Arlo Doorbell Stops Recording? – Here’s How To Fix It.

It’s not uncommon for an Arlo doorbell’s recording feature to fail, unfortunately, this can cause you to lose your ability to keep track of visitors coming to your home.

Please allow me to start by reassuring you that this problem is common among many users and across different brands. Therefore, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your unit is faulty.

So what are the main causes of this issue?

There are different reasons that can lead your Arlo doorbell to stop recording including expired cloud subscription, outdated firmware, connectivity issues, dead battery, bad activity zones or a high ambient temperature.

In the next chapters of this article, you’ll find different solutions that you can try one by one to get your Arlo recording features back to work.

So see you below.

How To Fix Arlo Doorbell Recording Issues?

In the following sections, you’ll find seven easy-to-implement tips that you can try to resolve the recording problem and get your doorbell back to functioning properly.

So, read on to learn more about how you can resolve the issue once and for all.

Tip 1: Renew Your Cloud Subscription.

If you don’t have a local storage option and you rely solely on the cloud to store the recordings captured by the Arlo doorbell, then you should keep an eye on the cloud expiration date.

Why?

Because once the cloud subscription expires, the Arlo doorbell will have no place to store captured clips which leads to the recording issue you’re facing right now.

All you need to do is go and renew your subscription, Arlo offers different plans with different prices and provides monthly or yearly payment options.

Note: Even if your Arlo doorbell has the option to store locally via an SD card, I still recommend paying for a subscription to get the full features from your devices.

Tip 2: Fix Connectivity Issues.

Having a reliable and stable internet connection is also a requirement when your Arlo doorbell stores clips on the cloud server, as uploading those clips requires internet.

So, the second thing to check after renewing your cloud subscription is to make sure your doorbell is properly connected to the internet.

Go to the Arlo app and check the Wifi status. If you notice the Wifi connection is weak or the camera fails to connect, you can try the following troubleshooting tips:

1. Renew your internet subscription if it’s expired.
2. Reboot or reset your router.
3. Update the firmware.
4. Connect to a 2.4 GHz frequency channel.
5. Increase the Wifi signal.
6. Update your Wifi credentials.

Tip 3: Recharge The Battery.

As we mentioned above, a weak or drained battery can also affect your device and be one of the reasons for the doorbell to stop recording.

According to Arlo, the expected battery life for the Arlo Essential Video Doorbell is 6 months. This estimation is based on the usage of 4000 seconds of motion streaming per month, 30 seconds per two-way call daily, and day/night event splits 2:1.

Of course, this estimate can dramatically change depending on your usage. To get the current battery level, go to the app and check the power level at the top of the settings page and if the battery is too low make sure to recharge it.

Note: If you notice that the battery isn’t charging and you’ve been using it for years, then it may be dead and need to be replaced with a new one.

Tip 4: Check The Ambient Temperature.

The ambient temperature your Arlo doorbell operates in is another thing you need to track as this doorbell has an operating temperature range of -4°F to 113°F (-20°C to 45°C).

Once the temperature exceeds the limits that your device can withstand, it starts becoming difficult for it to operate which will cause several problems including recording issues.

To avoid the risk of overheating and damage to internal components, it’s important not to install the Arlo doorbell in direct sunlight. Pay attention to its placement and choose a location that provides adequate shade.

Tip 5: Set Good Activity Zones.

An Activity Zone focuses motion detection on a specific area in your camera’s field of view, which triggers doorbell camera recording once motion is detected in that area.

We all agree that this feature is great because it can increase the efficiency of alerts we receive on our phones and reduce the number of false notifications.

Creating a bad activity zone may result in the camera overlooking people or missing important events, and can ultimately lead to inefficient operation of the recording feature.

So, it’s crucial to ensure that the activity zones are properly configured to avoid any potential issues.

You can simply go to the device settings in the Arlo app and then scroll down and tap on Activity Zones and create the area you want to monitor.

Tip 6: Check The SD Card.

If you’re one of those who don’t rely on cloud storage and use the Arlo SmartHub to connect and store the recording captured by the device, then you’ll need to make sure your SD card is working properly.

Any issue that your SD card faces may prevent your doorbell from storing its recorded clips, so there are a few things that you can do like rebooting the SmartHub, re-inserting and formatting the card, or changing the SD card with a new one if it’s damaged.

The SmartHub accepts SDHC or SDXC microSD cards. It’s recommended to use microSD cards with a minimum of 16 GB capacity, Speed Class 10, UHS 1 and V10. The Arlo SmartHub supports up to Class 10 UHS-3 V90.

Final Words.

Be sure to try the tips cited above and if none of them work, you can reset the doorbell and reinstall it on the app from the beginning (a factory reset will delete all previous recordings).

You can also contact Arlo Technical Support and ask them for further assistance.