Automation for the ecobee doorbell mixes chimes, detection and integrations. Configure the chime settings, including Whole Home Chime and the in-home chime through the Chime Adapter, and choose when the doorbell announces itself. Detection and notification settings let you choose which events notify you. The Activity Zone limits where motion and people trigger. The doorbell connects to compatible ecobee products, including live view on the Smart Thermostat Premium, so a press can show the visitor on the thermostat's screen.
The checks in more detail
Apple HomeKit lets you build automations such as turning on a light when the doorbell detects a person, and Alexa can announce presses and trigger routines. If an automation does not run, check the doorbell is online, that the trigger type is enabled, that the zone includes the area and that the other device is online. Rebuild an automation if you renamed a device. Test by walking to the door.
Keep automations simple, review them when your household changes and check that a quiet time is not silencing a real event. Change one automation at a time and test it before adding the next. A routine that fires twice usually has two triggers, so remove one. Review your automations after any change of household members. Log the automations you add in a note with the date, so that when something odd starts you can see what changed most recently.
Think about what you actually want the doorbell to trigger, such as a porch light after dark or a chime upstairs, and build only that, since a long list of triggers is hard to test and easy to forget. A chime that rings on the thermostat but not in the house usually means the Chime Adapter or the in-home wiring needs attention, and a chime that rings in the house but not on the thermostat points at the thermostat's link.
Differential
Likely causes of “ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera routine, schedule or automation is not running”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A trigger not enabled
What separates it The automation never fires because the trigger's detection type is not switched on
How to confirm Enable the detection type that the automation relies on, such as person, motion or a button press
- 2
An offline doorbell
What separates it Nothing runs because the doorbell is offline and cannot send events to your devices
How to confirm Fix the wifi and the power for the doorbell, so that it comes back online
- 3
An Activity Zone that excludes the path
What separates it Visitors are missed because the Activity Zone excludes the path to the door
How to confirm Adjust the Activity Zone, so that it includes the path that visitors use to reach the door
- 4
A renamed device
What separates it The automation is broken because a device was renamed after it was set up
How to confirm Rebuild the automation, choosing the renamed device again in the list
- 5
Quiet hours
What separates it There is no chime at night because a quiet hours setting silences it
How to confirm Check the chime settings for quiet hours, and change them if they silence the chime
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The automation that you set up, and what triggers it
- The shape of the Activity Zone in the app
- The names of the devices used in the automation
- Whether the doorbell and the other devices are online
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck the doorbell is online
ReversibleCheck that the doorbell is online, meaning it has power and a working wifi connection.
Enable the trigger type
ReversibleEnable the trigger type that you want, such as person, motion or a button press.
Check the zone
ReversibleCheck the zone, and make sure that it includes the path a visitor takes to reach the door.
Set chimes
ReversibleSet the chimes, choosing the Whole Home Chime and the in home chime that you want to use.
Rebuild after renaming
ReversibleRebuild any automation after you rename a device, by choosing the device again from the list.
Test at the door
ReversibleTest at the door by walking up to it, and check that the automation runs as you expect.
Contact ecobee
ReversibleContact ecobee if it still fails, and tell them the automation and the trigger that you chose.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Devices this page covers
- ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera (wired), with its Chime Adapter and its live view on compatible ecobee thermostats. ecobee writes one support article per topic for the doorbell; the notes name where wiring, chimes and Smart Security differ.
- Chimes
- Whole Home Chime and in-home chime.
- Integrations
- Thermostat live view, HomeKit and Alexa.
- Tools and supplies
- The ecobee app on an up-to-date phone, a small screwdriver for the wire connectors, a voltage tester or multimeter to confirm the transformer output, a phone camera for photographing wiring and a pen and paper to label wires. Turn off the doorbell circuit at the breaker before touching any wires.
- Repair cost
- Most fixes cost nothing. Figures: a new doorbell transformer is about $20 to $35 with an electrician adding about $150 to $250. ecobee includes one year of Smart Security with the doorbell. Check the limited warranty first.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If automations fail after rebuilding, contact ecobee support
- !If a chime is silent, check chime settings
- !If a trigger never fires, check the detection settings for the doorbell first
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Features, integrations and chime.
Apple Home pairing.
Alexa problems.
Product page, detection and radar.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Can a press show on my thermostat?+
On compatible models, yes, a doorbell press can show on the thermostat's display.
Can HomeKit automate it?+
Yes, HomeKit can automate it, using the doorbell as a trigger in the Home app.
Can Alexa announce it?+
Yes, Alexa can announce a press on your Echo devices, when announcements are switched on.
What is Whole Home Chime?+
Whole Home Chime is a chime that sounds on compatible devices around the home, not only one.
Does renaming break automations?+
It can, so rebuild an automation if you rename a device after setting it up.
Do zones affect triggers?+
Yes, the zone affects triggers, because only movement inside the zone can start an automation.