How can I extend my Arlo camera's battery life?
The battery life of your Arlo camera varies depending on usage. The most common cause of battery drain is excessive usage. The best way to improve battery life is to reduce unwanted videos. Use the following tips to help reduce battery drain and maximize Arlo camera battery life.
Arlo Settings and Configuration
Configure your camera to record shorter videos.
- Battery-powered cameras are not intended for continuous recording.
- For more information, visit: How do I adjust Arlo video recording length? - Arlo Secure 4.0
Use the Optimized or Best Battery Life Power Management setting.
- The Best Battery Life setting reduces video quality but improves battery life.
- The Optimized setting balances battery life and video quality.
- For more information, visit: How do I change my Arlo camera Power Management settings? - Arlo Secure 4.0
Set a schedule to activate and deactivate cameras automatically.
- Schedules help to manage battery life by keeping cameras active only when desired.
- For more information, visit: How do I add a Schedule Automation to my Arlo system?
Decrease Motion Sensitivity to improve battery life.
- Excessive motion detection will drain your battery quickly.
- For more information, visit: How do I change the motion sensitivity on my Arlo camera? - Arlo Secure 4.0
Adjust the light settings for Spotlight cameras and Floodlights.
- Increased light duration and brightness can reduce battery life.
- For more information, visit:
Ensure your Arlo camera is running the latest firmware.
- It is important to have the most current firmware installed for your Arlo camera for optimal operation.
- Firmware updates are typically automatic.
- If your firmware has not been updated, you can complete the process manually.
- For more information, visit: How do I update my Arlo firmware manually? - Arlo Secure 4.0
Camera Positioning and Placement
Only point your camera at areas of interest.
- Arlo motion detection turns on when the camera senses motion.
- For example, if your camera faces a busy street, motion detection activates each time a car passes by.
- This can drain the battery prematurely.
- Adjust your field of view away from busy streets or active areas, focusing only on what is important.
- For more information, visit: Arlo Camera Placement Tips
Position your camera within range of your Wi-Fi router, Arlo SmartHub, or Arlo Base Station.
- If your camera is too far away from your Wi-Fi router, Arlo SmartHub, or Arlo Base Station, you will have poor signal strength, which can drain your camera battery more quickly.
- For more information, visit: Arlo Camera Placement Tips
Do not place your Arlo camera too close to Wi-Fi routers, Arlo SmartHubs, Arlo Base Stations, or other Arlo devices.
- Avoid placing cameras too close to other Wi-Fi devices to avoid interference, which can reduce battery life.
- Make sure your camera is at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from your Wi-Fi router, Arlo SmartHub, or Arlo Base Station, and at least 6.5 feet (2 meters) away from other Arlo devices.
Place your camera in an area that gets enough light.
- Dark environments will cause infrared sensors to work harder, which will reduce your Arlo camera battery life.
If possible, keep the camera in a location with temperatures above 32°F (0°C).
- For your safety and to avoid permanent damage to the batteries, Arlo camera batteries do not charge at temperatures below freezing, even if your camera is plugged in.
- For more information, visit: How do I keep my Arlo batteries charged in cold weather?
Batteries, Charging Cables, Solar Panels, Arlo SmartHubs, and Arlo Base Stations
If your Arlo camera uses rechargeable batteries, only use the rechargeable batteries that came with your camera, and only use replacement batteries from Arlo.
- For more information, visit: What type of batteries does my Arlo camera use?
Use the Arlo XL Rechargeable Battery & Housing to increase battery life for Arlo Ultra, Arlo Ultra 2, Arlo Pro 3, Arlo Pro 4, and Arlo Pro 5S cameras.
- For more information, visit: VMA5410 XL Rechargeable Battery and Housing
Add a compatible Arlo Solar Panel to your camera to help keep the battery charged.
- For more information, visit: Arlo Solar Panel Compatibility
Use outdoor charging cables to keep the battery charged.
- For more information, visit:
If your Arlo device is connected directly to Wi-Fi, try connecting it to an Arlo SmartHub or Arlo Base Station to improve battery life.
- For more information, visit:
Arlo Go and Arlo Go 2 Mobile Cameras
Position your Arlo Go or Go 2 camera in a location with at least three bars of LTE signal strength.
- Weak signal strength (two bars or less) will drain the camera battery.
- For more information, visit: How can I optimize mobile connectivity for my Arlo Go camera?
For Arlo Go 2 cameras connected via Wi-Fi and LTE, position the camera within range of your Wi-Fi router to avoid battery drain from frequent network switching.