatically turns on infrared (IR) LED to record in
low-light conditions. To optimize night vision, we recommend that you position the doorbell
so that it’s not facing reflective surfaces such as windows.
1. Open the Arlo app.

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2. Tap the gear icon next to the doorbell.
3. Tap Video Settings.
4. Tap Night Vision.
5. If you’re using an Android device, tap the slider.

Turn Auto HDR on and off
High dyanmic range (HDR) solves the problem with over- or under-exposed images of scenes
with both bright and dark areas in the same picture. Your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell
automatically determines when to use HDR. HDR is optimized for outdoor environments. Your
camera comes set to use HDR automatically, but you can turn it on and off. This change takes
effect on the next video stream or motion recording.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the gear icon next to the doorbell.
3. Tap Video Settings.
4. Tap Auto HDR.
If you’re using an Android device, tap the slider.

Change the audio settings
You can adjust the settings to turn the microphone on and off and adjust the speaker. These
settings take effect whether or not the microphone and speaker are enabled for live-streaming
and motion recording.
Note: Controls for the speaker and microphone settings of your mobile phone during a
doorbell video call are set up within Call Settings. See Change the call settings on page 32.
To change the audio settings:
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the gear icon next to the doorbell.
3. If you’re using a mobile device, tap Audio Settings.
4. Adjust the settings:
•

Microphone toggle turns the microphone off and on.

•

Speaker toggle and volume. To turn the speaker on and off, tap Speaker. To change
the speaker volume, move the Speaker Volume slider.

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Adjust the flicker setting
The combination of certain artificial light sources and the Video Doorbell’s camera shutter
speed might cause flickering or dark lines in recorded video. The default setting is Auto (60
Hz), but you can change this setting to 50 Hz.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the gear icon next to the doorbell.
3. Tap Flicker Adjustment.
4. Tap a setting.

Optional SmartHub and Base Station settings
You can connect your Arlo Video Doorbell directly to the 2.4 GHz WiFi network of your router.
If you prefer, you can connect your doorbell with a SmartHub model VMB5000 or VMB4540 or
Base Station with Siren model VMB4500 or VMB4000.
This section describes the SmartHub and base station settings.

Change your SmartHub or base station name
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings > My Devices.
3. Tap the SmartHub or base station.
4. Tap Edit

next to the name.

5. Enter a new name.
6. Tap Save.

Restart your SmartHub or base station
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings > My Devices.
3. Tap the SmartHub or base station.
4. Scroll down and tap Restart.

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Turn the base station siren on and off
By default, the base station siren is set to the loudest volume, which is over 100 decibles. You
can set up motion detection rules to trigger the base station siren and select the siren volume
level when you set up the rule. The base station siren settings are Loud, Very Loud, and
Extremely Loud. See Add a rule with a base station siren trigger on page 56.
WARNING: The loudest siren setting, which is the default for the siren, is more than 100
decibels. Do not test the siren while people or pets are close to the base station. Prolonged
exposure to the siren might cause hearing damage.
To turn the base station siren on and off using the Arlo app
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Turn Siren ON.
3. Tap Yes to confirm that you want to turn on the siren.

Base station siren button
The Base Station with Siren model VMB4000 has a button located on the top.

WARNING: The loudest siren setting, which is the default for the siren, is more than 100
decibels. Do not test the siren while people or pets are close to the base station. Prolonged
exposure to the siren might cause hearing damage.
Pressing this button turns the siren on and off.

View device information
You can view the firmware version, hardware version, and the serial number.
1. Open the Arlo app.

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2. Tap Settings > My Devices.
3. Tap the device.
4. Tap Device Info.

Remove a device from your account
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings > My Devices.
3. Tap the device.
4. Scroll down and tap Remove Device.

Restart the doorbell from the Arlo app
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings > My Devices.
3. Tap the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and tap Restart.

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8. Modes, Rules, and Alerts
You can arm or disarm Arlo devices that detect motion or audio, either individually or all at
the same time. You can also set up a schedule to automatically arm each device. Your doorbell
always detects motion. When it is armed, it alerts you when motion is detected, and can be set
up to ring a chime

Arm or disarm all your Arlo devices
Arming or disarming all devices deactivates other modes, such as Schedule, Geofencing, and
Custom modes. To return a device to another mode, select the device and then select a mode.
To arm or disarm all your Arlo devices:
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Modes.
3. Tap Arm All Devices or Disarm All Devices.

Modes
Arlo modes give you control over how your doorbell responds with recordings and alerts
when it detects motion. Modes let you tell your doorbell and other Arlo devices to respond
differently at different times.
You can create your own modes, but the Arlo app comes with these modes:
Armed. The doorbell records and sends alerts, and can trigger a chime to ring when
triggered, depending on your rule settings.
Disarmed. The doorbell button still works. SIP calls and voicemail recordings are
saved. The doorbell camera doesn’t record or send alerts when motion is detected.
Schedule. Manage recordings and alerts based on a schedule.
Geofencing. Arm, disarm, or resume a schedule mode when you arrive at or leave
a given location based on your mobile device location.

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

You can customize the Armed and Schedule modes and you can add new modes. You might
want to create a mode in which some cameras are active but others aren’t. For example, when
you’re sleeping, you might want to arm your outdoor camera and disarm your indoor camera.
You can create different modes for the same camera, but the camera can only use one mode
at a time.

Select a mode
You can select a mode or set modes to activate according to a schedule.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Mode.
3. Tap the doorbell.
A list of modes displays.
4. Tap a mode to activate it.
The mode that you selected turns on. The mode stays active until you change it.

Mute Notifications
Mute Notifications temporarily silences push notifications to your mobile device, while videos
continue to be recorded. This is great for a party when you don’t want to be disturbed. You
can mute notifications from the Arlo app. If you use Arlo Smart, you can also activate Mute
Notifications directly from push notifications.
To mute notifications:
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings > Mute Notifications.
3. Select the length of time to mute notifications.
A message displays confirming that you’re muting notifications. The Mute Notification
status shows the amount of remaining time until notifications resume.
To unmute notifications
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Settings > Mute Notifications > Unmute.
The Mute Notifications status changes to Off.

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Rules for modes
Each mode uses one or more rules to control your Arlo system. You can set these options.
•

Trigger device. If your doorbell is your only Arlo device, it is the trigger device that detects
motion. If you use additional Arlo cameras or devices, you can create rules where one Arlo
device triggers another. For example, if the someone presses the doorbell at night, an Arlo
Security Light turns on. In this example, the doorbell is the trigger device.

•

Action device. The action device performs an action in response to the trigger device. For
example, you might want your driveway camera to trigger your doorbell camera to start
recording video. Or you might want your Chime 2 to alert you when your Arlo Security
Light detects motion. You decide what action each camera takes.

•

Notifications. When a trigger is detected, the Arlo app can send you push notifications,
email alerts, or both. You can also send email alerts to friends, family members, pet sitters,
or anyone who might need to respond when your Arlo doorbell or camera is triggered.

Trigger a Chime 2 when the doorbell is pressed
Depending on the product you purchase, the Arlo Chime 2 may be included with your Arlo
doorbell, or sold separately. The Arlo Chime 2 lets you receive instant alerts from your Arlo
doorbell and your Arlo cameras.
During setup, you pair your Chime 2 with your Essential Video Doorbell. This means your
Chime 2 will ring when someone presses your doorbell button. (You don’t have to set up a
mode for that.) You can view the paired devices on the Device Settings page for the Chime 2
(Pair Doorbell) or the Device Settings page for the Doorbell (Pair Chime).
Mode rules are only used when setting up the Chime 2 as an action device to play a sound or
siren in response to a trigger, such as motion or audio from a doorbell or camera.

Set up a rule to use the Chime 2 as a siren
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Mode.
3. Select your doorbell or the Arlo device that you want to use to trigger a siren.
A list of modes displays.
4. Tap Edit

next to the mode that you want to edit.

5. Tap Edit

next to the rule.

6. Tap Add Device.

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7. Select your Chime 2 on the Action Device page, and tap Save.
8. Select Activate Siren.

Change motion sensitivity
You can edit a rule to change the motion sensitivity level for your cameras.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Mode.
3. Tap the doorbell.
4. Tap Edit

next to the mode.

5. Tap Edit

next to the rule.

6. Under If the following, tap Edit

next to Motion is detected.

7. Move the slider to adjust the sensitivity level for motion detection for this camera.
If you used a mobile device to specify the settings, your settings are saved.
8. If you used a browser to specify the settings, click Save.

Automatically stop recording when motion stops
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Mode.
3. Tap the doorbell.
4. Tap Edit

next to the mode.

5. Under Then do the following, tap Edit

next to Record video.

6. Select Record until activity stops (up to 300 sec).

Add a rule with a base station siren trigger
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Mode.
3. Tap the base station.

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4. Tap Edit

next to the mode.

5. Under Rules, select the camera.
6. Select the Turn Siren ON check box.
7. Tap Sound Alarm.
8. Move the sliders to the desired level for Siren Duration and Siren Loudness.
9. Tap Edit

next to the rule.

10. Tap Done.
Note: This rule isn’t active until you activate the mode to which you added the siren trigger.

Manage alerts
Arlo can push notifications to your smartphone, send you email alerts, or do both. To receive
Arlo notifications on your phone, you must install the Arlo app on your phone.
Note: If you log out of the Arlo app on your smartphone or mobile device, you will stop
receiving push notifications.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Mode.
3. Tap the doorbell.
4. Tap Edit

next to the mode.

Note: The Disarmed mode doesn;t send alerts.
5. Under Alert, tap Push Notification to turn alerts on and off for your mobile device.
6. Under Alert, tap Email Alerts to turn email notifications on and off.
7. To specify an email address, tap Edit

next to Email Alerts and enter the email address.

Schedule when your doorbell camera is armed
You can set a schedule to specify the days and times during the week when your doorbell’s
camera records in response to motion triggers. Schedules recur weekly. For example, the
schedule for Tuesday repeats every Tuesday as long as the schedule is turned on.

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To schedule when your camera responds to motion triggers:
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Mode.
3. Select your doorbell.
A list of modes displays.
4. Tap Schedule
5. Tap Edit

next to Schedule.

6. Tap + Add.
7. Set the days and times for your new schedule.
Note: To add an overnight schedule such as 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., you need to add two
separate schedules. First, add 8:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m., then add 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
8. Tap Done.

Edit a schedule
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Mode.
3. Tap the doorbell.
4. Tap Schedule
5. Tap Edit

next to Schedule.

6. Tap a green box.
7. Change the start and stop times and tap Save.

Set up Arlo Geofencing
Geofencing is a virtual fence around a location called a zone. You can use Arlo Geofencing to
arm, disarm, or resume schedule modes when your mobile device is in zone or out of zone.
To set up geofencing, you must use your mobile device and allow the Arlo app to use your
location.

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Geofencing accuracy
For accuracy, geofencing uses a combination of GPS, cellular data, and WiFi data. The local
environment affects geofencing:
•

In urban environments, where the cell towers and WiFi routers are more dense, geofencing
accuracy can reach 100–200 meters.
Note: If you live in a skyscraper, geofencing might not work reliably due to GPS
inaccuracies. Using the Large radius setting might help.

•

In rural areas, where cell towers and WiFi routers are sparse, geofencing accuracy can
reach several hundred meters.

To improve geofencing accuracy, make sure that your mobile device meets these conditions:
•

WiFi is turned on.

•

GPS or location services are turned on.

Prepare your mobile device for geofencing
1. Enable GPS or location services so that Arlo can locate your device.
2. Enable WiFi.
3. Download the Arlo app and log in on each mobile device that you plan to enable for
geofencing.
For Arlo Geofencing to work on your device, you must adjust the settings on your Android or
iOS mobile device as follows:
Android devices
• Location permission = On
•

Location services = On

•

Battery saver = Off

•

Data limit = Off

•

Airplane mode = Off

iOS (Apple) devices
• Share my location = On
•

Location services = Always

•

Airplane mode = Off

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Set up geofencing for the first time and set up modes
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Mode.
3. Tap the doorbell.
4. Tap Geofencing

5. Allow the Arlo app to use your mobile device’s location.
Geofencing works only if Arlo can locate your mobile device. The Location Address page
displays your current address.
6. To change the radius setting, tap Radius and select a radius size.
Radius sizes are Small, Medium, and Large (approximately 150 meters, 250 meters, and
500 meters, respectively).
7. Tap Device Location and enter a name for your location.
8. Tap Away Mode and select a mode.
Your camera uses the Away mode when your mobile device is outside the radius of your
camera’s location. Most people select Armed, Schedule, or Custom Mode so that the
camera detects motion while they’re gone.
9. Tap Home Mode and select a mode.
Your camera uses this mode when your mobile device is within the radius of your camera’s
location. Most people select Disarmed while they’re home.
If you use more than one enabled mobile device, you might be asked to select an Arlo
device to connect it to.
10. To select the preferred mobile device, tap the device and then tap Next.
11. Tap Save.
For troubleshooting tips, see Troubleshoot Arlo Geofencing on page 82.

Geofencing with multiple mobile devices
Arlo Geofencing works with multiple mobile devices.
Arlo uses the first-in, last-out principal to manage households where more than one person
uses geofencing. If everyone leaves home with their mobile devices, this triggers an away
state. Since no one is inside the geofence, your cameras are armed. When the first person
comes home (first in), their mobile device is now inside the geofence, triggering the home

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state and your cameras are disarmed. If one person leaves, but another is still home, the
cameras stay disarmed in the home state until the last person leaves (last out).
We recommend that you enable geofencing only for the mobile device that each person
carries every day. For example, if you use a smartphone and a tablet, and you take your phone
when you leave, set your phone as an enabled device in your Geofencing settings. Don’t set
your tablet as an enabled device, because Away mode won’t be triggered when you go out
and leave your tablet home.
The Geofencing mode only changes from Home to Away when all enabled mobile devices are
outside the Device Location in your Geofencing settings.
To review which mobile devices participate in geofencing, open the Arlo app and check the
Enabled Devices page in Geofencing settings (in the Modes section of the Arlo app). Remove
any devices that you don’t want to trigger Home/Away mode changes.
Make sure that these conditions are met:
•

Your Arlo devices are online.

•

Geofencing is enabled.

•

Your friends’ and family’s mobile devices are added to your account.
For information about adding devices, see Enable or disable geofencing for friends’ mobile
devices on page 61.

•

(Required when your friend wants to participate in geofencing) Your friend is logged in to
the Arlo app on his or her mobile device and the GPS or location service is enabled on your
friend’s mobile device.

Enable or disable geofencing for friends’ mobile devices
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Mode.
3. Tap the doorbell.
4. Tap Edit

next to Geofencing.

5. Tap Enabled Devices.
A list of mobile devices displays. A check mark appears next to the device name when
geofencing is enabled.
6. Tap one or more mobile devices.
The device location displays as either In Zone, Out of Zone, or Unavailable (if there’s an
issue contacting that device).

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7. To disable geofencing, tap the mobile device again.
The check mark disappears when geofencing is disabled.
For more information, see Set up Arlo Geofencing on page 58.

Custom modes
You can add modes in addition to the modes that come with the Arlo app and give the new
modes custom names, such as Vacation. You can create one rule for each mode.
You can create multiple rules within the same mode so that each camera performs different
actions and sends different alerts. You can also use Schedule mode to activate modes
automatically at different times of the day or week. (See Schedule your rules on page 58.)

Add a mode
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Mode.
3. Tap the doorbell.
4. Tap Add a Mode.
5. Enter the mode name and tap Next.
6. Select the trigger device and tap Next.
This is the doorbell that detects motion.
7. Enter the trigger device settings for the When motion is detected section and then tap
Next.
8. Use the slider to set the motion sensitivity for the trigger device and tap Next.
Higher motion sensitivity settings usually trigger your camera to capture videos more
frequently.
9. Select an action device and tap Next.
This is the Arlo device that performs an action when the trigger device detects motion
or sound. You can select the same Arlo device you’re using as a trigger or a different Arlo
device.
10. Select an action and tap Next.
You can select Record video,or Do nothing.
If you’re using a computer web browser, you can also specify the recording time setting.

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11. Select the notifications for Arlo to send when motion is detected and then tap Next.
12. Review your settings and tap Save.

Use your doorbell to trigger a camera to record
You can set up a rule so that your wired Essential Video Doorbell triggers an Arlo camera to
start recording when the doorbell detects motion. For example, you can trigger an Arlo wirefree camera overlooking your front entry to record, even if the camera doesn’t detect motion.
You can trigger an indoor Arlo camera to record, to ensure no one enters your home.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the doorbell.
3. Tap the menu on the upper-right corner of the page to open it.
4. Tap Motion settings.
5. To receive alerts when your doorbell detects motion, tap Motion Triggered Alerts.
6. Tap Add Device.
7. Tap Camera and then tap Next.
8. Tap Record video and then tap Next.
For the recording settings, you can choose one of these options:
•

Record until activity stops (up to 300 sec)

•

Record for a fixed length of time (then use the slider to select the number of seconds
from 10 to 120.)

9. Tap Next
The Motion Settings page shows your settings in Then do the following.
10. Tap Done.

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9. SmartHub SD Card Local Storage
The SmartHub model VMB500 supports SD card storage. If you use your wired Arlo Essential
Video Doorbell wtih the SmartHub VMB5000, you can use this feature.
You can insert a microSD card into the slot in your SmartHub VMB5000 and store your Arlo
recordings both in the cloud and on the SD card. If the SmartHub isn’t connected to the
Internet, recordings continue to be saved on the microSD card. If you have an active live
stream connection between an Arlo Ultra camera and a SmartHub, you can record to a
microSD card. Your Arlo app notifies you when the SD card is low on storage space or is full.

MicroSD card format
Your SmartHub accepts SDHC or SDXC microSD cards. We recommend using microSD cards
with a minimum of 16 GB capacity, Speed Class 10, UHS 1, V10. Your Arlo SmartHub supports
up to Class 10 UHS-3 V90.
If your microSD card isn’t formatted or is formatted with an incompatible file system, you can
use your Arlo app to format the microSD card. See Format a microSD card on page 66.

Insert a microSD card
1. Insert the microSD card into the slot on the bottom of the SmartHub.

2. Press the edge of the microSD card until it’s completely seated in the slot.

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View the SD card status
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap SmartHub/Base Station/Bridge.
3. Check the SD card icon
amber .

. When a microSD card is inserted in the SmartHub, this icon is

4. To view more information about the microSD card status, under LOCAL STORAGE, tap
Storage Settings.
The SD Card Status displays GOOD, or indicates if the SD card needs to be formatted, or is
full. The Arlo app also notifies you if this occurs.

View available SD card storage
The Arlo app notifies you if the SD card is getting full, but you can also view the available
storage:
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap SmartHub/Base Station/Bridge > Storage Settings.
The Available Storage field displays the amount of storage available on the SD card.

Turn SD card recording off and on
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap SmartHub/Base Station/Bridge
3. Select the SmartHub.
4. Tap Storage Settings > SD Card Recording.
SD card recording toggles off and on.

Turn on Best Local Recording
The SmartHub recordings saved onto the SD card are 1080p by default, but you can change
this setting to record the best resolution that’s supported for your camera. For example, Ultra
Series cameras support 4K local recording and Pro 3 cameras support 2K local recording.
To turn on Best Local Recording:
1. Open the Arlo app.

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2. Tap SmartHub/Base Station/Bridge
3. Select the SmartHub.
4. Tap Storage Settings > Best Local Recording.

Change the SD card overwrite setting
By default, if the SD card fills up, the oldest Arlo recording is erased to make room for new
recordings. Files on the SD card that aren’t in the Arlo folder aren’t deleted to make room
for Arlo recordings. You can change the setting so that no Arlo recordings are automatically
erased.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Base Station & Bridge > Storage Settings.
3. Tap Overwrite Automatically.
The overwrite setting toggles off and on.

Format a microSD card
Your SmartHub accepts micro SD cards, SDHC or SDXC only, file format FAT32. The Arlo app
displays a message to let you know if you need to format the SD card. The SmartHub can
format the SD card.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap SmartHub/Base Station/Bridge > Local Storage.
3. Tap the red Format SD Card button.

Safely eject an SD card
It’s important to safely remove the microSD card from your SmartHub. If you remove an
SD card while information is being recorded on it, the SD card might become permanently
unusable or the files on the card might be corrupted.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap SmartHub/Base Station/Bridge > Local Storage.
3. Tap Safely Eject SD Card.
4. Wait for the Unmounting SD Card progress message to close.

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5. Remove the SD card from your SmartHub by pressing in on the edge of the card until it
ejects.
Do not interrupt power to the SmartHub or remove the SD card while unmounting the SD
card.
6. The SD card icon changes from amber
to gray
indicasting that no microSD card is in
the slot.
Arlo SD card recording is disabled until you insert another SD card.

View videos on a microSD card
To view Arlo videos saved on a microSD card, you must remove the microSD card from your
SmartHub and use a microSD card reader.
The microSD card reader can be part of your computer or a memory card reader with a USB or
micro USB connector. If you purchase an SD card reader, make sure that you choose one that
can read microSD cards.
1. Safely eject the microSD card.
For more information, see Safely eject an SD card on page 66.
2. Insert the microSD card into the slot in your card reader.
3. Wait for the microSD card to appear in the list of available drives on your computer, and
then open the drive folder to view the files on your microSD card.
4. Open the Arlo folder.
Recorded videos are saved in this folder in MP4 format. Video files are named according
to this system: camera serial number_video number_date_video clip tag. Dates are in the
format YYYYMMDD.
Note: If you’re unable to play MP4 files on your computer, update your media player software
to the latest version and try again. You can also download a free universal multimedia player,
such as VLC.

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10.SmartHub or Base Station
USB Local Storage
The Arlo SmartHub VMB4540 and Base Station with Siren VMB4500 and VMB4000 include one
or two USB ports on the rear panel. If you use your doorbell with a SmartHub or base station,
you can use this feature.

SmartHub VMB4540

Base station VMB4500

Base station VMB400

You can connect a USB storage device to the USB port and store your Arlo recordings both in
the cloud and on the USB device.
If the SmartHub or Base Station with Siren isn’t connected to the Internet, recordings
continue to be saved on your USB storage device. If you’re using an active live stream
connection between your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell and a SmartHub, you can record
to a USB storage device in 1080p.
Your Arlo app notifies you when the connected USB storage device is low on storage space or
is full.

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

USB storage device format
The SmartHub supports these file formats for local storage:
•

FAT16

•

FAT32

•

ExFAT

•

ext2FAT

•

ext3FAT

•

ext4FAT

•

HFS+

The minimum USB drive size is 16 GB and the maximum size drive that those file systems
support is 2 TB. The SmartHub supports USB 2.0-compatible devices. Not all HDDs are
compatible with the SmartHub. If you’re not sure, consult the manufacturer of the HDD.

View the USB storage device status
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap SmartHub/Base Station/Bridge.
3. Check the color of the USB icon

•

Gray. No USB device is connected.

•

Black. A USB device is connected to the SmartHub.

•

Amber. The SmartHub is recording onto the USB device.

4. To view more information about the USB device status, under LOCAL STORAGE, tap
Storage Settings.
The USB status displays GOOD or indicates if the USB device needs to be formatted, or is
full. The Arlo app also notifies you if this occurs.

View available USB device storage
The Arlo app notifies you if the USB device is getting full, but you can also view the available
storage.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap SmartHub/Base Station/Bridge > Storage Settings.
The Available Storage field displays the amount of storage available on the USB device.
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Turn USB recording off and on
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap SmartHub/Base Station/Bridge
3. Select the SmartHub.
4. Tap Storage Settings > USB Device Recording.

Change the USB device overwrite setting
By default, if the USB storage device fills up, the oldest Arlo recording is erased to make
room for new recordings. Files on the USB device that aren’t in the Arlo folder aren’t deleted
to make room for Arlo recordings. You can change the setting so that no Arlo recordings are
automatically erased.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap Base Station & Bridge > Storage Settings.
3. Tap Overwrite Automatically.
The overwrite setting toggles off and on.

Format a USB device
The Arlo app displays a pop-up message to let you know if it is necessary to format the USB
storage device. The SmartHub can format the USB storage device.
Do not remove the USB storage device while it is formatting. The USB storage device might
become permanently unusable.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap SmartHub/Base Station/Bridge > Local Storage.
If you see the message Requires Formatting, the USB storage device isn’t in the correct
format and you must format it before you can use it for local storage.
3. Tap the Format USB Device button.
4. Wait for USB Device Status to change from Formatting to Ready.

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Safely eject a USB storage device
It’s important to safely remove the USB device from your SmartHub. If you remove a USB
device while information is being recorded on it, the USB device might become permanently
unusable or the files on the USB device might be corrupted.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap SmartHub/Base Station/Bridge > Local Storage.
3. Tap Safely Eject USB Device.
4. Wait for the Unmounting USB storage device progress message to close.
5. Disconnect your USB storage device from your SmartHub.
Do not interrupt power to the SmartHub or remove the USB device while unmounting the
USB device.
6. The USB icon changes to gray
indicating that no USB device is connected.
USB recording is disabled until you connect another USB device.

View videos on a USB device
Video clips on USB storage devices don’t display in the Arlo app, but you can use a Windowsbased or Mac computer to view the clips.
1. Safely eject the USB storage device.
For more information, see Safely eject a USB storage device on page 71.
2. Connect the USB storage device that you ejected to a Windows-based computer or a Mac
computer.
3. Wait for the USB storage device to appear in the list of available drives on your computer,
and then open the drive folder to view the files on your USB storage device.
4. Open the Arlo folder.
Recorded videos are saved in this folder in MP4 format. Video files are named according
to this system: camera serial number_video number_date_video clip tag. Dates are in the
format YYYYMMDD.
Note: If you’re unable to play MP4 files on your computer, update your media player software
to the latest version and try again.

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11.Arlo Connect
Some partner devices require that the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell be set to
1080p/720p resolution to see video stream on assistant devices with a screen as they do not
support the default wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell resolution, which is 1536 x 1536. For
information about setting the video quality for the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell, see
Change the video quality on page 48.

Use Arlo with Amazon Alexa
With the Arlo Skill and Alexa, you can access your Arlo devices using voice commands and
view a live camera feed on your Echo Show, Fire TV, or Fire tablet. Alexa can also notify you
when motion is detected by your Arlo cameras.
To use the Arlo Skill, you need a connected wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell and one of
these Amazon devices:
•

Echo Show

•

Echo Spot

•

Echo Dot

•

Echo, Echo Plus

•

Fire tablets (7th generation or newer)

•

Fire TV (all generations)

•

Fire TV stick (second generation only)

•

Fire TV Edition smart TVs

Note: Some Alexa devices require that your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell be set to
1080p/720p resolution to see video stream as they do not support the default wired Arlo
Essential Video Doorbell resolution, which is 1536 x 1536. For information about setting the
video quality, see Change the video quality on page 48.

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Enable the Arlo Skill
Make sure that your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell is powered on and connected to the
cloud.
Enable the Arlo skill in one of these ways:
•

Ask Amazon Alexa “Alexa, enable Arlo skill” to receive instructions in your Alexa app to link
your Arlo account with your Alexa account.

•

In the Alexa app, search for the Arlo Skill and select Enable Skill to link your Arlo account
with your Alexa account.

Use the Arlo Skill
After you enable the Arlo Alexa Skill, you can try using these commands:
•

“Alexa, show me <camera name>.” Start streaming a camera live.

•

“Alexa, stop.” Stop an activity and return to your device’s home screen.

•

“Alexa, hide <camera name>.” Stop streaming from a camera and return to your device’s
home screen.

•

“Alexa, go home.” Return to your device’s home screen.

•

“Alexa, show the last motion detected by my <camera name>.”
To use this command, your Arlo subscription must include viewing past video clips for
your camera.

Set up Alexa to notify you when your doorbell detects motion
You can use either of these methods:
•

In the Smart Home section of the Alexa app, turn on Announcements for your Arlo camera.

•

Create an Alexa Routine from the Alexa app main menu.

Add your doorbell to the Google Assistant app
To use your doorbell with Google Assistant, you need:
•

A Google Home Hub, a Chromecast device, a TV with Chromecast, or a media player with
Chromecast

•

The Google Assistant app on your mobile device. This app is included with most Android

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devices, but you can also download it from the Apple App Store on iOS devices.
•

Some Google devices require that your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell be set to
1080p/720p resolution as they do not support the default video resolution, which is 1536
x 1536. For information about setting the video quality, see Change the video quality on
page 48.

To connect your Arlo cameras to the Google Assistant app:
1. If you plan to use a voice-enabled speaker with the Google Assistant, set up that device.
2. Open the Google Assistant app to the home page.
3. Tap the + icon.
4. Tap Set up Device > Have something already set up?.
5. Select the Arlo icon from the list of device options.
You can search for Arlo or scroll down to find Arlo on the list of devices.
6. Sign in with your Arlo account.
Your camera is added to Google Assistant.
7. To test your camera, say “Hey Google, show [name of room where camera is placed] on
[name of Google device].”
8. To end the stream, say “Hey Google, stop [name of Chromecast device].”
For more information, see Google Assistant Help: Control smart home devices.

Use Arlo with IFTTT
You can use the Arlo app with IFTTT (If This Then That), a free cloud-based service that
connects smart home devices and applications.
To add Arlo to your IFTTT app, visit ifttt.com/arlo.
To learn more about Arlo and IFTTT, visit arlo.com/community.

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12.Troubleshooting
The doorbell doesn’t scan the QR code in the
Arlo app during setup
During setup, your doorbell must scan a QR code from the Arlo app. If your doorbell doesn’t
emit a chime noise, then the QR code was not successfully scanned. If this situation occurs, try
the following:
•

Scan the QR code in an evenly lit area.
Avoid scanning the QR code in the dark or in direct sunlight. If possible, turn on porch
lights if installing at night, or provide some shade if your doorbell is exposed to direct
sunlight during installation.

•

Move your phone closer to the doorbell’s camera lens.
Position your phone about four inches (10 cm) from the doorbell lens and slowly move it
closer. You can also try different angles.

•

Increase the brightness on your phone.
Turn up the brightness on your phone to the highest level. On an iPhone, also select Light
(not Dark) under Settings > Display & Brightness.

•

If your phone is small, consider using the Arlo app on a tablet to set up your doorbell.

•

If the infrared (IR) LED on the doorbell is lit red while you are scanning the QR code, cover
the LED with your thumb. The IR LED can interfere with scanning the QR code.

IR LED location

•

Clean the doorbell’s camera lens.
Use a lint-free cloth to remove any smudges.

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

Arlo doesn’t discover your doorbell during setup
After your doorbell scans the QR code in the Arlo app during setup, the Arlo app attempts to
discover your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell on the same WiFi network that your phone
is connected to. Since the doorbell connects to 2.4 GHz WiFi networks, during setup you must
connect your phone to the same 2.4 GHz WiFi network.
If the Arlo app doesn’t discover your doorbell during the setup process:
1. Check the doorbell LED to see what went wrong.
• Doorbell LED flashes amber for 10 seconds. The doorbell can’t connect to the WiFi
network. Make sure that you enter the correct WiFi settings for your 2.4 GHz WiFi
network. The WiFi network name (SSID) and WiFi password are both case sensitive.
MyWiFiPassword is not the same as mywifipassword.
•

Doorbell LED flashes white for up to 10 hours. The doorbell connected to a WiFi
network, but it is not on the same WiFi network as your phone. To correct this
situation, connect your phone to the same 2.4 GHz WiFi network as your doorbell.

2. Check your phone’s WiFi connection.
During setup, your phone must connect to the same 2.4 GHz WiFi network as your
doorbell.
Many WiFi routers broadcast in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi bands. Your home
network might include two WiFi networks, or even three if you have a guest network.
•

In your phone’s WiFi settings, look for your WiFi network name that ends in 2, 2.4, or 2G
and connect to that network. For more information, see Connect your mobile device to
a 2.4 GHz WiFi network on page 77.

•

Your phone might automatically connect to cellular data. To keep this from happening,
make sure that Wi-Fi Assist and Adaptive Wi-Fi features are off on your mobile device.
These features allow mobile phones to automatically switch between WiFi and cellular
network Internet access.

•

If you use a VPN or WiFi extender, disconnect it during the WiFi setup process.

3. Check your WiFi router’s Internet connection.
After your doorbell connect to the same WiFi network as your phone, the Arlo app needs
to access your Arlo account in the cloud in order to add your doorbell to your Arlo account.
If your doorbell is still offline, visit Arlo Support www.arlo.com/en-us/support/.

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Use Bypass mode for the Power Kit
If your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell isn’t working as expected, even though the voltage
level of your doorbell transformer is 16-24 VAC, you might need to activate Bypass mode on
your Power Kit. When Bypass mode is turned on, your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell isn’t
electrically connected to your doorbell chime. This prevents your doorbell chime from ringing
when you use your doorbell.
We recommend that you turn on Bypass mode if:
•

Your doorbell chime rings or buzzes at unexpected times, while your wired Arlo Essential
Video Doorbell is operating.

•

The LED on your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell is amber during initial setup.

To activate Bypass mode on your Arlo Power Kit:
1. Turn off your power at the breaker.
2. Remove the cover from your doorbell chime.
3. Locate the Arlo Power Kit that is attached to your Doorbell Chime.
4. Move the switch on your Arlo Power Kit to Bypass Mode.
5. Turn your power back on at the breaker.
6. Turn off the traditional chime setting in the Arlo app.
Your Arlo Power Kit now bypasses your doorbell chime. Your doorbell chime will not ring
when someone presses your Video Doorbell.
If your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell still doesn’t function correctly after activating
Bypass mode, you might need to consult an electrician to confirm the voltage and available
power.

Traditional chime doesn’t ring when I press the
doorbell
If your existing chime doesn’t ring when someone presses your wired Arlo Essential Video
Doorbell, your doorbell or Power Kit might not be wired correctly, or the temperature of your
wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell might be too high.
If your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell doesn’t ring:
•

Make sure that the Power Kit is correctly wired to your existing chime. For more
information, see Install the Power Kit in your chime box on page 89.

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•

Make sure that Bypass mode is disabled on the Power Kit. For more information, see Use
Bypass mode for the Power Kit on page 77.

•

Make sure that your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell is powered on and wired correctly.
For more information, see Video Doorbell LED doesn’t light on page 78.

•

Check the chime setting in the Arlo app. For your chime to ring, the chime setting in the
Arlo app must be set to Mechanical or Digital, depending on the type of doorbell chime
you have. See Change the type of chime the doorbell triggers on page 47.

•

Check if Silent mode is turned on in the Arlo app. See Turn Silent mode on and off on page
31.

•

Check if the Arlo app is warning that your doorbell temperature is too high.
If your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell starts to get hot, typically from direct sunlight
on a hot day, the Arlo app disables your chime, but continues to operate. If your doorbell
gets too hot, the doorbell stops functioning until it cools down.

If your doorbell still doesn’t ring, visit www.arlo.com/en-us/support/ to speak with an expert.

Doorbell LED doesn’t light
During installation, if the LED is off for more than a minute, your doorbell isn’t receiving
power.
For information about the LED behaviors, see Video Doorbell LED on page 15.
To troubleshoot your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell when the LED is off, make sure that:
1. Power is available to your home.
2. The power breaker for your home is on.
3. The Power Kit is correctly wired to your doorbell chime.
4. Your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell is wired correctly.
5. The voltage of your doorbell transformer is between 16-24V AC.
If you have checked all these troubleshooting options, and the doorbell LED is still off,
consult an electrician to confirm whether your home is compatible with the wired Arlo
Essential Video Doorbell.

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Power interruption notification
The push notification Power interruption at [TIME] means your doorbell is not currently
receiving any voltage or its wires have been disconnected, but your home’s WiFi and Internet
connection are still working.
If you have an Arlo Smart subscription, you can tap the notification to activate an alarm, call a
friend, or call e911.
When the power returns to your doorbell, wait about 10 minutes for the doorbell to come
back online. If your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell remains in this state longer than 20
minutes after power is restored, try restarting your doorbell from within the Arlo app.

Remove the doorbell from its mount
After you install the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell, you can remove it from the mount so
that you can access the doorbell’s rear panel.
Use a paperclip or the release pin that came with your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.

Release pin

1. Press the release pin into the pin hole in the mount.
The doorbell releases with a click sound.

2. Remove the doorbell from the mount.

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Reset the doorbell
Resetting your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell returns it to default settings. Your doorbell
is also removed from your Arlo account when you reset it. This means that you must use the
Arlo app to add and set up your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell after a reset.
Use a paperclip or the release pin that came with your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.

Release pin

1. If you already installed your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell, remove it from the mount
so that you can access the rear of the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.
To do this, press the release pin into the pin hole.

The doorbell releases with a click sound.
2. Use a paperclip or the release pin to press and hold the reset button on the back of the
doorbell for about 10 seconds.

The doorbell LED flashes white.
3. To add the doorbell to your Arlo account and set it up, open the Arlo app and tap Add New
Device.

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Can’t see video streams in a browser
Your router might be blocking the ports to which Arlo sends data. To make sure that Arlo can
stay connected, you must keep ports 443 and 80 open on your router. Also see the following
sections WiFi signal interference and Out of range.

WiFi signal interference
Environments with multiple WiFi networks, WiFi devices, or frequencies can cause signal
interference with your Arlo system. Minimize the number of networks, WiFi devices, and
transmitted frequencies in the area where you place your WiFi router and cameras.
We recommend that you allow at least 6½ feet (2 meters) between your wired Arlo Essential
Video Doorbell and any Arlo cameras that you install to prevent WiFi signals between the
devices from interfering with each other.

Out of range
Make sure that your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell is no farther than 300 feet (90 meters)
from your WiFi router. The range might be less if metal objects or thick walls and ceilings are
between your router and the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.

Not receiving push notifications
You must be logged in to the Arlo app to receive Arlo alerts on your smartphone or mobile
device. Arlo registers your device for push notification when you log in. If you used the logout
option instead of simply exiting the app, you must log back in to the app. You receive Arlo
alerts even if your device is sleeping.

Check the rules for armed modes
Check the rules in your modes. Make sure that push notification is enabled in the Armed mode
or in a custom mode if you created one.
1. Open the Arlo app.
2. Tap the Mode button.
3. Select the wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.
A list of modes displays.
4. Tap Edit

next to Armed.

5. Tap Edit

next to the rule.

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6. Under Alert, make sure that the Push Notification check box is selected.
7. If you made changes, tap Save.

Check the Arlo app notification settings on an iOS device
Make sure that you allow the Arlo app to receive push notifications. The Arlo app push
notifications might be disabled on your iOS device.
1. Tap the Settings icon for your iOS device.
2. Tap Notifications > Arlo.
3. Make sure that Allow Notification is selected.

Check the Arlo app notification settings on an Android device
Make sure that you allow the Arlo app to receive push notifications. The Arlo app push
notifications might be disabled on your Android device.
1. Tap the Settings icon for your Android device.
2. Tap Application Manager > Arlo.
3. Make sure that the Show Notifications setting is selected.

If you said no to push notifications at installation
When you install the Arlo app for the first time, to receive alerts, you must select Allow when
asked if you want Arlo to send you push notifications. For iOS apps, after you respond to this
alert, it isn’t presented again unless the device is restored to factory settings or the app is
uninstalled for at least a day.
If you said no on an iOS device, uninstall the app, wait for a day, and then reinstall it, and
allow notifications. If you don’t want to wait a day before you reinstall the app, you can use
the system clock on your device to simulate a day. Set the system clock forward a day or
more, turn your device off, and then turn the device back on. After you reinstall the app, return
the system clock to the correct setting.

Troubleshoot Arlo Geofencing
Each Arlo user has a unique setup environment. These are the most common geofencing
issues:
•

Your mobile device isn’t sharing its location information with Arlo. See Prepare your mobile
device for geofencing on page 59.

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•

Away mode isn’t triggered when you leave because an extra mobile device that’s enabled
for geofencing is still in the Device Location. See Geofencing with multiple mobile devices
on page 60.

•

Geofencing stopped working because the location sharing settings for a mobile device
changed. See Prepare your mobile device for geofencing on page 59.

•

A task-killing app is interfering with Arlo Geofencing. A task-killing app, such as Shutapp or
Doze, can disable Arlo Geofencing. To use Arlo Geofencing, disable any apps that suppress
the Arlo app.

•

Geofencing for your mobile device on your friend’s Arlo account isn’t working.
If you’re a friend on someone else’s Arlo account, your mobile device can only change
Home/Away modes if the Arlo account owner does the following:
•

Turn on the Allow Access Rights setting. See Grant access to friends on page 45.

•

Set your device as an Enabled Device in Geofencing settings. See Enable or disable
geofencing for friends’ mobile devices on page 61.

Still experiencing issues with geofencing? Contact Arlo Customer Support.

Scan the QR code during Chime 2 setup
The Arlo Chime 2 is optional. When you use the Arlo app to set up your Chime 2, you’re
prompted to use your mobile device to scan the QR code located on the chime. If the Arlo app
doesn’t read this QR code, try the following:
•

Move your mobile device closer or further from the QR code.
Your mobile device might need to be a certain distance from the QR code to properly
focus.
•

Slowly move the phone camera closer to and farther away from the QR code to enable
the camera to focus better. Some smartphones might not be able to auto-focus.

•

Try scanning the QR code at a different angle.

•

Scan the QR code in an evenly lit area.
Avoid scanning the QR code in the dark or directly under a bright light. Bright lighting can
cause reflect off the Arlo device and inhibit your mobile device camera from seeing the
entire QR code.

•

Try setting up your Arlo device with a different mobile device.
For example, if you tried using a tablet to set up your Arlo device, try using a smartphone
instead.

•

Take a picture of the QR code, and scan the picture of the QR code.
If a different smartphone or tablet doesn’t work, take a clear picture of the QR code, and
enlarge the picture on your screen. Then scan the picture with the device that you are
using to set up the device.

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•

Clean the camera lens on your mobile device.
The camera lens might have debris or a smudge on it, hindering its ability to scan the QR
code. Try using a lint-free cloth to remove anything that might prevent the camera from
scanning the QR code.

•

If your QR code is scratched, damaged, or unreadable, contact Arlo Support.
Once your account and product are verified, Arlo Support experts can send an email to
provide an undamaged version of the damaged QR code on your chime.

Arlo doesn’t discover Chime 2 during setup
The Arlo Chime 2 is optional. If the Arlo app cannot discover your Arlo Chime 2, check the
following:
1. An internet connection is available. Check the status of the internet on your WiFi router. If
your router isn’t connected to the internet, contact your internet service provider (ISP) or
router manufacturer.
2. You are typing the correct WiFi network SSID (network name) and password. The network
SSID and password are case-sensitive and must be EXACTLY correct. You can tap the
password eye icon to view your password before submitting.
3. Your mobile device and Chime 2 are not too far away from your WiFi router. We
recommend placing your Chime 2 about 10-15 feet (3-4.5 meters) away from your WiFi
router during the setup process. When your Chime 2 is set up and connected, you can
move it to an indoor location within range of your WiFi router.

Chime 2 doesn’t ring when the doorbell is
pressed
The Arlo Chime 2 is optional. Your Arlo Chime 2 might not ring because your Essential Video
Doorbell is in silent mode, the Chime 2 isn’t paired with your doorbell, or due to internet
connection issues or power problems.

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If your Arlo Chime 2 isn’t ringing, check the following:
•

Is your doorbell in silent mode?
To view or change the silent mode setting for your doorbell, tap the gear icon next to the
doorbell and then tap Silent Mode.

•

Is your Chime 2 paired to your Essential Video Doorbell ?
To check, open the Arlo app and tap the gear icon next to your Chime 2. On the Device
Settings page, see if your doorbell appears under PAIRED DEVICES.

•

Are your Arlo Chime 2 and the Essential Video Doorbell connected to internet?
To check, open the Arlo app and tap the Settings icon next to your Arlo device. The app
indicates whether the device is offline.

•

Is your Arlo Chime 2 receiving power?
The Chime 2 must be plugged in to an indoor power outlet that supplies continuous power
AC power.

If your Arlo Chime 2 still doesn’t ring, reset it and add it back to your Arlo account. For more
information, see the following section, Reset the Chime 2.
If you are still unable to get Arlo Chime 2 to ring, visit www.arlo.com/en-us/support/ for
assistance.

Reset your Arlo Chime 2
The Arlo Chime 2 is optional. Your Chime 2 must be plugged in to a wall outlet during the
reset process . Resetting your Chime 2 returns it to its factory default settings and disables the
device. This means that you must use the Arlo app to set up your Chime 2 again after a reset.
1. Plug your Chime 2 into a wall outlet.
2. Press and hold the Sync button on the side of your Chime 2 for 10 seconds, until the LED
starts flashing.
The LED flashes white when the reset process begins.
3. Let go of the Sync button when the LED starts flashing.

Troubleshooting

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

4. Open the Arlo app and remove the Chime 2:
a. Tap the settings icon next to your Chime 2.
b. Scroll to the bottom of the Device Settings page, and tap Remove Device.
c. Close the Device Settings page.
5. Tap Add New Device on the Devices page.
6. Follow the instructions in the Arlo app to set up your Chime 2.
When your Chime 2 is connected to your Arlo Essential Video Doorbell, the chime appears
under PAIRED DEVICES on the Device Settings page in the Arlo app.

Verify that an optional SmartHub or base station
is online
You can connect your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell directly to your home router’s 2.4
GHz WiFi network, or you can connect your doorbell to an Arlo SmartHub or Base Station with
siren. Your doorbell is compatible with SmartHub model VMB5000 and VMB4540 and Base
Station with Siren model VMB4500 and VMB4000.
To determine whether your SmartHub or base station is online, check the LED on the front of
the SmartHub or Base Station with Siren:
For a SmartHub or for a Base Station with Siren VMB4500:
•

If the LED is solid blue, the SmartHub or base station is connected to the Internet.

•

If the LED is amber, the SmartHub or base station isn’t connected to the Internet.

For Base Station with Siren VMB4000, check the

Internet LED:

•

If the Internet LED is green, the base station is connected to the Internet.

•

If the Internet LED is amber, the base station is connected to your router, but it isn’t
connected to the Internet. Check the router’s Internet connection.

If you’re not at the same location as your SmartHub or base station, open the Arlo app or log
in to your Arlo account at my.arlo.com:
•

If you can review the video feed from your cameras, your SmartHub or base station is
connected to the Internet.

•

If instead of the video feed, you see an error message (such as SmartHub Offline or
something similar), your SmartHub or base station isn’t connected to the Internet.

Troubleshooting

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

The SmartHub or base station is offline
You can connect your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell directly to your home router’s 2.4
GHz WiFi network, or you can connect your doorbell to an Arlo SmartHub or Base Station with
siren. Your doorbell is compatible with SmartHub model VMB5000 and VMB4540 and Base
Station with Siren model VMB4500 and VMB4000.
If you’re not sure whether your SmartHub is offline, see Verify that an optional SmartHub or
base station is online on page 86.
1. Check the cable connections:
• The Ethernet cable is securely connected to the back of your SmartHub or base station
and to your router. You are using the Ethernet cable that came with your Arlo system.
•

The power adapter is securely connected your SmartHub or base station and securely
plugged into an outlet.

2. Try to connect to the Internet from another device that is connected directly to your
router.
Try an Ethernet-connected device, not a device that is using WiFi (you can turn WiFi off on
the device to make sure that the device is connecting through the Ethernet cable).
If you can’t browse the Internet from this device, you must restore your router’s
connection to the Internet.
If you can browse the Internet from this device, continue troubleshooting.
3. Power cycle your SmartHub or base station and check the LED.
Unplug the power adapter from the outlet, wait one minute, and reconnect the power
adapter to the outlet. The SmartHub or base station takes one to two minutes to start.
For a SmartHub or for a Base Station with Siren VMB4500:
•

If the LED is solid blue, the SmartHub or base station is connected to the Internet.

•

If the LED is amber, the SmartHub or base station isn’t connected to the Internet.

For Base Station with Siren VMB4000, check the

Internet LED:

•

If the Internet LED is green, the base station is connected to the Internet.

•

If the Internet LED is amber, the base station is connected to your router, but it isn’t
connected to the Internet. Check the router’s Internet connection.

4. If you or someone from an IT department customized your router settings:
a. Check your router’s DHCP settings and client list.
Make sure that DHCP is enabled and that router’s DCHP client list supplied an IP
address to the SmartHub. (If it did, the SmartHub or base station appears in the client
list.) For more information, see your router documentation.

Troubleshooting

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

b. If you were previously able to connect your SmartHub to the Internet, but now can’t
connect, check the router’s security settings and firmware to make sure that no
changes were made since the last time it successfully connected.
You might want to temporarily lower the security settings on the router or temporarily
place the SmartHub in the DMZ to rule out any firewall restrictions. If you make these
changes, power cycle your SmartHub as described in Step 3.
c. Check to make sure that ports 443 and 80 are open on your router.
If you don’t manage your Internet environment, contact your IT department for
assistance with any firewall or router configurations. The SmartHub can’t connect
through most proxy servers. Check with your IT team and Internet service provider
(ISP) about ways to bypass any proxy servers. Ask your IT team to make sure that ports
443 and 80 are open.
5. If you still can’t connect, visit support.arlo.com and submit a support case describing the
steps you took and provide the following information:
•

SmartHub or base station serial number.

•

User name (email address used to register your Arlo account).

•

Internet service provider (ISP) name.

•

Internet connection type (DSL, cable, and so on) and speed (Arlo requires at least 1
Mbps upstream).

•

Internet router model.

•

List of other devices connected directly to your router.

•

The last time and place that your SmartHub connected to the Internet.

Reset a SmartHub to factory settings
You can connect your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell directly to your home router’s 2.4
GHz WiFi network, or you can connect your doorbell to an Arlo SmartHub or Base Station with
siren. Your doorbell is compatible with SmartHub model VMB5000 and VMB4540 and Base
Station with Siren model VMB4500 and VMB4000.
Performing a factory reset returns your SmartHub to the default settings. It also removes the
serial number from your Arlo account.

Troubleshooting

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

To reset the SmartHub:
1. Use a straightened paper clip to press and hold the Reset button on the back of the
SmartHub for about 10 seconds.

When the SmartHub reset completes, the LEDs on the front of the SmartHub blink amber.
When the LEDs stop blinking amber, your SmartHub reboots. The SmartHub is removed
from your Arlo account.
2. To add the SmartHub and set it up, wait for the LED on the front to light solid blue and
then open the Arlo app.
3. Tap New to Arlo?.
4. Follow the setup instructions.
If your Arlo cameras were paired to the SmartHub, you might need to pair the cameras to
the SmartHub again.

Reset a Base Station to factory settings
You can connect your wired Arlo Essential Video Doorbell directly to your home router’s 2.4
GHz WiFi network, or you can connect your doorbell to an Arlo SmartHub or Base Station with
siren. Your doorbell is compatible with SmartHub model VMB5000 and VMB4540 and Base
Station with Siren model VMB4500 and VMB4000.
Performing a factory reset returns your base station to the default settings. It also removes the
serial number from your Arlo account.

Troubleshooting

User Manual

Essential Video Doorbell Wired

To reset a base station:
1. Use a straightened paper clip to press and hold the Reset button for about 10 seconds.

The base station resets.
The LED behavior during the reset depends on your base station model.
•

The Base Station VMB4500 has one LED on the front. The LED blinks alternating blue
and amber.

•

The Base Station VMB4000 has three LEDs on the front. The LEDs blink amber.

The base station reboots.
2. Wait for the base station to finish rebooting before you unplug it, turn it off, or use the Arlo
app to set it up.
3. To add the Base Station with Siren to your Arlo account and set it up, open the Arlo app
and tap New to Arlo?.
4. Follow the setup instructions.
If your Arlo cameras were synched or paired to the SmartHub, you might need to synch or
pair the cameras to the base station again.

Troubleshooting

User Manual

Support
For product updates and web support, visit http://www.arlo.com/en-us/support/.
Arlo Technologies, Inc.
2200 Faraday Ave. Suite 150
Carlsbad, CA 92008 USA
Document publication date: July 2021
PN 202-50004-05

Trademarks
© Arlo Technologies, Inc. Arlo, Arlo logo, and Every Angle Covered are trademarks of Arlo
Technologies, Inc. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play
logo are trademarks of Google LLC. Amazon and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.
com, Inc. or its afﬁliates. Any other trademarks are for reference purposes.

Compliance
For regulatory compliance information including the EU Declaration of Conformity, visit www.
arlo.com/about/regulatory/.
See the regulatory compliance document before connecting the power supply.

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