How safe really are Arlo cameras? The big reality check
25.11.2025
Translation: Megan Cornish
Security cameras offer peace of mind – until you realise how much they actually know about you. I tested four Arlo models to see what they can do, what they can’t and what you really need to be aware of when using them.
Surveillance cameras are meant to provide security. That’s the idea – and it works, at least as far as the technology’s concerned. I took a closer look at a few Arlo models designed for either indoor or outdoor use. They’re all quick to set up, record in high resolution and deliver a reliable image for everyday use.
The hardware’s excellent. It’s virtually perfect. But it’d be too easy to stop there. Because good cameras alone don’t make a secure home. The most important thing is how they’re integrated – which app’s used to control them, what data’s transmitted and how much you ultimately trust them.
So, this guide’s not just about technology; it’s also about how it works. Which camera’s suitable for which application? What should you consider before just connecting it to your Wi-Fi network? And how much security do you have if the very device meant to protect you poses a risk?
The devices
Arlo Essential Indoor Camera
The Arlo Essential Indoor monitors indoor spaces in 2K resolution. A particularly well-thought-through feature is the mechanical lens cover, which closes automatically when the camera’s deactivated or in Home mode. It also had motion detection, two-way audio and an integrated alarm.
Pros: 2K resolution, 130° viewing angle, two-way audio, night vision
Cons: Wired (cable length: approx. two metres)
Arlo Essential Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera
The pan-tilt version of the Arlo Essential Indoor can do everything the basic model can – but it moves. Thanks to its motorised pan and tilt mechanism, it can cover the entire room via the app, either automatically or manually. It’s ideal when you need more than a fixed viewing angle or you want to actively track movement, when monitoring elderly people, pets or children for example. Otherwise, the basic model’s perfectly fine.
Pros: As above, but with an additional automatic swivel and tilt function
Cons: Wired (cable length: approx. two metres)
Arlo Essential Pan-Tilt Outdoor Camera
The Arlo Essential 3 PTZ’s designed for outdoor use and provides a 360° view with its 2K resolution and motorised pan, tilt and zoom mechanism. It detects people, vehicles or packages, reacts with a light and siren and allows two-way audio. The weatherproof case (IP65) ensures it can run continuously – throughout sun, wind and rain.
Pros: Robust and has an automatic swivel and tilt function Cons: Wired (cable length: approx. three metres)
Arlo Essential 3 XL Outdoor Camera
The Essential 3 XL is the battery-powered version of the outdoor camera, which makes it much more flexible in terms of installation as you don’t need a power outlet. It’s ideal for locations without a power outlet or where cables would be a nuisance. There’s no motorised pan and tilt function to save energy, but it delivers the same 2K quality and smart motion detection as the other models. Depending on usage, the battery lasts for several months – up to a year in optimal conditions, but significantly less in busy environments.
Pros: Robust and battery-powered Cons: No automatic pan and tilt function
The Arlo app – control centre and stumbling block
The Arlo Secure app’s the heart of the Arlo system. All feeds converge here, where I define activity or privacy zones, adjust motion sensitivity and specify which events should be displayed in the feed. In short, I control everything the camera can do from here.
Source: Arlo
The dashboard’s uncluttered, and setting up the cameras is straightforward: just scan for nearby devices, connect to Wi-Fi and you’re good to go. Filtering by events – for example, whether the camera detects a person, an animal or a package – also works pretty well in the feed.
But this is exactly where the problem starts. The filters in the feed have no effect on push notifications for your phone. For example, if I say in the app, «Only show me people in the feed», I still get a push notification on my phone for every single thing – whether it’s a cat, a car or a shadow.
There are a total of 23 possible event types and all of them are reported by default. Anyone wanting to change this would most likely look for individual push notifications under Notifications in the menu. However, you can only turn notifications on or off – you can’t turn off animal notifications but leave human notifications enabled for example.
I only found this after clicking deep into the app. All the way to plan management, to be precise. Yes, you read that right: plan management. It’s the only place I can specify which events should actually trigger a push notification. It makes absolutely no sense. For an app that claims to control a professional security system, this is astonishingly poor user guidance.
Source: Arlo
Also, it doesn’t make sense that the settings differ depending on the camera. With the indoor camera, I can activate a Home mode – the lens closes automatically and notifications are paused. Perfect when I’m actually at home. The outdoor camera, however, doesn’t have this mode. It continues to film, alert me and diligently send me push notifications, even when I’m at home and can look out the window myself.
The not-so-global «I’m at home» mode only applies to indoor cameras. Anyone who doesn’t want to be distracted by push notifications from outdoor cameras has to manually disable them for each individual camera or activate a temporary mute function. What a pain, especially if you use multiple devices.
Other features also seem half-finished. Take face recognition, for example: the app allows you to assign names to recognised individuals. A clever idea in theory. However, it’s practically useless. The app still alerts me even when it recognises familiar faces such as me or my girlfriend. There’s no option to exclude specific people from notifications. So why should I even bother naming them? Beats me.
Source: Arlo
Ultimately, the app’s fundamentals work well: installation, live streams, two-way audio – it’s all there, and it’s all solid. But a lot of features that’d make everyday use easier are scattered across multiple submenus or missing altogether. It feels like Arlo’s kept adding features over the years without rethinking the underlying structure.
And then there’s the money issue: to use the full range of features, you need an Arlo Secure service plan. That costs 20.99 Swiss francs per month or 209.90 Swiss francs per year. For a system that isn’t entirely intuitive to begin with, that’s steep. Obviously, cloud storage, AI analysis and servers cost money. But at this price, you’re entitled to expect the app to be more than a half-finished puzzle.
I’m left with the impression that the Arlo app can do a lot, but it’s overambitious. It’s stable and powerful, but overloaded, illogically structured and inconsistent. Anyone using only one camera will manage. If you combine multiple cameras, you’ll need patience – and nerves of steel.
«Security» via Wi-Fi
Let’s address the elephant in the room: how secure is a security camera that’s permanently connected to the internet?
It sounds trivial, but it’s the crucial weakness of almost all smart cameras. They aren’t isolated devices; they’re part of your home network. They communicate via Wi-Fi, access servers, store data in the provider’s cloud and connect to apps that, in turn, want to know your location. They’re basically mini computers, which makes them potential entry points for security threats.
Of course, Arlo (like other providers) stresses that everything’s encrypted, unauthorised access is impossible and AI – not humans – analyses the videos. This may be true in principle. Direct attacks on a camera via the internet are technically difficult – access usually goes through encrypted server connections provided by the manufacturer rather directly to the device. Nevertheless, 100% security’s impossible, especially when a device is permanently online.
There’s more danger within your own network anyway. Things become especially critical if you run everything on the same Wi-Fi network: camera, laptop, NAS, phone, TV. If one of these devices is compromised – e.g. through a security vulnerability in a smart speaker or an old webcam – an attacker could, in the worst-case scenario, get further into the network. Then even the best encryption won’t protect you.
So, the golden rule is: separate your network.
Specifically, set up a separate guest or IoT Wi-Fi network where only devices such as cameras, smart speakers or TVs are connected. This network is isolated from the rest of your main Wi-Fi network. Even if someone finds a vulnerability in it, the damage will be limited. Modern routers usually offer pre-configured options for this – two networks, one of which is often labelled «guest Wi-Fi». It takes about ten minutes to set up, but it significantly reduces the risk.
If the app asks for your location during setup – such as your street or postcode – remember: don’t reveal more than necessary. A rough estimate is absolutely fine. Because if the manufacturer ever experiences a data breach, you don’t want your real address in the database. A slightly altered address isn’t paranoid; it’s common sense.
Security cameras are practical. But they don’t just film – they also transmit data. So, you should give them the same level of protection you expect from them. Admittedly, there’s a certain irony to it. If you want to protect your home with a security camera, you first have to protect its security.
What Arlo knows about you – and what you should know
And while we’re on the subject, bringing a smart camera into your home means inviting in a data collector as well as a lens. Arlo’s no exception. These cameras don’t just save video clips, they capture a whole host of information: your name, your e-mail address, your IP address – sometimes even your location.
Arlo actually needs most of this information to offer its service. The app only works with an account, the camera needs to be registered and, if you use a cloud storage subscription, the clips have to be uploaded somewhere. And yes, Arlo needs your credit card information to pay for the plan. So far, so logical.
Things get more interesting when you consider what happens beyond that. According to its privacy policy, Arlo may process your data for several purposes:
- For contract fulfilment: to manage your account, save recordings or provide support.
- For «quality assurance»: recorded support conversations or chats can be evaluated internally – pseudonymised, but still real data.
- For marketing and analysis: Arlo segments users by behaviour – such as when and how often you use the app – in order to target advertising or identify trends.
- For legal purposes: Arlo may disclose data in the event of a dispute or in response to requests from authorities.
The last point’s particularly relevant. While Arlo belongs to the Verisure group, headquartered in Ireland, it works closely with Arlo Inc. in the USA – and data can be transferred there. According to Arlo, this is done according to EU standard contractual clauses, which is legally permissible. Nevertheless, data protection laws in the USA are a different matter and, as a user, you don’t have absolute control there. This is especially true if US authorities request data due to «security concerns».
That doesn’t mean, of course, that Arlo can simply sell data to third parties who are pursuing business interests. But in practice, the lines between «not selling» and «processing for its own business purposes» are often blurred and anything but transparent.
The good news is that you have rights here. In the Arlo app’s Privacy Center, you can delete videos and account data, restrict data usage or object to processing for marketing purposes. Arlo has to respond to these requests within a month.
And one more tip: if you’re only testing or temporarily using the camera, don’t just delete the clips at the end, delete your account too. Otherwise your collected metadata will remain stored for up to 12 months.
Verdict: trust isn’t a feature
On a technical level, Arlo delivers: sharp images, a stable connection and solid build quality. The cameras do exactly what they’re supposed to – they monitor, detect and react. But the feeling of security ends where the user interface begins. The app’s powerful, but it’s also overloaded, sometimes illogical and surprisingly cumbersome for a system in this price range.
Ultimately, what matters isn’t how well the camera films, but how consciously you use it. If you take the time to understand the app, properly disconnect the network and take data protection seriously, you’ll end up with a powerful system. Anyone who just installs everything and lets it run relinquishes control – not just over the camera, but also over their own data.
Or to put it another way, Arlo can make your home safer. But trust isn’t a feature you can just activate. It only develops when you take responsibility. And, yes, that can also mean getting a «dumber» model instead of a smart camera with a data connection – one that does nothing more than upload the data to your own NAS.
Header image: Luca Fontana
Luca Fontana
Senior Editor
Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.chI write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.
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