It’s the simple things in my mind that make the difference between a good product and a great product, and when it comes to home security systems I think software features are the clear point of difference.

Arlo has knocked it out of the park in the last month, firstly launching facial recognition of People the camera sees, as well as Vehicle recognition, and now in their latest App update – you can add a widget to your home screen to control the camera status.

This widget allows you to enable the modes your Arlo system has without ever opening the app. This for me is a flashback to how security systems used to be – when you left home you would “arm” the system. Today, thanks to smart systems like Arlo you can set time based schedules, even use the GPS location of your phone to arm the system when you are away.

But, the peace of mind that comes from glancing at your phone to see that the system is armed is priceless. Plus, when you are home outside of schedule, its a simple tap to disarm the recordings and notifications you have setup while you are away.

Adding a widget is simple. Press and hold on your home screen, and look for the EDIT button and Add widget. It’s similar on Android also.

Then scroll or search for ARLO in the Widget app list.

Tap that, to see a preview of the widget, and choose ADD WIDGET

The widget will drop onto your home screen, you can drag it around the page or onto another home screen page that you choose.

And here’s the awesome thing, if you share an Arlo system with another family member, as I do with my mum’s system, you can add two widgets and EDIT the widget to be associated with a particular system

This Widget is available to ALL Arlo users, not just those who are on the Arlo Secure plans.

Great stuff, worth adding to your home screen!