What you need to know
- Arlo is rolling out a new end-of-life (EOL) policy that ends the previously free 7-day rolling cloud storage program.
- Several older Arlo cameras manufactured prior to 2019 will no longer receive firmware updates or be able to generate email notifications after the specified date for that model.
- Arlo says customers can continue to use these EOL cameras by using an Arlo base station or subscribing to an Arlo Secure plan.
- Arlo will also be discontinuing its email notifications and E911 service for all Arlo products in favor of its newer Emergency Response system after April 1, 2023.
When Arlo issued a new EOL (end-of-life) policy on January 1, 2023, many were rightfully concerned about the state of their home security systems. Basically, Arlo is shutting down several cameras manufactured between 2014 and 2018 and no longer providing firmware updates for those products. It also ends the formerly free 7-day rolling cloud storage program that many Arlo customers have enjoyed for years.
If you have one of the cameras listed below, please note that all motion events, recorded videos, live streaming capabilities, and most other features will continue to work as they do now. Thankfully, this isn’t a security issue like we recently saw with Eufy cameras (opens in new tab) and Wyze cameras for that.
CEO of Arlo went to Twitter (opens in new tab) to further explain that these older cameras – detailed below – will not be bricked up or destroyed. Rather, Arlo says it can’t support these devices because many of the components are no longer available or manufactured, and haven’t been for years. If you have a working camera in the list below and still want to use it after the EOL date, your cameras will still record video and issue motion alerts as they do now – with one exception.
Arlo CEO Matthew McRae says the previous email system is no longer considered “a secure method of communication” due to phishing and other scams that have been actively targeting Arlo customers. He also points out that email notifications often involve significant latency, and instead the Arlo app will be the best way to receive push notifications from all Arlo cameras in the future.
This will affect all Arlo cameras by January 1, 2024, not just the cameras listed below. Make sure you have that Arlo app installed on all devices you want to receive push notifications from.
In addition, Arlo is discontinuing its E911 services on January 1, 2024 in favor of its own Emergency Response service included with Arlo Smart (opens in new tab) subscriptions. Arlo says the old E911 system is obsolete and should be replaced with one that is “a significantly more secure and robust fallback solution.” McRae says Emergency Response is better because you can talk to a live security agent 24/7 through the feature rather than the app just acting as a “basic 911 call assistant.”
Arlo cameras will move to EOL on April 1, 2023:
- Arlo wireless camera (VMC3030)
- Arlo Pro Camera (VMC4030)
Arlo cameras will move to EOL on January 1, 2024:
- Arlo Pro 2 (VMC4030P)
- Arlo Q (VMC3040)
- Arlo Q+ (VMC3040S)
- Arlo Baby (ABC1000)
- Arlo Security Light (ALS1101)
- Arlo Audio Doorbell (AAD1001)
Why some Arlo cameras are ending support
Arlo says it’s moving away from the Amazon S3 cloud storage system it previously used in favor of “a new video storage architecture for function, optimization, and security reasons.” Android Central reached out to Arlo for more information about this new cloud storage system and will update this article as we learn more.
Arlo says this new system only supports storage longer than 30 days, so the old 7-day storage system isn’t compatible with the new design.
We’ve named Arlo as the best Eufy camera alternative (opens in new tab) due to the ability to store video locally on an Arlo hub indefinitely, meaning customers already using an Arlo Hub probably won’t see any changes when Arlo transitions to its new cloud system in a few months.
Arlo says it is generating offers to affordably help customers transition to the new system and will send marketing emails to customers who sign up. If you’ve previously signed up for marketing emails from Arlo and have one of the aforementioned devices, you should have already received an email. Arlo says it will soon release more program details for affected customers.
Finally, there’s the issue of firmware upgrades for older products that could lead to actual security issues in the future. If you have one of the older Arlo cameras above and are concerned about the safety of captured footage, it’s wise to invest in a newer Arlo system to ensure you still have those important firmware updates in the future. get security updates.
While customers are rightfully annoyed by Arlo’s choice to EOL its security products less than 10 years after release — and some are less than 5 years old at this point — it’s commendable that the company is notifying customers before discontinuing security updates.
It’s also understandable that this has to happen, since Arlo relies on other companies for component manufacturing and support. Many older phones no longer receive security or firmware updates as chipset manufacturers no longer support older chips that power these phones, so this move is not unprecedented in internet-connected devices.