You can turn off Arlo audio detection by adjusting the settings within your Arlo Secure App routines, ensuring that no actions are triggered when audio is detected. This allows you to customize your camera's behavior for different scenarios, preventing unwanted alerts or recordings.
Understanding Arlo Routines and Audio Detection
Arlo cameras use "Routines" (previously known as Modes) to define how your devices behave under different circumstances, such as when you are "Arm Away," "Arm Home," or in "Standby." Each routine can have specific "Device Rules" that dictate how individual cameras respond to events like motion or audio detection. To effectively turn off audio detection, you will need to modify these rules for your desired routine.
Step-by-Step Guide to Disable Audio Detection
Follow these steps within the Arlo Secure App to manage or turn off audio detection for your Arlo devices:
- Launch the Arlo Secure App: Open the Arlo Secure App on your mobile device.
- Navigate to Routines: Tap the "Routines" icon, usually found at the bottom of the app interface.
- Select a Routine: Choose the specific routine where you want to disable audio detection. Options typically include:
- Arm Away: When no one is home.
- Arm Home: When people are home.
- Standby: Often used when you don't want any detection.
(You may need to repeat these steps for each routine where you want to disable audio detection.)
- Choose Your Device: Under the "Device Rules" section, select the specific Arlo device (camera) for which you want to edit the settings.
- Edit Detection Rules: You will typically see options for "Motion Detected" and "Audio Detected." Tap on Audio Detected to manage its associated actions.
- Disable Actions: Once inside the "Audio Detected" settings for that device, you will see options like "Record a Video" or "Activate Siren." To effectively turn off audio detection, ensure that no actions are selected or enabled for audio detection. This means:
- Uncheck or toggle off any options like "Record a Video" or "Activate Siren" that are currently set to trigger when audio is detected.
- Confirm that the rule for "Audio Detected" is set to "No Action" or equivalent, so that the camera ignores audio events in that routine.
By following these steps, you prevent your Arlo camera from performing any actions (like recording or sounding a siren) in response to detected audio within the chosen routine, effectively turning off its audio detection functionality for that specific mode.
Why Turn Off Arlo Audio Detection?
There are several practical reasons why you might want to disable audio detection on your Arlo cameras:
- Reduce False Alarms: Everyday household noises, pets, or even strong winds can trigger audio detection, leading to numerous false alerts.
- Privacy Concerns: For indoor cameras, disabling audio detection can enhance privacy by ensuring that conversations within your home are not recorded or monitored.
- Focus on Motion: If you're primarily concerned with visual surveillance, disabling audio detection can streamline your alerts, focusing only on motion-triggered events.
- Battery Life Optimization: While not a primary factor, reducing unnecessary recordings triggered by audio can contribute marginally to better battery life on wireless cameras.
Important Considerations
- Routine-Specific Settings: Remember that Arlo's settings are routine-specific. If you want audio detection off across all scenarios, you must adjust the settings for each routine (Arm Away, Arm Home, Standby, and any custom routines you've created).
- Default Settings: Be aware of your system's default settings. When you add a new camera or after a firmware update, settings might revert or change, so it's good practice to periodically review your routine configurations.
- Testing: After making changes, it's always a good idea to test your system to ensure that audio detection is indeed turned off and your cameras are behaving as expected.
- Motion Detection Still Active: Disabling audio detection does not affect motion detection. Your camera will continue to detect and respond to movement according to its configured rules.
For more detailed information and troubleshooting, you can always refer to the official Arlo Support resources or contact their customer service.
