The Arlo Q was your obvious pick when you set out to buy your first home security cameras. Every reviewer pointed out that it offered seven days of free cloud storage instead of forcing you into a subscription. Heck, Arlo even advertised it on the packaging. But on January 1st, 2024, the company is killing that feature for many Arlo cams – and reserves the right to eliminate all cloud functionality, including email alerts, push notifications, and other “bundled services or features,” for any camera that hasn’t been manufactured for four years.
Arlo is breaking the news in the form of a new retroactive “End-Of-Life Policy,” which you can read in full below, but the short version is as follows:
- There are no assurances if you own an Arlo Gen 3 or Arlo Pro after April 1st, 2023.
- There are no warranties after January 1st, 2024 if you own an Arlo Baby, Arlo Pro 2, Arlo Q, Arlo Q+, Arlo Lights, or Audio Doorbell.
- After April 1st, 2023, email alerts and E911 emergency dialling will be discontinued.
- After January 1st, 2024, “Legacy Video Storage” using AWS S3 will be decommissioned.
You may still “live stream video, get motion alerts, and save video clips locally with a compatible Arlo base station,” according to Redditors who got an email from Arlo (via 9to5Google) with the new policy. However, it’s unclear if this implies the base station is necessary for any live video streaming, or merely for local storage.
We appreciate and empathise with the concept that a manufacturer may not want to maintain its devices indefinitely, and EOL rules, as well as discontinuing support for a phone after 3-4 years, are not uncommon. However, these are not cell phones that you replace on a regular basis; these are devices that you put in your house and plan to remain there eternally. Again, 7-day free cloud storage is a feature that is clearly mentioned in the box.
If litigation is forthcoming, you wonder. When Canary began charging for formerly free services in 2018, it was accused of using bait-and-switch methods. However, the lawsuit was voluntarily abandoned when it became unclear whether Canary could compel its consumers to participate in binding arbitration. Arlo also has a policy on binding arbitration.
Owners of Amazon’s Cloud Cam, which also provided free 24-hour storage, at least received a free replacement gadget and a year of subscription service when it was discontinued. If there is enough backlash, the corporation may take such action.
