Arlo Activity Zone Not Working? – Here’s How to Fix

Is your Arlo Activity Zone not working? Depending on the malfunctioning type, that can result from bad settings or the camera’s firmware.

The guide below will cover all hypotheses.

The first thing you must do when the Arlo Activity Zone is not working is ensure you have a camera that has access to the feature, and it is also important that you adjust all settings, such as sensibility, so that way you can receive notifications.

If the settings are not at fault, you must try to power cycle, update or reset the camera.

Below we will talk in detail about all the possible solutions to make the activity zones on your Arlo Secure app work.

It might take some work, depending on how your camera behaves, but it should work like a charm afterward.

Arlo Activity Zone Not Working – Reasons

Arlo activity zones help users set what they want to monitor and what sorts of notifications they want to get.

However, the activity zones might fail: you might be unable to adjust them, or you will get too many notifications.

So why is my Arlo activity zone not working? Let’s check the main reasons here:

✅ Incorrect Camera

Some cameras only feature activity zones when you have an Arlo subscription.

✅ Bad Angle/Position

Depending on how well your camera is positioned, it might be unable to configure an activity zone correctly.

✅ Zoom and Tracking

Some settings’ sensitivity will impact your ability to get notifications or set activity zones.

✅ Check the Camera’s Software

Depending on the type of error you are facing, the issue might lie in the camera’s internal software.

Fix The Arlo Activity Zone Issues

Some users find it tricky to adjust Arlo activity zones in a way that they work and don’t send annoying notifications each minute.

As you have seen from the reasons behind common issues, you will probably have to set the configurations correctly. Below we will help you with every step.

1. Ensure You Have The Right Camera

“Activity zones” is a feature available in most, if not all, Arlo cameras. However, the way they are available will depend on your model.

In addition, some cameras can only access the feature when you have an Arlo subscription plan. 

• These don’t require a plan: Arlo Pro 4, Arlo Pro 3, Arlo Pro 3, Floodlight Camera, Arlo Pro 2, Arlo Q, Arlo Q Plus, Arlo Baby;
• These require a plan: Arlo Ultra series, Arlo Pro 2, Arlo Pro 3, Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight, Arlo Pro 4, Arlo Essential series, Arlo Go series, Legacy cameras (Arlo Q, Arlo Q Plus, Arlo Baby).

Check That The Feature Is Available

Suppose you have the correct match (a camera that accesses Activity Zones or a subscription that allows it).

In that case, you must do the following on your Arlo Secure app:

1. Find the camera inside the app;
2. Tap its gear icon;
3. “Activity Zones” should be an available option.

If the option is unavailable, you must reinstall the app or skip to Steps #6, #7, and #8 in this guide.

2. Adjust Auto Zoom And Tracking

When creating an Activity Zone, it is important that the “Auto Zoom and Tracking” is turned off.

If they are on, the activity zone will not be set up correctly. Also, even activating the setting after the activity zones are set up might impact the precision.

So do the following:

1. Open the Arlo Secure app;
2. Go to “Devices”;
3. Find your cameras;
4. Choose a camera that has an active Activity Zone;
5. Toggle “Auto Zoom and Tracking” to off.

Tip: Setting that to off will eliminate the annoying non-stop notifications. If you are having trouble setting up a Zone, it will also help. 

3. Reduce Activity Zone Size

Another way of making the Activity Zones work better is reducing the size of each zone.

Perhaps the zone is sending too many unimportant notifications, or it is not sending notifications when it should.

Thus, you must reduce the size of the zone to focus on what matters.

Here is how:

1. Open the Arlo secure app;
2. Find the Activity Zones;
3. Tap the one you wish to adjust;
4. Tap the “+” button;
5. Drag the zone’s corners to adjust its size.

Note: Adjusting the size of the zone will tell the camera how it should move and where it should point when there is movement. That will ensure it only notifies you about events you think are important.

4. Change Motion Sensitivity/Detection

Motion sensitivity or detection plays an important role along with the zone’s size, auto-zoom, and tracking.

• When the motion sensitivity is incorrect, you will have trouble setting the Arlo Activity Zones the way you wish.

You need to perform a test so the camera will adjust the motion sensitivity:

1. Open the app;
2. Go to “Settings”;
3. Find the camera you want to adjust;
4. Touch “Device Utilities”;
5. Choose “Motion Detection Test”;
6. You can move the slider to adjust the preferred level of sensitivity (tip: start with a low level);
7. Next, move in front of your camera;
8. Adjust the slider as you move until the camera’s LED flashes.

Once you have found the perfect motion sensitivity settings, you must save. 

Adjust Motion Detection

Motion sensitivity and motion detection are closely connected, but you can adjust them independently.

Here is how you can adjust the level of detection to ensure you get notifications only when necessary:

1. Open the Arlo Secure app;
2. Click “Mode”;
3. Choose the camera you want to set;
4. In “Armed,” touch the pencil;
5. Find the “Motion is detected” rule;
6. Move the slider to change sensitivity;
7. Save the settings.

Tip: Since you have already tested the camera's sensitivity, you should now move the slider to the sensitivity that you've already checked works well.

5. Adjust The Notification Settings

Perhaps you think that the Arlo Activity Zone is not working because you are not receiving any notifications on your phone.

In that case, the issue is likely related to the notification settings.

Here is how to correct the problem:

1. Open the app;
2. Go to “Settings”;
3. Touch “Smart Notifications”;
4. Choose the camera that requires adjusting;
5. Select the objects that should trigger notifications.

6. Power Cycle Your Camera

Suppose you are having trouble with your camera’s activity zones unrelated to the settings.

In that case, you must perform a power cycle in the correct manner:

Power Cycle Wired Models

Here is how you power cycle a wired Arlo camera:

1. Turn the camera off;
2. Wait 10 seconds;
3. Turn the camera on again.

Power Cycle Battery-Powered Models

Battery-powered Arlo models are power-cycled like this:

1. Turn the camera off;
2. Remove the battery;
3. Wait a few seconds;
4. Reinstall the battery;
5. Turn the camera on again.

7. Update The Camera’s Firmware

Your camera’s firmware may be outdated. That will result in the activity zones not working correctly or not showing as available on the app.

Doing the following procedure must correct the trouble:

1. Open the Arlo app;
2. Touch on “Settings”;
3. Go to “My devices”;
4. Select the camera;
5. Touch “Device info”;
6. Click on “Firmware”;
7. Tap “Update.”

The camera’s LED will blink blue and amber while it updates. After that, it will turn off and on again after 2 minutes.

The LED blinking blue signals that it is ready to use again.

8. Reset The Camera

Finally, if nothing has worked so far, you must try to reset the camera. After you reset the camera, you will have to add it to the Arlo Secure app again.

Here are the steps to reset it:

1. Open the Arlo Secure app;
2. Go to “Devices”;
3. Choose the malfunctioning camera;
4. Tap on its gear icon;
5. Click on its device name;
6. Tap on “Remove device”;
7. Confirm.

What We Learned

Is your Arlo Activity Zone not working? The guide above has all the possible solutions for such an issue.

Setting activity zones is sometimes tricky and requires patience, but you will get them to work after a few minutes.

Read Next: Why Is Arlo Camera Not Connecting To App?