Smart home security brand Arlo has unveiled a major upgrade to its subscription-based monitoring service, including real-time gunshot detection.
The new update, Arlo Secure 6, will begin rolling out later this month and brings several AI-driven enhancements designed to enhance situational awareness.
The real-time gunshot detection feature, which joins an expanded suite of audio-based alerts that also includes screams, glass breaking and barking, comes at a time when drive-by shootings continue to escalate across parts of Sydney.
NSW Police reports have shown a year-on-year increase in gun-related incidents across Greater Sydney, including a spate of drive-by shootings in suburbs like Bankstown and Merrylands.
Alongside its sound recognition, Arlo Secure 6 also introduces AI-generated captions – a feature that creates short summaries of what the camera sees, helping users quickly assess potential threats without watching every clip.
These captions are fully searchable, with users able to query footage using specific keywords, time ranges, or descriptive phrases.
Video object detection has also been refined. Arlo cameras can now identify more nuanced visual events, such as packages being delivered or flames appearing within the frame. The system will instantly push alerts to users’ smartphones.
While Google’s Nest and Amazon’s Ring platforms have offered similar AI tools in recent months, Arlo is the first to include audio features like gunshot recognition.
New and existing Arlo subscribers will automatically receive the Secure 6 update later this month. Local pricing for Arlo Secure Plus starts from A$13.99/month for a single camera, with a premium plan offering unlimited camera support and human safety agent verification for A$25.99/month.
