Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. Guides

How to use the Privacy Shield on Arlo cameras

Jon Bitner
By

Many Arlo cameras are equipped with built-in privacy shutters, including the new Arlo Essential Indoor Camera (Gen 2). Officially known as a Privacy Shield, this can be activated to physically block the lens of your security camera – ensuring no prying eyes gain a view of your home. But how do you use the Privacy Shield on Arlo cameras? And can it be controlled remotely through the Arlo smartphone app?

Here's a closer look at how the feature works.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

10 minutes

What You Need

The Arlo Essential Indoor Camera (Gen 2) with the Privacy Shield enabled.
Arlo

How to use the Privacy Shield on Arlo cameras

The Arlo Privacy Shield can only be activated through the smartphone app. In other words, there's no physical button on the camera that allows you to block its lens. While some might lament the design choice, this is a safety precaution to prevent intruders or strangers from turning the camera off without your permission.

With your Arlo app in hand, here's how to use the Privacy Shield.

Step 1: Go to the Dashboard.

Step 2: To enable the Privacy Shield, select Standby. By default, the Standby mode is designed to pull up the Privacy Shield. For some products, Arm Home will also pull up the Privacy Shield.

Related

Step 3: To disable the Privacy Shield, select Arm Away.

Step 4: If your camera is connected to a base station, arming or disarming your entire system will perform the same actions as above. If you'd like to just control the camera, you'll need to connect your device directly to your Wi-Fi router and bypass the base station.

Step 5: You can also navigate to the Devices tab and enter a live feed of your property. This will automatically deactivate the Privacy Shield.

Keep in mind that these steps may vary slightly depending on which version of the Arlo app you're running, but the key is to remember that disarming your system will enable the Privacy Shield and arming your system will disable the Privacy Shield. Also, note that the camera makes an audible clicking sound when activating or deactivating (which can disturb sleeping dogs or children).

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
Arlo Pro 3-pack of security cameras is down to $400 from $700
A woman assembling a Arlo Pro 5S on a wall.

For anyone keen to make their home more secure and accountable through a set of security cameras, Best Buy is currently the place to go for security camera deals. At the retailer, you can buy a three pack of the highly regarded Arlo Pro 5S Spotlight Security Camera for $400. That means you’re saving a huge $300 off the regular price of $700. This is the ideal time to upgrade your home security for less and we’re here to tell you all about it before you commit to a purchase.

Why you should buy the Arlo Pro 5S Spotlight Security Camera
Arlo makes some of the best home security cameras around with pretty much its entire range being worth your time and money. With the Arlo Pro 5S, you get a great level of detail. There’s two times the video resolution of HD so you can zoom in up to 12 times to see sharper details. Due to its night vision, you can also see color at night for better identification of what’s going on. A wide 160-degree field of view combined with auto image correction cuts down on fish eye effect so everything looks just how you would expect it to. There’s also AI object detection so the Arlo Pro 5S is capable of detecting if something is a package, person, vehicle, animal or similar.

Read more
Does the Pan-Tilt Mount work with the Blink Mini 2?
The Blink Mini installed in the Pan-Tilt Mount.

The Blink Mini 2 is a solid security camera that clocks in at a great price, making it the ideal option for shoppers on a budget. It takes everything people loved about the original Blink Mini and makes it even better, offering an affordable way to keep tabs on your home remotely. The Blink Mini eventually received a unique accessory known as the Blink Pan-Tilt Mount, allowing users to freely rotate the camera and see all corners of their home. And since the Blink hasn't yet released a Blink Mini 2 Pan-Tilt Mount, many folks are wondering if the original Pan-Tilt Mount works with the Blink Mini 2.

Unfortunately, the Pan-Tilt Mount does not work with the Blink Mini 2. If you're interested in learning more, here's a closer look at why that's the case, along with info as to whether Blink plans to launch a Pan-Tilt Mount for the Blink 2 in the future.
Why doesn't the Pan-Tilt Mount work with Blink Mini 2?

Read more
How to clean the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo
Ecovacs X2 Combo under a bed.

While the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo handles most of its own maintenance, there are still a few tasks you'll have to perform manually. Thankfully, these tasks only take up a few minutes of your time, and they don't need to be carried out frequently. From checking that the robot's sensors aren't blocked to cleaning roller brushes and the dirty water tank, here's a look at how to clean the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo.
Wipe down the robot vacuum sensors

The robot vacuum that comes with your X2 Combo works best when its external sensors are clean. After scurrying around a dirty house, there's a good chance dust has accumulated on the clear cover that houses all its sensors. Check this after each cleaning cycle and wipe it down with a dry cloth. If it's really dirty, a slightly damp rag can be used before drying it with a towel.
Give a thorough rinse to the dirty water tank
Emptying the dirty water tank is arguably the worst part of owning a robot vacuum. But if you're staying on top of things, it should never get too funky. Consider emptying the dirty water tank before it's full and giving its interior walls a good scrubbing to remove buildup. If you don’t do this, your dirty water tank will get remarkably smelly and slowly accumulate more gunk.

Read more