Arlo Pro HD Home Security System Takes Wireless to a New Level

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The original Arlo Pro HD was one of the cameras that put Arlo on the map — a genuinely wireless outdoor camera with a rechargeable battery and a clean app at a time when most competitors still required power cables. It was reviewed here when it launched, and it earned its reputation. However, the Arlo Pro HD has now reached end of life, and if you are still running one, there are some important things to know.

What “End of Life” Means for the Arlo Pro HD

Arlo declared the original Arlo Pro HD (VMC4030) end of life on April 1, 2023. This means Arlo stopped issuing firmware updates and technical support for the camera on that date. More significantly, the legacy free 7-day cloud storage that came with the original Arlo Pro was discontinued on January 1, 2024.

In practical terms for current owners: the cameras may still function for live streaming and local recording to a compatible base station, but cloud video history is no longer available without a paid Arlo Secure subscription — and paying a monthly subscription to cloud-support a camera that is no longer receiving security updates is not a setup worth maintaining long-term.

Bottom line for Arlo Pro HD owners: The camera still works for live view, but cloud storage is gone and firmware updates have ended. Security vulnerabilities discovered after April 2023 will not be patched. Replacement is worth planning for.

What to Replace It With

The Arlo Pro HD’s core appeal was wire-free outdoor use with a rechargeable battery. Several current cameras match or exceed that use case at a better value:

If you want to stay with Arlo

The Arlo Pro 6 is the current flagship — improved battery life, USB-C charging, 2K video, and the full Arlo Intelligence AI suite. It is the direct evolutionary replacement for the Pro HD and integrates with your existing Arlo SmartHub. The tradeoff is that the Arlo Secure subscription is required for cloud recording and AI detection — there is no free tier on current Arlo cameras.

If you want to avoid a subscription

The Tapo C660 KIT is worth serious consideration. It delivers 4K solar-powered pan/tilt coverage with free AI detection, local microSD storage, and no subscription required — at a price point well below the Arlo Pro 6. For buyers who found the Arlo subscription increasingly hard to justify, this is a clean exit. The Tapo C425 is a simpler wire-free option with a 300-day battery and similar no-subscription storage.

The Bottom Line

The original Arlo Pro HD was a great camera for its time. But end of life means no security patches, no cloud storage, and no path forward within the Arlo ecosystem without a subscription. If you are still running one, now is a good time to replace it. The Arlo Pro 6 is the like-for-like upgrade if you want to stay in the ecosystem. If you want to drop the subscription entirely, the Tapo C425 or C660 KIT deliver comparable or better capability at no ongoing cost.

Shop Tapo C660 KIT on Amazon
Read the Arlo Pro 6 Review

This article is part of our Arlo Security Camera Reviews guide.

Mike
Mike
All of these articles are written by someone (me) that figured out how to do this stuff the hard way. I have owned and tested dozens of cameras. Manufacturer support varies. There are a few good companies that provide timely answers when you have questions. There are several that sell you the camera and seem to have little interest in post sales support (which leads me to finding out stuff the hard way).
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