How do I get better picture quality from my Arlo camera?

Last updated: 08.01.2025

Improve the picture quality by maintaining the minimum upload requirement for your Arlo camera and use the Arlo Secure App to adjust the video settings.

Note: If you have a legacy Arlo camera (Arlo Wire-Free (VMC3030), Arlo Pro, Arlo Pro 2, Arlo Q, Arlo Q Plus, or Arlo Baby) that includes free cloud storage, the bit rate is reduced. If you purchase an Arlo service plan, the camera records in higher quality.

To improve picture quality:

  • Check the upload speed requirement.
  • Change the Power Management setting to Best Video.
    • For the Arlo Secure experience with Feed, visit: How do I change my Arlo camera Power Management settings?
    • Note: If bandwidth is limited on your Wi-Fi network, selecting Best Video might not improve video quality. Both the upload speed and the connection between the camera and Wi-Fi router, Arlo SmartHub, or Arlo Base Station affects video quality.
    • Choosing Best Video also may reduce battery life for wire-free cameras.
  • Place your camera in a location with a good Wi-Fi signal.
    • For more information, visit: Arlo Camera Placement Tips
    • Minimize the number of networks, Wi-Fi devices, and transmitted frequencies near your camera and Wi-Fi router, Arlo SmartHub, and/or Arlo Base Station.
  • To improve your connection, avoid uploading other data while you are streaming video.
    • Simultaneous uploads might degrade the quality of your Arlo video stream.
    • This includes uploading torrent files, uploading videos or pictures to remote websites such as Flickr or YouTube, or remote backup sites and cloud drives such as Dropbox or iCloud.
  • If your router supports Quality of Service (QoS) or traffic shaping, make sure that your router settings are optimized for streaming video.
  • For Arlo Pro 5S cameras, enable both 2.4GHz and 5GHz to get the best connectivity.