Arlo is extending software support and seven-day cloud video storage for legacy cameras, which were initially scheduled to reach end-of-life in 2023 and 2024. This comes as welcome news to longtime Arlo users, who now have some extra time to replace their old cameras or doorbells.
Late last year, Arlo announced a retroactive EOL (end of life) policy that affects many of its older cameras. Customers were disappointed to hear that software support for older cameras would come to an end, and they were frustrated by Arlo’s decision to cut off its free seven-day cloud storage feature, which is exclusive to legacy products (new Arlo cameras require a subscription for cloud storage).
But Matthew McRae, the CEO of Arlo, is making a course correction. He now states that “users who currently have 7-day storage service will continue to receive that service uninterrupted,” and is delaying the EOL for legacy products.
UPDATE ON ARLO EOL POLICY
We listened to feedback and concerns from Arlo users since our announcement a month ago. I personally interacted with many of you and deeply appreciate the viewpoints on where we should make some adjustments. Here are the changes we are making:
— Matthew McRae (@mbmcrae) February 10, 2023
So, the Arlo Wire-Free Camera and Arlo Pro Camera, which were intially set to reach EOL on April 1st, will now lose software support on July 1st of 2023. Email notifications for motion detection and 911 Emergency Calling will also reach EOL on this date.
Arlo’s Pro 2-series devices, plus the Arlo Q and Q+, the Arlo Baby, Arlo Security Lights, and Audio Doorbell will be retired on January 1st of 2025. This is a year later than initially planned. Note that all of these devices will (supposedly) offer seven-day cloud storage after the EOL date.
There’s a few things that you should keep in mind, for better or worse. First, Arlo cannot guarantee the repair or replacement of any legacy camera, as it’s running short on old hardware. And more importantly, software support for these cameras includes security patches. Even if Arlo’s legacy cameras (and seven-day cloud storage) continue to work after the EOL date, I strongly suggest that you stop using them and make an upgrade.
Without software support, smart devices are vulnerable to hackers. And you don’t want anybody hacking your security cameras. Thankfully, the new EOL policy extends software support for Arlo’s legacy devices, so you’ve got some time to figure things out.
Source: Arlo
