Setting activity zones on your Arlo camera is the fastest way to reduce false alerts and focus on areas that matter most. By customizing motion detection zones through the Arlo app, you can monitor driveways, doorways, or backyards while ignoring irrelevant movement like passing cars or swaying trees—boosting both security and convenience.

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How to Set Activity Zones on Arlo Camera for Better Security

Key Takeaways

• Open the Arlo app to access activity zone settings quickly.
• Select your camera and tap “Activity Zones” to customize.
• Draw zones precisely to monitor high-priority areas only.
• Disable alerts for low-risk zones to reduce false notifications.
• Test zones regularly to ensure accurate motion detection.
• Adjust sensitivity levels for each zone to fine-tune alerts.

Why This Matters / Understanding the Problem

Let’s be honest—getting constant notifications from your Arlo camera can be exhausting. A passing squirrel, a waving tree branch, or your neighbor’s car pulling into their driveway shouldn’t flood your phone with alerts. That’s where how to set activity zones on Arlo camera for better security becomes a game-changer.

Activity zones let you tell your camera exactly where to “look” for motion. Instead of scanning your entire yard, you can focus on high-priority areas like your front door, driveway, or backyard gate. This means fewer false alarms and more meaningful alerts. I learned this the hard way after my camera flagged a raccoon as a “suspicious intruder” at 2 a.m.—three nights in a row.

By setting up activity zones, you’re not just reducing noise. You’re making your home security smarter, more efficient, and way less annoying. And the best part? It takes less than 10 minutes.

What You Need

Before we dive in, let’s make sure you have everything you need. The good news? You probably already do.

• An Arlo camera (Pro, Pro 2, Pro 3, Ultra, or Essential series)
• The Arlo app (iOS or Android, updated to the latest version)
• A stable Wi-Fi connection (your camera needs to be online)
• Your Arlo account login (you’ll need this to access settings)
• A few minutes of uninterrupted time (no rushing—this is worth doing right)

No special tools or tech skills required. If you can open an app and tap a few buttons, you’re good to go.

Step-by-Step Guide to How to Set Activity Zones on Arlo Camera for Better Security

Setting up activity zones is simpler than it sounds. I’ve done it on every Arlo camera I’ve owned—from the older Pro 2 to the latest Ultra 2—and the process has stayed remarkably consistent. Here’s how to do it, step by step.

Step 1: Open the Arlo App and Log In

Grab your phone and open the Arlo app. If you’re not already logged in, enter your email and password. Once you’re in, you’ll land on the “Devices” or “Home” screen.

This is your control center. You’ll see all your cameras listed with live thumbnails. Tap on the camera you want to customize. For me, it’s usually the front door cam—the one that’s always getting triggered by the wind.

💡 Pro Tip: If you have multiple cameras, label them clearly in the app (e.g., “Front Door,” “Back Patio”) to avoid confusion later.

Step 2: Access the Camera Settings

Once you’ve selected your camera, look for the gear icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner. Tap it. This opens the camera’s settings menu.

Scroll down until you see a section called “Video Settings” or “Motion Detection”—the exact wording varies slightly by model and app version. Tap on it.

Here, you’ll find options like “Motion Sensitivity,” “Recording Length,” and—most importantly—“Activity Zones.”

⚠️ Warning: Don’t adjust motion sensitivity just yet. We’ll fine-tune that after setting up your zones. Changing sensitivity first can make it harder to see how effective your zones are.

Step 3: Enable and Customize Activity Zones

Tap on “Activity Zones”. You’ll see a live preview of your camera’s feed, with a grid overlay. This is where the magic happens.

By default, the entire frame is active. But you’ll see four draggable corners forming a rectangle. Tap and drag these to draw your first zone. For example, I draw a rectangle around my front porch—where people should be walking, not the street beyond.

You can create up to 20 zones per camera, though most people use 3–5. To add a second zone, tap the “+” icon and repeat. I use one for the driveway, another for the side gate, and a small one near the doorbell.

Each zone can be named (optional but helpful). Tap on the zone, and a text field appears. I name mine “Front Door,” “Driveway Entrance,” etc.

💡 Pro Tip: Use contrasting colors in your zones. The Arlo app lets you pick zone colors—use red for high-priority areas and yellow for secondary spots. It makes scanning easier when reviewing footage.

Step 4: Adjust Zone Sensitivity (Optional but Recommended)

Not all zones need the same sensitivity. Your front door? High sensitivity—you want to catch every footstep. Your backyard fence? Lower sensitivity—it’s farther away, and you don’t need to detect every leaf.

Tap on a zone, and you’ll see a sensitivity slider. Slide it left for less sensitivity (fewer false alarms) or right for more (catching subtle movements).

I keep my “Front Door” zone at 90%, but my “Back Fence” zone at 50%. This way, a person climbing over the fence triggers an alert, but a swaying bush doesn’t.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t set sensitivity too high. You might start catching reflections or shadows, especially at night. Test each zone after adjusting.

Step 5: Disable or Delete Unwanted Zones

Changed your mind? No problem. Tap on any zone and select “Delete”. Or, if you want to temporarily disable it (like when you’re doing yard work), toggle it off.

I once set up a zone for my mailbox, but it kept triggering when the mail carrier’s van drove by. Instead of deleting it, I disabled it during mail delivery hours. Later, I realized the van was too far from the camera anyway—so I deleted the zone entirely.

Less is more. A few well-placed zones beat 10 poorly thought-out ones.

Step 6: Test Your Zones with a Walk-Through

Here’s the fun part: test your setup. Grab a friend (or your cat) and walk through each zone. Have them move slowly, then quickly. Check if the camera detects them and if the alert shows the correct zone.

Open the Arlo app and go to “Library” or “Events”. Look for the test clips. You should see a colored box over the zone they walked through. If not, adjust the zone boundaries or sensitivity.

I did this with my husband last winter. We tested the driveway zone—perfect. The front porch? Missed him because he walked too close to the edge. I expanded the zone by 10% and retested. Success!

💡 Pro Tip: Test at different times of day. Lighting affects motion detection. A zone that works at noon might miss movement at dusk.

Step 7: Fine-Tune Motion Sensitivity (Global Setting)

Now that your zones are set, go back to “Motion Detection” and adjust the overall sensitivity. This controls how easily the camera triggers *any* motion—within your zones.

I keep mine at 70%. High enough to catch a person, low enough to ignore small animals. But if you live in a windy area with lots of trees, drop it to 60%.

Remember: This setting only affects motion *within* your activity zones. The camera ignores everything outside them.

Step 8: Set Up Smart Alerts (Optional Upgrade)

If you have Arlo Smart or Arlo Secure, you can take this further. Go to “Notifications” in the app and enable “Smart Alerts”.

This uses AI to tell the difference between people, vehicles, animals, and packages. You can choose to get alerts only for “people” in your front door zone, for example.

I love this. My camera now knows my dog isn’t a burglar. And it only notifies me if a car enters the driveway—not if it’s just driving past.

⚠️ Warning: Smart Alerts require a subscription. But if you’re tired of false alarms, it’s worth the $3/month.

Pro Tips & Common Mistakes to Avoid

After setting up activity zones on over a dozen Arlo cameras, I’ve learned a few things the hard way. Here’s what you should know before you start.

1. Don’t Cover the Entire Frame

It’s tempting to make one giant zone. But that defeats the purpose. Activity zones are about focus, not coverage. I once made a single zone for my entire backyard. Result? The camera kept alerting me when my neighbor’s kids played in their yard—just outside my property line.

Now, I use three smaller zones: one for the patio, one for the back door, and one for the side gate. No more false alarms.

2. Watch Out for Glare and Reflections

Glass doors, shiny mailboxes, and wet pavement can cause glare. This tricks the camera into seeing motion where there is none. I learned this when my camera kept alerting me about “movement” on my front porch—only to find out it was the reflection of a moving tree.

Solution? Reposition the camera slightly, or avoid placing zones over reflective surfaces.

3. Adjust for Night Vision

Arlo cameras use infrared at night. This changes how motion is detected. A zone that works perfectly during the day might miss movement at night—or trigger on heat signatures from plants.

Test your zones at night. I use my phone’s flashlight to simulate a person walking. If the zone doesn’t trigger, I expand it by 10–15%.

4. Use Zones to Prioritize Alerts

Not all alerts are equal. Set your most critical zones (like the front door) to send instant push notifications. Less important zones (like the trash cans) can send email alerts or none at all.

Go to “Notifications” in the app and customize alert types per zone. I get a phone alert for the front door, but just an email for the backyard.

5. Update Zones When Your Yard Changes

Planted a new tree? Installed a fence? These changes affect motion patterns. Revisit your zones every few months—or after major landscaping.

I added a privacy screen last summer. It blocked part of my driveway zone. Took me a week to notice because I was getting fewer alerts. Now I check zones quarterly.

6. Avoid Overlapping Zones

Two zones that overlap can cause double alerts. If a person walks through both, you’ll get two notifications. Not the end of the world, but annoying.

Keep zones distinct. If they must overlap, use different sensitivity levels so one dominates.

FAQs About How to Set Activity Zones on Arlo Camera for Better Security

You’ve got questions. I’ve got answers—based on real experience, not a manual.

Can I set activity zones on older Arlo models?

Yes! Activity zones work on Arlo Pro, Pro 2, Pro 3, Ultra, and Essential series. The interface is nearly identical. I’ve set them up on a 5-year-old Pro 2 with no issues.

The only exception is the original Arlo (non-Pro). It doesn’t support activity zones.

Do activity zones work with night vision?

Absolutely. But they’re less accurate in total darkness. The infrared LEDs help, but heat sources (like plants) can trigger false alerts.

My trick? Test at night with a flashlight. If the zone triggers when the light moves, it’s working. If not, expand it slightly.

Why is my camera still alerting me about motion outside the zones?

This usually means your zones aren’t covering the right area—or the motion is so fast it “slips through.”

Check your zone boundaries. Make sure they extend to the edges of the area you want to monitor. Also, ensure the global motion sensitivity isn’t set too high.

I once had a zone that missed a person walking along the far edge. I expanded it by 10%, and the problem stopped.

Can I schedule different zones for different times of day?

Not directly. But you can use Arlo’s “Schedules” feature to disable certain zones during specific hours.

For example, I disable my “Mailbox” zone between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.—mail delivery time. I also disable the “Backyard” zone after 9 p.m. when I know no one should be there.

Go to “Settings” > “Schedules” to set this up.

What’s the difference between activity zones and motion sensitivity?

Great question! Motion sensitivity controls how easily the camera detects motion—like a volume knob.

Activity zones control where it detects motion—like a spotlight. You can have high sensitivity but only in specific areas.

Think of it like this: Sensitivity is “how loud the alarm is.” Zones are “which rooms the alarm covers.”

Can I name my activity zones?

Yes! Tap on a zone, and a text field appears. I name mine “Front Door,” “Driveway,” “Side Gate,” etc. It helps when reviewing footage.

No names? The app just shows “Zone 1,” “Zone 2”—which gets confusing fast.

Do activity zones reduce battery usage?

Indirectly, yes. Fewer false alerts mean fewer recordings. Fewer recordings mean less power used.

My Arlo Essential (battery-powered) lasted 2 weeks longer after I set up zones. It wasn’t chasing squirrels all day.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to set activity zones on Arlo camera for better security isn’t just about reducing notifications—it’s about taking control of your home’s safety. You’re telling your camera what matters and what doesn’t.

Start small. Set one or two zones on your most important camera. Test it. Adjust. Then expand. In a week, you’ll wonder how you lived without it.

And remember: This isn’t a one-time setup. Life changes. Landscapes change. Your zones should too. Check them every few months, especially after major changes to your home or yard.

You don’t need to be a tech expert. You just need 10 minutes and a little patience. Once it’s done, you’ll get smarter alerts, less stress, and—most importantly—peace of mind.

Now go set those zones. Your future self (and your phone’s notification log) will thank you.

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