Not Recording
Arlo Security Camera
Severity:What Does This Error Mean?
Arlo cameras require an active Arlo Secure subscription for cloud recording. If your free trial expired, recording stops. Also check that motion sensitivity is not set too low and that the camera is in Armed mode.
Affected Models
- Arlo Pro 4
- Arlo Pro 5
- Arlo Ultra 2
- Arlo Essential
- Arlo Q
Common Causes
- Arlo Secure subscription lapsed or free trial ended
- Camera disarmed or in Home/Schedule mode that skips recording
- Motion sensitivity set too low
- Activity zones configured too restrictively
- Camera offline — cannot record when disconnected
How to Fix It
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Check your subscription status.
Open the Arlo app and go to Account > My Subscription. Arlo stopped providing free cloud recording — without an Arlo Secure plan, recorded clips are not saved. If your plan expired, recordings will have stopped on that date.
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Confirm the camera is Armed.
In the Arlo app, check the Mode for the camera — it must be set to Armed (or a custom mode with recording enabled). Schedule and Home modes may not include recording rules by default.
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Increase motion sensitivity.
Go to Device Settings > Motion Settings and increase the sensitivity slider. At very low sensitivity settings, only large fast-moving objects will trigger recording. Try setting sensitivity to 80% or higher and test by walking in front of the camera.
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Review activity zones.
If activity zones are enabled, only motion within the drawn zone triggers recording. In the app, review the zone boundaries — a zone that excludes the main area of interest will cause missed recordings.
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Check that local storage is not full.
Some Arlo models support a local USB drive in the SmartHub. If the drive is full, new recordings cannot be saved. Delete old clips from local storage or swap to a larger drive.