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Ring Doorbell Not Recording/Motion Sensor Not Working

Ring products monitor your home using a system of three connected passive infrared sensors. These are heat devices that measure activity by tracking the amount of heat generated within a given location. Occasionally, individuals have problems with their Ring doorbell and motion detector failing.

When your Ring doorbell is not recording, the firmware may be outdated and need updating. Typically, you can restore these functions using your Ring app. Likewise, a lousy motion sensor can be fixed by adjusting its motion settings in the Ring program.

People waving at a security video camera doorbell

This article will discuss why your Ring doorbell and motion sensor are malfunctioning and what you can do to fix them. Also, I will show you how to navigate through your Ring app to optimize your security settings.

Ring Doorbell Not Recording

Person checking video camera doorbell app

The most common reason for Ring doorbell not recording motion is a low motion sensitivity setting. Adjust the sensitivity level in the Ring app’s Motion Settings. If this doesn’t work, check if your device’s firmware is up-to-date. If not, update it. If the problem persists, try resetting the device by pressing and holding the setup button for 20 seconds.

Other Possible Reasons and Fixes:

  1. Poor Wi-Fi signal: If your Ring doorbell is too far from the router or there are obstacles in the way, it may not be able to connect to the internet. Move your router closer or add a Wi-Fi extender to boost the signal.
  2. Motion zones not set up correctly: Make sure the motion zones are set up correctly in the app. If you have set up too many zones, the device may not be able to record motion in all of them. Try reducing the number of zones or adjusting their size.
  3. Battery or power issues: If your Ring doorbell is running on battery power, make sure it’s fully charged and the battery is not damaged. If it’s hardwired, check the wiring and make sure it’s receiving power. If the battery is low, the device may not be able to record motion.

Ring Doorbell Not Recording at Night

Frustrated man looking at computer for answers

Typically, the people-only setting is activated when your Ring doorbell does not record at night.

Due to fewer guest visits in the evening, the Ring system will quit recording until a visitor arrives. You can disable this condition in the Ring application by following the steps below:

  1. On the top left, tap the three lines.
  2. Select “Devices.”
  3. Pick the device that needs adjustment.
  4. Select “Motion Settings.”
  5. Choose “People Only Mode.”
  6. Toggle off the “People Only Mode.”
  7. Save your changes.

Ring Doorbell Motion Sensor Not Working

Person installing a video security doorbell camera

There are many possible reasons for the failure of your motion sensor. To begin, check the following items on your motion detector to determine if they are causing the issue:

  • Batteries
  • Wiring
  • Motion parameters

If the batteries and wiring are okay, plus the motion settings are optimized, then the equipment may be faulty. It would be best if you contact a technician to look at your sensor.

Customers have found that getting a replacement from Ring is usually the best option.

Ring Doorbell Won’t Record Motion

Finger pressing video camera doorbell

Suppose you are not getting motion warning updates. In that case, you may have set the movement schedule to a specific period.

Determine that no motion schedule is selected that prevents your sensor from detecting movement. When there is an active motion schedule, you can see a clock beside your Ring machine on the Ring app’s toolbar. After disabling the feature, your motion detector should begin sending you updates continuously.

If this does not resolve the issue, consider changing some settings in your Ring app. Many users report that their sensor is not reacting because they have not toggled it to the “on” position in the application.

You should check that alerts are activated in the Ring app. Navigate to the system you wish to review and ensure that all the Ring alerts and motion alerts controls are set to the blue “on” mode.

What To Do When Your Motion Alerts Are Enabled, but the Sensor Still Does Not Notify You?

First, confirm whether your camera is detecting motion. Adjust the motion frequency to “frequent” for testing purposes. Afterward, interact with the camera and check the Ring program’s event history. If no record exists, your Ring system has failed. In this scenario, you must contact Ring to determine the appropriate course of action.

Alternatively, if you are still not getting motion alerts, you may clear your data by returning to your application’s settings. After removing it, log back into your Ring app and assess your motion sensors to see if alarms are triggered.

Finally, if none of the other approaches work, you might want to take into account resetting your Ring app. You can accomplish this by removing the application from your device. Then, navigate to your device’s app store and reinstall the Ring program.

You can aslo manually reset the doorbell and look for improvements.

Ring Doorbell Delay Recording

Finger pressing on video camera doorbell

The most popular reason for delayed recordings is a weak Wi-Fi signal. The sensors instruct the camera to record over the internet. If the network is weak, it will take longer for the command to reach your camera.

A low Wi-Fi signal can be caused by physical barriers between your router and your doorbell or by an excessive number of devices connected to the network.

To confirm that your Wi-Fi is causing your lag, follow the steps below:

  1. Open the Ring application.
  2. Navigate to the “Device Health” section.
  3. Move to the “Network” tab.” Your signal’s strength is shown here.
  4. Navigate to “Tools” for a link to a page where you can monitor your Wi-Fi download speeds. Online internet speed tests are also available.

Ring suggests at least a 2 Mbps downloading speed. Additionally, it is recommended that you have a strong network signal in the vicinity of your doorbell.

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on April 29, 2021.

The following measures will help you improve your Wi-Fi connection and prevent lagging:

  • Position your router as near to the doorbell as necessary.
  • Place the router on a higher level.
  • Try buying a new router with built-in power amplifiers.
  • Limit the devices that connect to your Wi-Fi network.
  • Increase the 2.4 GHz signal frequency to your doorbell by switching other devices to the 5GHz band.

Ring Doorbell Doesn’t Record All Motion

Person checking security camera app on phone

When your Ring system tracks just a small amount of motion, your Wi-Fi link may be unstable, or your motion zones may be programmed incorrectly. It would help if you first verified that the motion zones are adequately configured before proceeding with other troubleshooting approaches.

Following that, you should perform a hard reset on your doorbell to attempt to resolve the problem. To do this, follow the steps below:

  1. Locate the reset button. It is usually orange and situated at the back of your Ring device.
  2. Push the button for at least 15 seconds. The light on the doorbell’s front may blink several times to indicate that the device is reconfiguring.
  3. Allow approximately 5 minutes for the system to complete the reboot, and the hard reset should be complete.
  4. Link to a good Wi-Fi network, and then reset your Ring app.

Additionally, it would be beneficial if you attempted the doorbell’s configuration on a different mobile device. If none of these measures work, contact Ring or post on their help page.

Ring Doorbell Doesn’t Record Long Enough

Male looking at cell phone

If your Ring doorbell does not record videos for an extended length of time, you can change this in the settings. To increase the recording time, follow the steps below:

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on April 29, 2021.

  1. From the main menu, choose “Devices.”
  2. To make changes to a device, tap on it.
  3. Select the settings menu.
  4. Tap “Video Recording Length.”
  5. Select “Max Recording Length”

When the list appears, you will pick the recording time that is most convenient for you. You can set the duration of the video recording between 15 and 120 seconds.

You may receive a note informing you that your selection would harm your battery life. Numerous owners concur that extending the recording time has a marginal impact on battery life, so this should not be a concern.

Ring systems are limited to a two-minute recording time. If this time interval is insufficient, consider adding additional cameras near your doorbell to provide continuous surveillance.

Ring Doorbell Keeps Recording Black

Female confused while looking for answers on a cell phone

According to Ring, if the video plays black, this suggests an issue with the Ring device’s access to the Ring servers.

Consider checking Ring’s webpage for alerts if you’re unsure whether they’re facing a malfunction. If a mishap is mentioned, you must wait for Ring to resolve the problem before the recording function resumes regular operation.

If no alerts are listed, you most definitely have a defective doorbell and should replace it.

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on April 29, 2021.

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