Black or Dark Video
Arlo Security Camera
Severity:What Does This Error Mean?
A black or very dark Arlo video feed is usually caused by the camera pointing at a reflective surface that blinds the night vision, a dirty lens, or the camera being inside looking out through glass. Clean the lens and reposition the camera.
Affected Models
- Arlo Pro 4
- Arlo Pro 5
- Arlo Ultra 2
- Arlo Essential
- Arlo Q
Common Causes
- Dirty or smudged camera lens
- Camera mounted inside pointing through glass — IR reflects back off the glass
- Strong backlight or sun pointing directly at lens
- Night vision IR LEDs failed
- Camera too close to a reflective wall
How to Fix It
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Clean the camera lens.
Wipe the lens gently with a soft, dry microfiber cloth. Dirt, water spots, and smudges cause blurry or dark images — especially at night when the IR LEDs are active.
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Check for backlight.
If the camera points toward a bright light source (a lamp, a window, or the sun), the image will appear dark or silhouetted. Reposition the camera so the main light source is behind it, not in front.
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Do not mount indoors pointing through glass.
IR night vision bounces off glass and washes out the entire image with a white or black blob. Mount outdoor cameras outside, not behind a window. In the Arlo app, you can disable IR night vision to reduce glare if the camera must face glass.
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Test night vision in the app.
Open the live view at night and check whether the image is dark or properly lit in black and white. If the image is completely black at night, the IR LEDs may have failed. Contact Arlo support if the camera is under warranty.
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Check colour night vision settings.
On models with colour night vision, make sure the feature is enabled in Device Settings > Video Settings. Colour night vision requires ambient light — in complete darkness it switches to infrared automatically.