Doorbell · Arlo
Arlo Essential Video Doorbell (2nd Gen) privacy & local-first review
Battery or wired · List price: Unverified
Last verified · 1 unverified item
31Local-First Score
how we score
how we score
At a glance
| Works without internet | Partial Partial: hub-triggered local recording continues1 |
|---|---|
| Local storage | Hub only Only via Arlo SmartHub/Base Station (microSD/USB)2 |
| Home Assistant | None None: official integration was removed3 |
| Open protocols | Unverified No RTSP/ONVIF found in Arlo documentation reviewed so far. |
| Subscription needed? | Partly Cloud recording needs Arlo Secure; local hub backup does not24 |
| Cloud account required? | Required Yes (Arlo account)5 |
| End-to-end encryption | Not offered Not advertised (encrypted in transit and in cloud)5 |
Score breakdown
| Works without internet | Partial | 8 / 20 |
|---|---|---|
| Local video storage | Hub only | 9 / 15 |
| Home Assistant, locally | None | 0 / 15 |
| Open protocol (RTSP / ONVIF / Matter) | Unverified | 0 / 10 |
| No cloud account required | Required | 0 / 10 |
| No subscription for core recording | Partly | 4 / 8 |
| End-to-end encryption | Not offered | 0 / 7 |
| Privacy policy: does not sell your data (brand) | Ad sharing disclosed Discloses that it may share account, device, usage and location information for cross-context behavioral advertising.6 | 0 / 5 |
| Police requests: warrant or no access (brand) | Warrant Requires a search warrant before producing video.7 | 5 / 5 |
| No incidents in our tracker, last 5 years (brand) | None tracked None in our tracker | 5 / 5 |
| Total | 31 / 100 |
Privacy notes
- Arlo says it requires a search warrant before producing video to law enforcement.7
Police & law-enforcement requests (Arlo)
Warrant Requires a search warrant before producing video.7 Compare companies
Security incidents & settlements (Arlo)
None found in our tracker. Brands with a tracked incident in the last 5 years lose the 5 incident points.
Similar doorbells compared
| Device | Score | Offline | Local storage | Home Assistant | RTSP/ONVIF | Subscription | Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubiquiti UniFi G4 Doorbell ProDoorbell · Wired (doorbell wiring or PoE kit) | 90 | Yes | Yes | Local push | Yes | Not needed | Not required |
| Reolink Video Doorbell (PoE / WiFi)Doorbell · Wired (PoE or 12–24 VAC) | 82 | Yes | Yes | Local push | Yes | Not needed | Not required |
| Amcrest AD410 Video DoorbellDoorbell · Wired (doorbell wiring) | 73 | Yes | Yes | Local polling | Yes | Not needed | Unverified |
| Arlo Essential Video Doorbell (2nd Gen)Doorbell · Battery or wired | 31 | Partial | Hub only | None | Unverified | Partly | Required |
Reolink RTSP/ONVIF setup note (added Oct 22, 2026): on many current Reolink models, RTSP and ONVIF (and on some, HTTP) ship switched off. Reolink says to enable them once in the Reolink App or desktop Client under Network > Advanced > Server Settings, or in the web interface where it is reachable89. For cameras attached to a Reolink NVR or Home Hub, enable the ports on the NVR/hub instead8. The App and Client can manage a camera as a "Local Device" using only its UID, username and password, so no Reolink account is needed for this step10. Home Assistant users report the same out-of-the-box behavior on recent firmware11.
More from this company: Is Arlo safe? Policies and incident record. Have a question about this device? Ask us or suggest a device.
Spotted an error? See our corrections policy. Informational only, not legal advice.
Sources
- Arlo: Local storage backups with SmartHub/Base Station · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Arlo: SmartHub and Base Station compatibility · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Home Assistant: Arlo (removed integration) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Arlo support (UK): Subscription plans and "No Plan" features · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Arlo: Privacy pledge · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Arlo Privacy Notice · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Arlo: Law enforcement guidelines · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: How to configure Reolink ports settings · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Reolink Home Assistant integration (prerequisites) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Local Device vs Account Device · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Home Assistant Community (user report): Reolink cameras ship with open-protocol ports off · checked Oct 22, 2026