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Arlo Releases Privacy-Focused $99 Essential Indoor Camera

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Arlo today announced the availability of the Essential Indoor Camera, which was first unveiled at CES. Focused on privacy, the Essential Indoor Camera has an automated privacy shield that's designed to cover the lens when needed.

arlo indoor essential camera
Camera owners can activate the privacy lens using the Arlo app, preventing it from recording when people are home. When in "disarm" mode, the Essential Camera is unable to record and motion and audio detection is disabled. The camera needs to be put into an active mode to turn off the privacy shield, which can be done by opening a livestream view or changing the camera to "arm" mode.

The Essential Indoor Camera is priced at $99.99 and offers 1080p HD video, a 130-degree field of view, motion and audio detection, night vision, support for two-way conversations, and a built-in siren for emergencies. The siren feature can be triggered automatically from motion or audio detection, or activated through the Arlo app to deter would-be intruders.

HomeKit integration is not available for the Essential Indoor Camera at this time. Arlo said that it is working to have ‌HomeKit‌ available on products, but there are no updates on the Essential Indoor Camera. With no ‌HomeKit‌ availability, the camera can be controlled through the Arlo app.

The Essential Indoor Camera can be purchased from the Arlo website or from Amazon for $99.99.

Tag: Arlo

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Top Rated Comments

Onexy Avatar
Onexy
72 months ago
A software controlled physical privacy control... isn't this flawed in itself?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HMFIC03 Avatar
HMFIC03
72 months ago
Privacy focused but without HomeKit secure video? Lol well the price point is attractive
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B
btbeme
72 months ago

https://us.eufylife.com/collections/security/products/t8410

Quite happy with this at $51.99 and Home Kit Secure Video compatible! No privacy screen but we only use it when going away for days at a time. Only downside is that for HKSV the resolution is cut to 1080.
I have deployed several dozen Eufy Indoor cams, both the pan/tilt and the stationary, for folks who want to keep tabs on things. They are rock-solid, less than half the price of this new Arlo, and fully HomeKit capable. They are very simple to set up and so far I have zero complaint from anyone I have helped or recommended them to.

This last month, I used one running off a power bank to help some new neighbors who wanted to watch their house being built. I simply cut a window out of a box and put the cam in with the battery (for some minor weather protection), put the box outside where it had a view of the construction, and shared that particular cam with my new neighbors, and they were thrilled beyond measure.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deannnnn Avatar
deannnnn
72 months ago
Ah yes nothing says privacy like an indoor security camera.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I
icanhazmac
72 months ago
https://us.eufylife.com/collections/security/products/t8410

Quite happy with this at $51.99 and Home Kit Secure Video compatible! No privacy screen but we only use it when going away for days at a time. Only downside is that for HKSV the resolution is cut to 1080.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
metabob
72 months ago
I don't know…. what's the use case here? I like my cameras to 100% reliably record everything in high detail (1080p barely cuts it), and just make damn sure the videos are not available to anyone but me. I'd hate to have my house robbed, but the cameras didn't record anything because somebody decided to disarm them for whatever reason. Someone "being home" is a very stupid reason to stop recording.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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