The Ring doorbell motion detection system is becoming popular, with more houses installing it. It is convenient to know who visited your home and be immediately alerted. However, being a tech gadget, you may have issues with it, such as when the motion direction is not working.
Why is your Ring doorbell motion detection not working? In general, the motion detection issue may be software related, such as wrong settings on the notification or something as simple as poor WiFi connection. It may also come from the wrong positioning of your Ring, causing it to be unable to detect movement well.
According to home security experts, these issues can be solved by yourself generally, with the right tool. Consider adding a Ring smart lighting system to your sensor to help it detect movements better. You can also use the Ring app to turn the light on or off while you are away. Get yours delivered to you by clicking here.
How Does Ring Doorbell Motion Detection Work?
Ring Smart Doorbell system relies on heat detection, motion sensing, and internet connection. It detects any movement made by someone or something with high body temperature. Once detected, Ring sends a notification to your phone. You can then monitor what is happening from Ring’s camera.
| Operation Time | Technology Used |
Day | – Infra-Red Heat Detection – Motion Detection Technology |
Night | – Motion Detection Technology -Passive Infra-Read Heat Detection |
The Ring motion detection system works like a doorbell, with additional tech. In this case, there is heat detection, a camera, and an internet-based notification system.
Once installed, the Ring’s sensors may sense any motion using its heat detection system. It constantly scans for any change of heat within its capture zone. Aside from the heat detection system, Advanced Motion Detection technology is also available to capture any motion.
Generally, a human’s body temperature is hotter than the environment. This means if a person enters the capture zone of the Ring, the system will notice the temperature changes and immediately send a notification to your phone.
This system may work during the day. However, under poor lighting conditions, the sensors may not work very well at night. As such, aside from the heat sensor, Ring also uses Passive Infrared (PIR) to help confirm if there is any motion. If there is, the PIR can also help to confirm if the motion is from a person based on the temperature detected.
Once detected, Ring will again immediately send a notification to your phone. You can then view and see what is going on from your side. If you have the Ring’s smart light system installed, you may even be able to light up your door and see who the person is.
Why Is My Ring Doorbell Motion Detection Not Working?
Suppose that your Ring doorbell motion detection is not working. The problems may lie on the software side, such as in your settings. It could also be on the positioning of your Ring, causing it to be unable to perform its work. Things such as poor WiFi connection may cause your Ring to malfunction.
| Type | Issue |
Software | – No or Poor WiFi Connection – Phone is On ‘Do Not Disturb’ Mode – Notification Is Turned Off – Motion Alerts Not Enabled – No Alert Accidentally Turned On – Unsuitable Motion Alerts Notification – Incorrect Motion Settings – Phone Needs A Restart |
Hardware | – Camera Unable To Detect Motion – The PIR System Unable To Detect Heat – Incorrect Mount Positioning – Your Ring Needs A Restart |
We compiled a list of possible issues that may cause your Ring doorbell motion detection to not work. These possible issues are commonly described in Ring’s support forum and may be the issue you are facing with your Ring.
The issues are first arranged in simpler, more direct issues, such as WiFi, before moving into software-related issues, such as wrong settings. We then list more major issues that may require you to reposition your device.
No or Poor WiFi Connection: At times, you may have positioned your Ring a little too far from your WiFi router, causing it to not be able to get a good signal. This makes it unable to connect to the internet and send proper notifications.
The phone is On ‘Do Not Disturb Mode: If your phone is on the ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode, it will naturally block off any notification sent, not alert you on it. The notification may still arrive on your phone but is kept away. This means you will not get a live notification, which may make you think your Ring is malfunctioning.
Notification Is Turned Off: This may also be why you are not receiving any notifications. You may have turned off notifications if you are on ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode or set the notification settings for newly installed apps to be ‘off.’ As a result, you do not receive any notification and only see new updates when you launch your Ring App.
Motion Alerts Not Enabled: This may relate to how you implement your settings in your Ring app. Sometimes in a rush to install and launch the app, you may have accidentally skipped the first time the user set up and turned off the motion alerts. This means even if your Ring detects any motion, it does not send any notification to your phone.
No Alert Accidentally Turned On: The Ring App allows you to schedule ‘off time,’ in which Ring will not send any notification to you even if it detects any movement.
Motion Alerts Bug: Software may have bugs and encounter issues, especially if you perform many settings here and there when you first install the app. It may help to recheck, turn off and turn on the settings again to override any possible bug.
Phone Needs A Restart: Suppose you have tried all the adjustments, and nothing works. Perhaps it is with the hardware. But before you move on straight to the hardware, consider restarting your phone to ensure that the error is not from your phone. Sometimes, your Ring may just work after you restart your phone.
Camera Unable To Detect Motion: Your Ring’s camera may not detect any motion. This cause it to be unable to confirm the presence of a person and hence unable to send a notification. You may need to check if the camera is obstructed or dirty.
The PIR System Unable To Detect Heat: The Passive InfraRed system may not be able to detect heat, as you may have misplaced the Ring. Some users try to place the ring sensor inside a case or behind a piece of glass, which may cause the PIR to be unable to work.
Incorrect Mount Positioning: If you do not place your Ring properly, the camera and sensors may not be able to detect incoming movement or sense any heat. This may happen if your house has stairs. Adjustment may be needed to get this right.
Your Ring Needs A Restart: Before you give up and call professional support, consider giving your Ring a restart. Sometimes everything works well again after you restart it.
How To Fix Ring Doorbell Motion Detection Not Working
Fixing your Ring doorbell issues usually involves diagnosing software level adjustments before moving to hardware. At any point, ensure to check and test that the settings are correct to remove possible errors. It pays to troubleshoot with a degree of patience.
| Issue | How To Fix |
| No or Poor WiFi Connection | Ensure WiFi signal is strong in ‘Device Health’ section. |
| Phone is On ‘Do Not Disturb’ Mode | Ensure ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode is turned off. |
| Notification Is Turned Off | Navigate to app notifications settings to turn it on. |
| Motion Alerts Not Enabled | Ensure motion alerts is adjusted to ‘frequent’ under ‘Smart Alert’ |
| No Alert Accidentally Turned On | Ensure no ‘Motion Schedule’ is enabled. |
| Incorrect Motion Settings | Toggle Motion Sensitivity to highest, and maximize detection zones. |
| Camera Unable To Detect Motion | Ensure there is nothing on the lens, and the camera is not obstructed. |
| The PIR System Unable To Detect Heat | Ensure there is nothing in between the Ring and the detection zone. |
| Incorrect Mount Positioning | Adjust mounting to allow camera and sensors to scan the right location |
These troubleshooting steps assume that you have installed and mounted your Ring and connected your Ring app to your devices. If you have not, you want to check your user manual to set up the device first.
No or Poor WiFi Connection
To diagnose and confirm that your Ring is getting a good WiFi connection:
- Launch the Ring app on your device.
- Select the ‘Device Health’ section.
- Select the ‘Signal Strength’ icon.
- Check and verify the strength of the signal.
- If the signal is good, then the issue is not with your WiFi. If not, consider repositioning your Ring to help it get a good signal.
- You can also install a WiFi signal booster to help your Ring get a better connection.
The phone is On ‘Do Not Disturb Mode.
If your phone is on the ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode, consider the following steps:
- Pull down your notification feature on your phone. If your phone is in ‘do not disturb mode, you may see a moon icon on active.
- Also, check if you have any notification from Ring on your phone that is not shown to you because you are in the ‘Do Not Disturb Mode.
- Turn it off, and give your Ring a try again. If this is the underlying issue, you may now see your Ring app working normally with proper notification.
Notification Is Turned Off
You may need to navigate to your app settings to check if you have had your notification turned off.
If you are on iOS devices such as iPhone:
- Launch the ‘Settings’ App from your phone.
- Scroll down until you see the app Ring. Select it
- Verify that the notification is turned on. Consider turning off and on the notification to be sure.
If you are on Android devices:
- Launch the ‘Settings’ app on your phone.
- Tap’ Notifications’.
- Under ‘Most Recent,’ you should be able to find the app Ring. Select it.
- Ensure that the notifications are turned on. Consider turning off and on the notification to be sure.
Once you have checked the settings, test your Ring again. If this is the underlying issue, your Ring should work properly now.
Motion Alerts Not Enabled
To diagnose and ensure your motion alerts are turned on:
- Launch your Ring app.
- Select ‘Motion Settings’ and choose the ‘Smart Alert’ icon.
- Select the setting to be ‘frequent.’ This ensures Ring sends you every notification without trying to limit it.
- Test your Ring again. If this is the underlying issue, your Ring should work properly now.
No Alert Accidentally Turned On
To diagnose and ensure you do not have any ‘No Alert’ scheduled on your Ring:
- Launch your Ring app.
- Select ‘Motion Settings’
- Check and verify that there are no ‘Motion Scheduled’ enabled. If yes, turn it off.
- Test your Ring again. If this is the underlying issue, your Ring should work properly now.
Incorrect Motion Settings
You want to ensure your motion sensitivity is the highest with motion settings. You should also check that the detection zones are set correctly.
- Launch Your Ring App
- Select ‘Motion Settings’
- You should see a slider under ‘Motion Sensitivity.’ Toggle it to the right to increase sensitivity.
Now, you may go adjust your motion detection zone:
- Navigate back to the ‘Motion Settings’ zone.
- Select ‘Zones and Ranges.’
- Ensure all six zones are on, and the detection range is the largest possible.
- Tap on the save button.
- There will be a pop-up notifying you to go to your Ring doorbell to save the settings.
- Go to your doorbell, and do that. The new settings should be saved now.
- Test your Ring again. If this is the underlying issue, your Ring should work properly now.
Phone Needs A Restart
If all settings above fail, the issue may be with what hardware. But before you go ahead and adjust the hardware, restart your phone and test your Ring one more time to confirm the issue is not from your phone.
Camera Unable To Detect Motion
To diagnose this issue, start by checking if there is any debris or things on your camera lens. Also, launch your Ring app, and turn on the live camera feature to see if the camera is showing a live feed.
If your camera is not showing anything, see if it is blocked. If not, the camera may be faulty.
The PIR System Unable To Detect Heat
PIR system can only detect heat properly if there is nothing in between. If you place your Ring inside a glass box or behind a glass door, consider removing it and having nothing in between.
Once you have done so, test your Ring again. If this is the underlying issue, your Ring should work properly now.
Incorrect Mount Positioning
Your Ring may not be working properly if the camera and sensors are not even scanning at the proper location. This means you may want to adjust the positioning of your Ring.
As you adjust, turn on the live camera feed on your phone to ensure the device is placed in the proper position. Once you have done so, test your Ring again. If this is the underlying issue, your Ring should work properly now.
Ring Needs A Restart
If all the above steps fail, it can be frustrating. Before you give up and call for professional support, consider giving your Ring a restart. Sometimes restarting clears all the bugs and may just make your Ring work again.