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Overview

This guide walks you through connecting an Arlo account to Seam. Your Arlo cameras must already be set up and visible in the Arlo app. Seam connects to the Arlo cloud, so you don’t need any on-site hardware.
Arlo cameras are in beta. Arlo, camera events, event media, and live video are available in every workspace.

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Step 1: Prepare the Arlo Account

You authorize Seam with the same email and password that you use to sign in to the Arlo app. Before connecting, confirm that:
  1. You can sign in to the Arlo app and see the cameras you want to connect.
  2. The account has two-step verification by email or SMS. Arlo sends a code to one of these methods when Seam signs in. Seam can’t complete sign-in with other verification methods alone.
  3. If you want Seam to retrieve motion event recordings, the account has an Arlo subscription that includes cloud recording. Without one, Arlo doesn’t store clips, so Seam has no recording to retrieve.

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Step 2: Connect via Connect Webview

  1. Open the Connect Webview provided by your application. It must offer Arlo (default Connect Webviews do), and Seam must have turned on Arlo for the application’s workspace.
  2. Select Arlo as the provider.
  3. Enter your Arlo email and password.
  4. If your account has more than one email or SMS verification method, choose which one Arlo should send the code to.
  5. Enter the verification code that Arlo sends you.
Once you submit the code, Seam finishes signing in and your Arlo cameras appear as devices in Seam.

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Step 3: Verify the Connection

After connecting, verify that your Arlo cameras appear as devices with the arlo_camera device type and show as online. Before offering or opening a live view, check that the device’s can_stream_live_video capability flag is true. The flag is false while the camera is offline. See Stream Live Video for the client-session and browser workflow. Each Arlo device exposes the following metadata in device.properties.arlo_metadata:
  • device_id: The device ID that Arlo reports.
  • device_name: The device name from the Arlo app.
  • model_id: The Arlo model, for example VMC3060A.
  • hardware_version: The device’s hardware version.
  • firmware_version: The device’s firmware version.

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Keeping the Connection Signed In

Arlo sessions last about two hours, so Seam renews the session automatically. To renew without asking your user for another verification code, Seam stores the account password encrypted, along with a trusted session that Arlo issues after the first verification. Arlo replaces this trusted session each time Seam renews it. The connected account disconnects, and your user must reconnect it through a new Connect Webview, when:
  • The Arlo account’s password changes.
  • Arlo stops trusting Seam’s session, for example because Seam couldn’t renew it for an extended period or because the user removed Seam’s trusted session from their Arlo account.
Reconnecting repeats the email, password, and verification code steps. Listen for the connected_account.disconnected event so you can prompt your user to reconnect.

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Troubleshooting

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Arlo rejects the email or password

The Connect Webview shows “Arlo rejected this email or password.” Check that you’re using the email and password for the Arlo app. If you recently reset your password, use the new one.

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The account has no usable verification method

The Connect Webview shows “This Arlo account needs an email or SMS verification method.” In the Arlo app, add email or SMS as a two-step verification method, then try again.

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The verification code doesn’t work

Check that you entered the most recent code that Arlo sent. If the code expired, start the connection again to get a new one.

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Arlo blocked the sign-in request

The Connect Webview shows “Arlo blocked this sign-in request.” Arlo temporarily limits repeated sign-in attempts. Wait a few minutes, then try again.

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Cameras not appearing after connecting

Only cameras and video doorbells appear as devices. Arlo base stations and audio-only doorbells don’t. Check that each camera is set up in the Arlo app. Cameras that Arlo reports as offline appear in Seam as offline devices.

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Motion events have no recording

Recordings need an Arlo subscription that includes cloud recording, and recording must be turned on for the camera in the Arlo app. Arlo usually finishes a clip within a minute of the motion. Until then, the event’s media has the pending status. See Retrieve Event Media.

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The connected account disconnected

Reconnect the account through a new Connect Webview. See Keeping the Connection Signed In.