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Chances are, if you’re using a smart home ecosystem of any type, you’ll have heard of Arlo. The company makes some of the best cameras on the market and some of the most feature-rich. Because Arlo is such a forward-thinking company, at least compared to some other IoT/smart home companies, even if its big features do require a subscription, one benefit of using its cameras is that you can sign into its app to view or control your cameras via a fingerprint scan.
But how, exactly, do you go about turning the feature on? And what are its benefits? That’s exactly what this article sets out to discuss.
What are the caveats and benefits of logging in this way?
Now, logging into the Arlo app to view your cameras and more with a fingerprint comes with several benefits. Not least of all, it removes the need to enter a password or PIN every time you open the app to view cameras or access features. Instead, you’ll be able to simply use your fingerprint scanner. That’s whether you’re accessing it on a smartphone, tablet, or some other gadget.
Secondary to that, logging into the Arlo app with fingerprint limits who can access your cameras and other gadgets. As well as the features. Effectively preventing unauthorized access on a single smartphone or tablet device. It won’t prevent logins from elsewhere. Although it’s worth noting that the feature only prevents access on a single device, it does reduce the overall risk. And it does make logging into Arlo — if you’re not using autofill features — easier.
Here’s how to set up fingerprint logins for your Arlo app and camera controls
Prior to getting started on this guide, you’ll want to make sure you’ve gone through the initial setup for any cameras or other devices from Arlo. And, of course, you need to have an Arlo account set up, as required by that process. Otherwise, you won’t have any luck getting into the Arlo app, to begin with.
Once that’s complete, the first step will be to open up the Arlo app. And, if you have a password or other login already set up, log in to access the app.
The app defaults to the “Devices” tab. But, regardless of which tab you are on, you should see a three-vertical-dot icon at the top right-hand side of the UI. Select that three-dot icon.
After selecting the three-dot icon, you’ll see two options. One for “Settings” and another to “Log Out.”
If you log out, or if you are logged out, you won’t see the option you need to set up a fingerprint sign-in. So, log in if you haven’t already. Then select “Settings” from the above-mentioned list. Next, scroll down the page to the “Account” subheader and select “Profile.”
Arlo presents your Profile page without a header. Instead, you’ll see a banner with your name, a profile pic if you’ve added one, and the associated email address. As shown in the sample images below. You’ll also see a total of three options. The second of which reads “Login Settings” and it’s the option you need to select.
On the Login Settings page, the bottom option reads “Log In with Fingerprint.” It also shows a toggle switch. Select the toggle switch.
The toggle switch next to “Log In with Fingerprint” will move to the right and be colored in. You can also return to this page to turn the setting back off if you need to in the future.
Now, when you exit the app and try to sign in again, Arlo asks for your fingerprint. That’s before you can access the Arlo app, cameras, other gadgets, and associated features. This way, nobody but you will be able to easily access your account from your smartphone, tablet, or whatever other fingerprint-reader device you access Arlo from in the future.
Now, it’s worth noting at this point that turning this feature on won’t protect your account with a fingerprint on other devices. This only applies to the individual device where you’ve set it up. If you access Arlo and its devices and cameras from another fingerprint-enabled gadget, you’ll need to turn it on there too. Fortunately, the setting will be found in the same place regardless of which platform you’re accessing them on.