Arlo Pro 4 Wireless Security Camera
The Pro 4 series 2K HDR security camera delivers superior video quality combined with the convenience of connecting directly to Wi-Fi without a SmartHub. Perfect for protecting medium to larger spaces.

• 2K video with HDR

• Integrated Spotlight

• Rechargeable Battery

• Connects directly to Wi-Fi

• Arlo Secure trial included

To set up Arlo Pro 4 or Arlo Essential wire-free cameras directly to your Wi-Fi:

1. Launch the Arlo Secure App.

2. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap Add New Device.

3. Tap Cameras.

4. Tap Pro or Essential.

5. Select your camera.

6. Select Connect without SmartHub (or select an Arlo SmartHub or Arlo Base Station if desired).

7. If you selected Connect without SmartHub, tap Continue.

8. Check your mobile device settings to ensure you are connected to a 2.4 GHz network. 

9. Return to the Arlo Secure app and tap Continue.

10. Enter your Wi-Fi SSID (network name) and password,

11. Tap Continue.

12. For Arlo Essential Wire-Free cameras:

• Press and hold the Sync button on the bottom of the camera for two seconds.

13. For Arlo Pro 4:

• Insert the battery into the camera and tap Continue.

• When the LED on the front of the camera is blinking blue, tap Continue.

• If the LED is not blinking blue, tap LED is not blinking blue.

• Press and hold the Sync button on the inside of the camera and tap Continue.

• When the LED begins blinking blue, tap Continue.

14. Hold the QR code about four to six inches in front of your Arlo camera.

15. When you hear a chime, tap Continue. If you are having trouble, visit: My Arlo camera will not scan the QR code during setup

16. Arlo will begin looking for your camera.

Note: Make sure the camera is within 3 to 6 feet of your Wi-Fi router during the setup process. Avoid placing the camera within close proximity to other Wi-Fi devices to avoid signal interference during the setup process.

17. Name your Arlo camera and tap Continue.

18. Position your Arlo camera and tap Continue.

19. Tap Finish.

Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera Review

We tested the Arlo Pro 4 for weeks to see if it deserves the best wire-free security camera title.

The Arlo Pro 4 is our pick for the best smart security camera on the market, thanks to supreme smart home integration, 2K video resolution, affordable cloud storage, and no base station. It's not a cheap or perfect camera. But after testing it for a few weeks, we think it strikes the best balance of advanced features and price compared to other high-end cameras like the Google Nest Cam† and the Ring Spotlight Cam. It's a great option for folks looking for a high-end outdoor camera.

In our Arlo Pro camera review

• Watch our video review

• Compare to similar cameras

• Video quality

• Storage

• Battery life

• Mobile App

• Setup

• Customer service

• Final word

Arlo Pro 4’s top features

Resolution=1440p (2K)

Night vision=Color/infrared

Smart home compatibility=Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit*, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings

Cloud storage=Starts at $2.99/mo. for 30-day history

Requires base station?=No

Learn more=View On Amazon

How Arlo Pro 4 compares to the competition

Video quality and recording options

Video quality

The Arlo Pro 4 has great video quality, thanks to a 1440p (2K) video resolution, which is better than the 1080p on most other security cameras. Videos were clear with a lot of detail, making it easy to identify objects, animals, and people in the frame.

One of the Arlo Pro 4's best features is its night vision in color and infrared modes. The color night vision uses a built-in spotlight to light up subjects near the camera when there's motion. It's useful for getting a little more detail, but it's not as discreet as the infrared night vision setting.

We noticed a delay between an action and when it shows up during a live video stream. The delay depended entirely on our internet bandwidth, so you shouldn't have problems with a speedy internet connection.

Recording options

To record video with the Arlo Pro 4, you can switch between five settings:

• Disarmed turns off all recording, but you can still record videos when viewing a live stream.

• Armed allows the camera to record video whenever there's motion.

• Schedule records video only during specific times.

• Geofencing activates other recording modes based on your location.

• Custom mode allows you to adjust when the camera records.

Arlo Secure subscription

Most of the Arlo Pro 4's best features are available only when you pay for an Arlo Secure Plan subscription. Fortunately, Arlo has one of most affordable cloud storage plans around and holds its own against offerings from Ring and Nest.

Features included with Arlo Secure Plan

Arlo's cloud storage keeps video clips for up to 30 days before deleting them. This is usually more than enough to download important clips you want to keep longer. Arlo recently removed the five-camera limit on its pricier plans so you can have as many as you like. This huge improvement helps Arlo compete better on cloud pricing with Nest and Ring.

Arlo Pro 4 battery life

The battery life on the Arlo Pro 4 is quite good for a wireless camera but decreased by around 50% over a couple of weeks. We suspect that part of this decrease was an unreliable Wi-Fi router that dropped connection multiple times a day, which likely made the Arlo Pro 4 use more power trying to reconnect.

Arlo offers three power management options in the video settings menu:

• Best Video uses more power to provide better video quality.

• Optimized tries to balance power consumption and video quality.

• Best Battery Life uses less power at the expense of video quality.

We don't think it's possible to get a full six months out of the battery like it says on the box—even under more stable conditions. Our first two weeks of testing used the Optimized setting and after that we put it in Standby. After about two months, we had to charge the battery.

Your rechargeable battery will likely be partially charged before setup, but we recommend topping off the charge during and after setup before mounting your Arlo Pro 4.

Arlo mobile app and notifications

There are plenty of customization options in the mobile app, so we spent an hour or so tweaking settings and familiarizing ourselves with the app. Overall, the app has an intuitive interface, but not all of the settings are easy to find at first glance. Arlo divides many settings across multiple menus, especially ones for individual devices. You’ll get the hang of it after a day or two.