How to Charge a Ring Video Doorbell

Ring doorbells are a fantastic invention, allowing you to watch the comings and goings at your front door, whether from inside your home, out shopping, or on holiday on the other side of the world. In addition, with the Ring app you can receive notifications to your smartphone, not only when someone presses the doorbell but when motion is detected too. The live view of your porch and the ability to speak directly to whoever is at your doorstep can help save a lot of missed deliveries and improve your home’s security – even more so if you couple your video doorbell with a home security camera.

Ring doorbells are available in both wired and battery versions. Of course, a wired version won’t need charging, obviously. There are some who choose to hardwire their battery Ring doorbell, and in this instance you’ll still need to charge the battery on occasion. So below, we explain step-by-step how you charge your Ring doorbell, whichever type you have.

How to remove the battery from a Ring video doorbell (2nd Gen)

If you own the second-gen Ring video doorbell, or even one of the older first-gen models, you’ll first need to get to the battery; this will involve removing the entire doorbell. Using a Phillips-head screwdriver, start by removing the security screws at the bottom of the faceplate. Once these are out, simply lift the doorbell up and out of the mounting bracket, from where you’ll be able to access the battery.

How to remove the battery from all other Ring doorbells

The rest of the battery-powered Ring doorbells all have removable batteries that don’t necessitate removing the entire doorbell for recharging.

Again, use a Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the security screws at the bottom of the doorbell’s faceplate. Once these screws are out, simply grab both faceplate ridges, squeeze, and gently lift away the faceplate. The battery will now be exposed; simply press on the silver release tab to remove the pack.

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How to charge your Ring doorbell battery

Charging your battery is simple, following the step-by-step instructions below.

Step 1

Locate the micro-USB cable that came with your doorbell (the cable is orange in color). Don’t despair if you can’t locate it, though – micro-USB cables are one of the most common A-to-B chargers for smartphones and other smart home tech, so it’s highly likely you’ll have one lying about the house. In the event that you don’t, you can also always purchase a replacement from Ring.

Step 2

Remove the battery (or entire doorbell with attached battery) and connect the small end of the micro-USB cable to the input on your Ring doorbell battery.

Step 3

Now plug the USB-A end of your cable into a USB port or wall outlet. Do note that you can also use a plug adapter to plug in the cable. Charging will be quickest by plugging the cable into the mains; you can charge via a device such as a laptop for example, but it will take longer.

Step 4

Once the battery is fully charged, the indicator light on the unit will turn a solid green. You can now unplug the USB cable at both ends and reconnect the battery to the faceplate assembly (or reattach the whole doorbell frame to the mounting bracket).

For those who have wired in their battery Ring doorbell, this hardwiring will provide a trickle of charge to the battery. However, depending on how you use the doorbell and its functions, you may find that the battery drains more quickly than that charge can keep up with. If this is the case, the battery will still need to be charged.

How to check the battery level of your Ring doorbell

Once you’ve charged your battery, you’ll want to be able to keep an eye on its charge status. Here’s how to do this.

Step 1

Once your Ring doorbell has recharged and is back online, make sure you physically ring the bell a few times. This will update your battery’s charge status in the Ring app.

Step 2

Now launch the Ring app and, on the homepage, select the hamburger icon in the top-right corner of the screen.

Step 3

Select Devices and then select your doorbell model from the list. This will bring up another screen where you should select Power Settings.

Step 4

Your battery’s charge level will be displayed under Battery Status; it should be showing as fully charged. Thereafter, you can use the app to keep track of your battery’s charge status.

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What makes your Ring battery drain faster?

Ring doorbells use the very common lithium-ion batteries, and a full charge should last several months. But there are some factors that can make your battery drain faster:

• Temperature extremes – The cold, in particular, can make your battery drain faster. In winter months, particularly in colder climates, your battery may need recharging more frequently.
• Live view – As you’d probably expect, using Live view will drain the battery more quickly.
• Motion settings – Optimize your motion settings so that you reduce the number of false positive alerts. An active doorbell that’s constantly triggered by even the slightest motion will obviously drain power quickly.
• Wi-Fi connection – If your Wi-Fi connection is weak then your Ring doorbell may draw more power when it’s communicating with your network. In this case, it’s a good idea to invest in a Wi-Fi extender or Ring Chime (which will also act as a Wi-Fi extender).

You can check which features are affecting your battery’s health and adjust them in the app. Go to Power Settings and then select the Feature Power Usage tab to monitor and make adjustments.

Additional batteries

It can take up to eight hours to charge a Ring battery, so you might want to consider buying a backup battery. This will enable you to continue using your Ring doorbell while your main battery is charging. If you have more than one Ring device in your home, then you might want to consider buying a Ring Charging Station. These allow you to charge two batteries at the same time via a single USB cable.