It is a common mistake to think that your Arlo camera is always recording. However, this isn’t necessarily true. The assumption comes from the fact that this wireless camera works on batteries just like any other traditional camera out there.
This has led to the broader public feeling that all wireless cameras are left on, even when not in use. But if you want to ensure consistent security coverage for your home or office all day long, you need to check whether the Arlo camera is recording.
Have you ever wanted to learn how to tell if your Arlo camera is recording or not? Sometimes, once you own an Arlo camera, you may want to check from time to time if your Arlo is recording and still protecting your space, especially when we are not around.
The device has several modes of operation and features, which can be pretty confusing to know where it’s actually at. So lets get into the 9 best ways to tell if your Arlo camera is recording or not!
Table of Contents
9 Ways to Tell if Your Arlo Camera is Recording or Not
Check out the following passage to learn how to turn on and off the Arlo mode after establishing an Arlo account.
1. Checking the Arlo Camera’s LED Light
The first thing you can do when checking whether your Arlo camera is recording is to check its LED light. If the light is green, then it means that it’s recording, and if there’s no light coming out from it, then it means that it isn’t recording anything at all.
However, this method has its limitations because sometimes it might be hard for you to see what colour your LED light turns into when here’ss too much light coming from other sources around you.
2. Checking the Button On Your Arlo Base Station
Another way to tell if your Arlo camera is recording is by checking the button on your base station. If you press this button once, there will be a green light that appears on top of your base station. This means that everything is okay with your system and your cameras are synced up with one another.
However, if you press this button twice, a red light will appear on top of your base station and an alarm sound coming from one of your cameras (it will be random). This means that something isn’t right with either one of your cameras or, even worse, all of them.
3. Checking Your Arlo App
You can check the app if you want to see if your Arlo camera is recording. The first thing you need to do is open the app and click on your camera’s live feed. Ensure the camera is turned on and connected to Wi-Fi or Ethernet. You will instantly see a live feed of what is happening in front of the camera.
If it shows that there are no cameras connected, then you should go through some troubleshooting steps to make sure that it’s working correctly. If you can see a live feed of your cameras but are not recording, then something went wrong with your Arlo system. It would be best if you tried restarting it before attempting other steps.
4. Checking the Arlo Camera’s USB Drive on Your PC
Plug your Arlo camera’s power cord into a wall outlet and insert its microSD card into one of your computer’s USB ports. Open Windows Explorer and go to My Computer > Portable Devices > Arlo Camera. Double-click on this device to see all files stored on it. You will find folders inside:
- Downloaded Files: This folder contains all videos downloaded from your cameras onto your computer for viewing purposes only; these videos cannot be uploaded back to Arlo servers (unless you use third-party software).
- Recorded Videos: This folder contains all videos recorded by your cameras but never downloaded; these videos are stored locally on your computer.
5. Check for Motion Detection Alerts for Your Arlo Camera
Arlo cameras have motion detection technology that notifies you when an activity is in front of the camera. If you are not receiving alerts from your Arlo camera, its settings or positioning might be an issue. To check for motion detection alerts:
- Open the Arlo app on your mobile device and tap on Devices at the bottom right corner of the screen (or tap Devices in Settings). This will show all your devices with their current status – either Connected or Offline.
- Tap on any device name to view more details about its status and available recordings (if any).
6. Sync Your Arlo Camera to See If It’s Recording
You can sync your camera with the Arlo app and see if it’s recording remotely. To do this, follow these steps:
Open the Arlo app on your phone or tablet.
- Tap Device Settings > Cameras > Find camera.
- Select the camera you want to sync. You will visit a confirmation that the camera has been successfully synced with your account when the last step is completed successfully.
7. Check for the Streaming Icon in Arlo App
The easiest way to tell if your Arlo cameras are recording is by checking the live view from your mobile app. You can see real-time footage from all cameras on one screen or choose individual cameras in a list view. If there is a red dot next to a camera name, it’s currently streaming video and audio to your mobile device.
If you have multiple Arlo cams set up in your home or business, you’ll also see an icon that indicates whether each camera has motion detection turned on (blue) or off (white). This allows you to check which devices are actively working for you quickly.
8. Using the Live View in the Arlo App
This is a convenient feature of the Arlo app. You can use it to check whether your Arlo cameras are recording. You can access live view by tapping on the three-dot menu button in the Arlo app at the bottom right corner of your camera’s thumbnail image.
When you tap this button, you will see a pop-up window with options to view live video, set motion zones, and manage settings for that particular camera.
9. Utilizing Motion Zones with Your Arlo Camera
You can set motion zones on your Arlos to tell them where to start recording and stop recording when motion is detected within those zones. For example, you can set up a zone for your front door and another area for your backyard so that your Arlo will start recording when someone approaches your front door.
Still, when they leave, you won’t have to keep watching them as they go through the backyard because they don’t matter anymore after that point since there is no more need for monitoring them (unless someone else comes along).
How to Tell if Arlo Camera is Recording or Not – Wrapping Up
Arlo cameras are excellent home security tools and help deter trespassers, vandals, or break-in thieves. Now that Arlo cameras are also running on solar power, they are a lot more convenient to use than ever. The only drawback is that they can sometimes be a little hard to set up and keep an eye on their operations.
One easy way to do this is by checking the camera’s base before recording anything. If it’s spinning, then your camera is active. But if it’s not turning, your camera has no power. For any security camera to work, it has to have energy flowing into it.
If you enjoyed this article, check out our “How to Reset an Arlo Camera” article here!