Ring Doorbell Not Recording?

Ring missed a delivery, didn't catch someone at the door, or shows no events for days? Here's the troubleshooting list in order.

1. Check Ring Protect subscription

Without an active Ring Protect subscription, Ring won't save any recordings. You'll get notifications and live view but no video history.

Ring app > menu > Subscriptions. If expired, renew.

Note: Amazon raised prices in 2024. Ring Protect Basic is $5/month or $50/year as of 2026.

2. Check device health

1. Ring app > your doorbell
2. Tap Device Health
3. Check Signal Strength (RSSI). -50 to -60 is good. -65 to -75 is weak. Below -75 is unusable
4. Check Battery Level (if battery-powered). Under 25% can cause missed recordings
5. Network status should say Online

3. Fix weak Wi-Fi (most common cause)

If RSSI is bad:

• Move your router closer (or buy a mesh node for that side of the house)
• Install a Ring Chime Pro (acts as a Wi-Fi extender just for Ring)
• Use a wired Wi-Fi extender placed between router and doorbell

4. Check motion settings

1. Ring app > your doorbell > Motion Settings
2. Make sure Motion Detection is ON
3. Tap Motion Zones and make sure they cover the area you want monitored
4. Drag the slider for Motion Sensitivity higher
5. Tap Advanced Motion Detection and ensure "Smart Alerts" is on for People

5. Check recording settings

1. Ring app > your doorbell > Settings (gear)
2. Tap Video Recording
3. Make sure "Record Motion Events" is ON
4. "Record Live View" - on if you want manual viewings saved
5. Pre-Roll (if your doorbell supports it) captures 4 seconds before the event

6. Reboot the doorbell

1. Ring app > your doorbell > Device Health
2. Scroll down, tap Reboot This Device
3. Wait 60 seconds for it to come back online

7. Check for Ring outage

Sometimes Ring's servers go down. Check status.ring.com to see if there's a known outage. If yes, wait it out.

8. Update Ring app and reinstall

1. Update Ring app in App Store / Play Store
2. If still missing events, sign out of Ring app, uninstall, reinstall, sign back in
3. Check if recordings show now

9. Recharge or replace battery

For battery-powered Ring doorbells:

• Battery slides out from the bottom (look for the screw)
• Plug into USB
• Red light = charging, green = full
• Takes 5-10 hours for full charge

Even with a hardwired doorbell, there's a backup battery inside that can wear out over years.

"Last Live View" is recent but no motion events recorded

This usually means motion zones are too restrictive or sensitivity is too low. Adjust both in Motion Settings.

If Ring randomly reboots itself

That's usually weak Wi-Fi causing the doorbell to drop and re-connect. Fix Wi-Fi (see step 3).

Time to factory reset?

Last resort. Press and hold the orange setup button on the back of the doorbell for 15 seconds. Doorbell resets. Re-pair in Ring app.