Does Arlo work without internet?

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Answer: Partly, and only with an Arlo SmartHub or Base Station that has a USB drive or microSD card. Arlo says that if the camera and hub stay powered and the internet goes down, the camera keeps recording to that storage. Arlo cameras paired straight to Wi-Fi with no hub have no local backup, apart from the Go 2, Go and Q Plus, which take a microSD card.

Arlo's local-storage article says most cameras need to be paired to a SmartHub or Base Station for local storage, and that "if the camera and Arlo SmartHub or Base Station are powered on, but your Internet connection goes down, the camera continues to record to the USB device." Only automatically triggered recordings are saved locally; manual recordings go to the cloud only. The Arlo Go 2, Go and Q Plus can use a microSD card instead 1. The Pro 5S manual says the same about recording continuing to USB during an outage 2.

Which hub you need depends on the camera. Arlo's compatibility list shows the VMB5000 SmartHub (microSD) and the VMB4540, VMB4500 and VMB4000 (USB) supporting most current Pro, Ultra and Essential models and the wired and wire-free Essential Video Doorbells. The older VMB3000 and VMB3500 have no local storage, and some models can't pair with a hub at all, including the Essential Pan Tilt cameras, the Essential Security Camera (Plug-In) and the Essential Indoor Camera (3rd Gen) 3.

Getting the video back is the weak spot. On the VMB5000 and VMB4540 SmartHubs, Direct Storage Access shows the last 30 days of local clips in the Arlo app without the video touching Arlo's cloud, but only when your phone is on the same home network (or connected through a VPN or port forwarding) 4. On the VMB4000 and VMB4500 base stations you have to remove the USB drive and read the MP4 files on a computer 5. Arlo's articles don't say whether the app itself works during an internet outage.

Does Arlo work without Wi-Fi?

Arlo hubs make their own camera network, so hub-paired cameras don't use your home Wi-Fi, but the hub still needs to be powered to record. Cameras without a hub connect to your Wi-Fi and have no local backup unless they take a microSD card (Go 2, Go, Q Plus). 31

Does the Arlo doorbell work without internet?

The Essential Video Doorbell (wired and wire-free) and Video Doorbell 2K/HD (2nd Gen) can pair with a SmartHub or Base Station, and Arlo says hub-paired cameras keep recording to local storage when the internet drops. Arlo's article doesn't name the doorbells specifically. 31

Do I need an Arlo subscription for local recording?

No; cloud recording needs a paid plan, local hub storage does not. Arlo's US plans were renamed in Sept 2026 (Smart Aware, Smart Secure, Ultra Secure) with no price change. 673

Does Arlo work with Home Assistant locally?

Not officially; the Arlo integration was removed from Home Assistant. 8

Does Arlo share video with police?

Arlo says it requires a search warrant before producing video. 9

DeviceScoreOfflineLocal storageSubscriptionAccountHome AssistantRTSP/ONVIF
Arlo Essential Video Doorbell (2nd Gen)Doorbell · Battery or wired31PartialHub onlyPartlyRequiredNoneUnverified
Arlo Pro 5S 2K Spotlight CameraCamera · Battery, Wi-Fi31PartialHub onlyPartlyRequiredNoneUnverified

Informational only, not legal advice. Found an error? Tell us.

Sources

  1. Arlo: Local storage backups with SmartHub/Base Station · checked Nov 2, 2026
  2. Arlo: Pro 5S 2K user manual (PDF) · checked Oct 22, 2026
  3. Arlo: SmartHub and Base Station compatibility · checked Nov 2, 2026
  4. Arlo: What is Direct Storage Access? · checked Nov 2, 2026
  5. Arlo: How do I view Arlo videos saved on local storage? · checked Nov 2, 2026
  6. Arlo (US): Arlo Secure plans and pricing · checked Oct 22, 2026
  7. Arlo: Subscription plan changes, September 2026 · checked Nov 2, 2026
  8. Home Assistant: Arlo (removed integration) · checked Oct 22, 2026
  9. Arlo: Law enforcement guidelines · checked Oct 22, 2026