Why is my Ring doorbell not working?
Check these three things first:
1. Battery level in the Ring app
2. Wi-Fi connection
3. Notifications turned on
Most Ring doorbell problems are caused by a low battery, weak Wi-Fi signal, or notifications accidentally turned off. All three can be fixed in minutes.
Common causes — and how to fix each one
Low or dead battery
Open the Ring app → tap your doorbell → check the battery percentage. Below 20% causes unreliable behaviour. Below 10% the doorbell may go offline completely. Remove the battery pack (press the release button on the back) and charge via USB. Battery-powered models need charging every 1–6 months depending on activity.
Weak Wi-Fi signal
Ring doorbells need a strong Wi-Fi signal. Check the RSSI (signal strength) in the Ring app under Device Health — anything worse than -60 dBm may cause problems. Move your router closer, use a Wi-Fi extender, or consider a Ring Chime Pro which acts as a dedicated extender for Ring devices.
Notifications turned off
Open the Ring app → tap your doorbell → Motion Settings → make sure Motion Alerts is on. Also check Doorbell Alerts is on. Then check your phone settings — Ring app notifications may have been turned off by a software update. Go to your phone Settings → Apps → Ring → Notifications.
Modes or Snooze active
Ring's Modes feature (Home, Away, Disarmed) can silence notifications. Check which Mode is active in the Ring app. Also check if Motion Snooze is enabled — this temporarily pauses alerts and is easy to activate accidentally.
Cold weather
Cold temperatures significantly reduce lithium battery performance. Ring recommends bringing the battery indoors to charge in cold weather, and accepts that battery life will be shorter in winter. This is normal behaviour, not a fault.
Which Ring model do I have — and what battery does it use?
| Model | Battery |
|---|---|
| Ring Video Doorbell (1st gen) | 4 AA batteries or rechargeable pack |
| Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) | Removable rechargeable battery pack (charge via USB) |
| Ring Video Doorbell 3 | Removable rechargeable battery pack (charge via USB) |
| Ring Video Doorbell 4 | Removable rechargeable battery pack (charge via USB) |
| Ring Video Doorbell Plus | Removable rechargeable battery pack (charge via USB) |
| Ring Video Doorbell Pro | Hardwired — no battery |
| Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 | Hardwired — no battery |
| Ring Video Doorbell Elite | Hardwired — no battery |
Affiliate link · Buy a spare pack so you can hot-swap while one charges
My Ring is hardwired but still not working
If your Ring Doorbell Pro or Elite is hardwired but showing offline:
Check the transformer voltage — Ring Pro requires 16–24V AC. Many older UK doorbell transformers only supply 8–12V which is not enough. A Ring-compatible transformer (available from Amazon) fixes this permanently.
Check the circuit breaker — the doorbell circuit may have tripped. Reset it in your consumer unit.
Try a restart — press and hold the orange button on the back of the doorbell for 20 seconds to factory reset it, then set it up again in the Ring app.
Need to find a battery for another device?
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