Customers find value in the Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040's high-quality images, ease of use, and included privacy features. Many appreciate the straightforward setup and the camera's affordability. However, some users experienced connectivity issues, and others noted limitations regarding battery life and compatibility with certain smart home systems. Overall, the positive feedback on image quality and ease of use outweighs the negative comments regarding connectivity and other minor drawbacks.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 564 reviews
Pros mentioned:
Camera quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
All eyez on you!
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Most epic purchase ever!!! Clear videos, great zoom and awesome features on the app! Gives us comfort to know while we're out of town. I can still check in on the house on all cameras. The cord to plug this in is long enough to have it up high or mounted with plenty of play! I love that I can talk to my animals and peeps thru the app while that are at my house and they can communicate back to me as well!!! All in all I am impressed! I have and will continue to gloat about these especially for the price that I paid for all of them! Furthermore the fact that they work without requiring a hub!!! WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! THANX ARLO AND BEST BUY, YOU GUYZ ROCK!
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera quality, Privacy shield
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
I need more!
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Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Great camera for home surveillance. It gives me peace of mind when I'm at work. I also like that it has the privacy screen so when you're at home you don't feel like you're being watched.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera quality
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
An evolution of the Arlo Q
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Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
My Arlo Q has served me well for years, and this is essentially a new version of it that performs just as well or better. The new privacy cover over the lens is pretty neat. However, I was disappointed to discover that the base for the camera is no longer magnetic like the Q, which is something I use extensively with my older Arlo Q, so I have to deduct a star for that alone. The power cord is shorter, too. I also quickly found out that the black model picks up dust almost immediately, so you might want to go with the white model.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Another solid Arlo product
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Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Bought as an add-on to my existing system. Connection was seamless. Video quality it above average.
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Will buy again!
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Posted . Owned for 5 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I am very happy with my Arlo cameras. I have one at my front door and one in our kids room. The visual is amazing and we love the privacy shield feature it has. We plan on getting 2 more. One for the backyard and one for the living room. Highly recommended!!
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great little camera
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Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The compact size is nice and the lens shield for protection. Will not open unless you sign in to that specific camera and it will notify you of a live stream. I would buy again!
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera quality, Night vision
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great camera
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Camera has a great picture quality. Has good night vision
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Best product
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Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Amazing product going to buy more of this product recommended it to everyone get it don’t waste time
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Everything must match.
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Posted . Owned for 7 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Less expensive at Best Buy than purchasing from the actual company. White case is the other reason for the purchase.
I like a over all light color scheme for that room.
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera quality, Privacy shield
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Smart Indoor Camera
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I love the design, video quality, 2-way audio and smart features of this camera. The app is quick, and I never have to wait to see what is going on when I get an alert. Setup only took a few minutes.
Pros
- Daytime video quality and viewing angles are great.
- Privacy shield is a great physical indication that the camera is not recording and makes my family more comfortable knowing the are not being recorded when we are home.
- Design and size allow the camera to easily blend in on my white fireplace mantel. You can turn the status led off to make it even less noticeable.
- Smart detection tags motion alerts (people, animals, other) and allows you to exclude notification of certain types. This helped cut down on false notifications due to my dog, but it didn’t always work.
- Microphone allows the camera to record audio and be triggered by noises, including listening for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- 2-way audio allows you to get a better idea of what is going on – you can listen for your dog barking and speak to people/pets if needed
- Allows for multiple motion detection zones (unfortunately this is all or nothing – I wish it allowed you to select different zones dependent on time of day).
- The Arlo app works well on the iPhone. Notification previews work great – giving you the type of alert, a short video clip, and highlighting the motion so you can easily determine if there is an issue without opening the app. Inside the app it is easy to set up the camera, live stream, view recordings, change motion settings, set schedules and turn the camera on/off.
- Arlo works with my Echo Show (Alexa)
Things to Consider
- Low light video quality is just ok – it is just good enough to provide motion alerts and make out high level details.
- Camera is wall mountable and includes the mount/screws, but the length of the provided power cord limits your options (6-7ft). Not a big issue, since the cord is standard USB and you can easily buy a longer one.
- Video recordings and smart alerts require a subscription that adds to the overall cost of ownership. The plan you subscribe to impacts video quality. It is an investment, but this is not my only Arlo device and they all work well.
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Nice camera
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Nice and visually appealing. I have many of the Arlo cameras. This one I never have to worry about charging. It’s great that you don’t need a base station for the Essential line. Picture quality isn’t as good as some of the other cameras, but still pretty good
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great Indoor Vam for my Shop
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Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
All the great Arlo features plus the sliding cover gives you some privacy when you want it with just a toggle
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Arlo indoor camera
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Posted . Owned for 6 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Nice indoor camera, love auto shutter an the way you can mount upside down. Wish they did indoors camera battery io
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera quality, Ease of use, Privacy shield
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Love Arlo cameras...easy setup.
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I have 5 Arlo cameras, and they are ALL great. Had some for more than 3 years or so, and they still work like new. This one is in my office, and it's super clear even at 1080p. The others are 4k and 2k, but this works great too. Easy fast setup, within about 5 minutes. You will spend more time looking for a place to put, than setting it up. Open the app, power it on, boom. Done. Since this is wired unlike my others, no need to have solar, or worry about charging it. Having a privacy shield is nice, so no one can look in on you while working or you needing some alone time.
Buy these, they are worth it.
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A nice addition to the Arlo lineup
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I've been using Arlo since they launched years ago. And to be honest, I don't know what I would have done all these years without it. They were the first to come to market with a fully wireless product, and it works.
Fast forward to today, I've got at least one of everything I think they offer from the camera line, and this is the latest offering I've gotten. It fills a void previously filled by leaving one of the wireless cameras plugged in to charge. So I replaced my "puppy cam" that I use to watch my front door and where the dogs tend to hang out, thus the "puppy cam" and while not puppies anymore, the name still fits.
This provides the camera, the mount, the AC adapter and cord, along with screws if you wish to wall mount this. I have kept it on the little table in the hallway, looking back towards the front door. It works fine, provides a nice 1080p view, and allows all the rules you would have with any of the other cameras such as when to record, do you want notifications, etc. All that is pretty Arlo typical.
The only thing I don't like, and I'm not willing to drop a star for it, is the lack of dynamic lighting/background lighting gain control. And my example picture will show why that can be important. Without it, the light coming through the door is overwhelming the camera and if I adjust the brightness of the camera to tame that, when the door is closed, everything is too dark. Since I have Arlo cameras outside, it isn't a big deal for me, but for some, this might be an issue such as wanting to see who is at a door that is backlit by the sun.
Arlo has come a long way, continues to offer innovative products, and products that fit the needs and budgets of the American people. Thank you Arlo for doing this, because since not all of us are able to buy the very pricey installed system from a security company, this fills that void quite well. It isn't perfect, but for the price point, I'd say it is about as good as anyone could have hoped for! It does include a microphone and speaker, so you can listen in and/or talk back, if desired.
One unique feature this camera has is a privacy feature. That allows you to put this into privacy mode, which puts a physical cover over the mic and camera - you'll know you've activated it in the app because you'll hear the click when the cover is engaged or disengaged. Very cool!
Adding this to an existing system, or a new system, takes no time at all to do. Follow the app guidance, and I had this online in about 30 seconds.
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera quality
Cons mentioned:
Battery life
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Typical Arlo
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I now have four Arlo cameras this is the only one that requires constant energy and be plugged up into an outlet. The camera looks good and works good. There is however a weird shutter sound when the camera is on which is called shield mode the camera is covered when the shield is on when you turn the shield off the camera cover comes off and starts recording and you’re able to view, this is an extra feature for privacy. The video quality is super clear way better than the indoor outdoor cameras overall I like it just wish it ran on battery and not wall outlet.
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Easy to set up
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I was able to get this camera up and running in a matter of minutes.I have outdoor cameras but wanted one for inside to monitor the front door, an entry in from the kitchen, and a door from a lower level living area.
With the accompanying app, I was able to connect the camera to the app, update the firmware (why do all new devices immediately need the firmware updated??) and I was ready to go!
The camera uses a wide-angle lens so it covers a wider area than expected.
They do want you to buy their monthly plan. I am using the 30-day free trial and will make my decision after that. I will see what I can watch and save without the subscription but the lowest price plan for one camera is only $3 per month so it's not too bad.
It did take me a little navigating in the app to figure out how to deactivate it while we are home and walking around. I mainly want it to register movement overnight and during the day (once I return to work in Sept). It was annoying at first because it would notify me every time I walked by to go to the kitchen. I was able to go into the "mode" section of the app and set a schedule.
Overall, this is a great way to monitor indoor areas.
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera quality, Ease of use, Night vision
Cons mentioned:
Battery life
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Nice Security Camera
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is my 4th security camera I owned that's made by Arlo. I also have the Arlo video/audio doorbell and 2 older model Arlo Wireless cameras. The 2 cameras were the first model I think and records in 720 and have no audio. Still its pretty clear and a good camera in my opinion. I had one of the cameras in the garage which to me was really important b/c I'm the type that's always worried I forgot to close the garage door when I go out. When that happens I can always look on the phone to makes sure its closed which eases my mind. But the problem with that is since its rechargeable there have been times when the battery runs out and I'm unable to check it. With that I decided to buy a wired camera and put it in the garage. I bought the Arlo essential camera and to me its a great camera which was easy to setup and records in 1080 with night vision. Now I don't have to worry about running out of power and can access the camera any time I want to. The picture is a lot clearer and have sound also. The video is great and the sound is really clear also. Arlo makes a great product and when I eventually upgrade my 2 cameras I will look for Arlo cameras also. The salesperson at Bestbuy was really great also and provided me great info and help with purchasing the camera which was sold out at the store and had to buy through their online store only.
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
D&D's House
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The inside camera is my favorite for the 3 younger kids we have. Twins that are 2 and a 4 year old. I feel much better having a camera that I no is working wonderful. Especially when I'm at home doing classes and my youngest 3 don't want to hangout in the office with me I have eyes on them with the 5 camera's we have.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Camera quality, Ease of use, Setup
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great camera!
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Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Really great video quality. Very easy to use app. Love that even the free version still allows for a week long recording. Very easy to setup.
This review is from Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera - VMC2040 - White