Ring's charging articles say a battery doorbell or camera charges from a USB cable that connects to the battery's charging port; while charging the battery shows a solid green and an amber light, and you charge until only the green light remains. A full charge can take up to ten hours and needs at least one amp from the charger.
The checks in more detail
If a doorbell will not turn on after the battery drains, charge it for thirty minutes on a USB wall charger and, if that fails, hold the front button while resetting for thirty seconds with the charger disconnected. If the battery is below thirty percent a firmware update can fail, so recharge first. Battery life depends on how much motion the device sees, so lowering Motion Frequency or sensitivity extends it, and a solar charger or hardwiring to existing doorbell wiring adds a trickle charge.
For hardwired doorbells, the Ring transformer requirement is 16 to 24 VAC, 30 to 40 VA, and Ring says a wired doorbell can go offline when it is not receiving enough power from the transformer or has old wires. Check the transformer, the wires and the chime kit. Power cycle by removing the battery ten seconds or unplugging the device.
Keep a note of the date and the battery percentage after each charge, since a steady drop that is faster than before points at a busy motion setting or an aging pack. Extreme cold reduces battery performance, so a device that fails in winter and recovers in spring may be fine. A charger labeled below one amp will show green and amber lights yet charge far too slowly, so check the rating printed on the charger, not just the lights on the battery.
Differential
Likely causes of “Ring doorbells and security cameras has power or battery problems”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A drained battery
What separates it The device has no power because its battery is completely drained
How to confirm Charge the battery for about thirty minutes, then reset the device to bring it back to life
- 2
A weak charger
What separates it The battery charges slowly, or not at all, because the charger supplies too little current
How to confirm Use a charger that supplies at least one amp, plugged into a wall outlet and not a weak port
- 3
Heavy motion activity
What separates it The battery life is short because heavy motion activity keeps waking the device
How to confirm Lower the Motion Frequency, so that the device wakes less often and saves battery
- 4
An underpowered transformer
What separates it The wired doorbell goes offline because the transformer does not supply enough power
How to confirm Use a transformer that supplies 16 to 24 volts AC, and check its rating against the doorbell
- 5
Old or loose wiring
What separates it The power comes and goes because the old wiring is loose or worn
How to confirm Check the wires at the doorbell and the transformer, and tighten any that are loose or corroded
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The colors of the charging lights on the battery
- The rating of the charger that you are using
- The battery percentage shown in the Ring app
- The voltage that the transformer supplies
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedConnect the charger
ReversibleConnect the charger to the charging port on the battery, using the USB cable that comes with the device.
Wait for the green light
ReversibleWait for the green light, which can take up to ten hours for a full charge from empty.
Use a one amp charger
ReversibleUse a charger rated at one amp or more, plugged into a wall outlet, for the best charging speed.
Charge 30 minutes
ReversibleCharge for thirty minutes if it will not start, then reset the device and check that it powers on.
Lower Motion Frequency
ReversibleLower the Motion Frequency to extend the battery life, since fewer wake ups use less power.
Check the transformer
ReversibleCheck the transformer for a wired doorbell, and confirm that it supplies the voltage the doorbell needs.
Contact Ring
ReversibleContact Ring if the device will not charge, and tell them the light colors and the charger used.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Battery
- Battery models use a quick-release pack.
- Wired
- Wired models draw from the transformer.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models Video Doorbell Wired, Stick Up Cam Battery, Spotlight Cam Pro, Floodlight Cam Wired Pro, Indoor Cam (2nd Gen).
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the battery will not charge on a good charger, contact Ring
- !If the battery swells, stop using it and contact Ring
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Battery charging.
Camera batteries.
Reconnect steps, 2.4 GHz, power and reset.
Power cycle and factory reset.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
What charger do I need?+
It needs a charger that supplies at least one amp, since a weaker charger charges too slowly.
What if it will not turn on?+
Charge it for thirty minutes, then reset the device, and it should then start up again.
What voltage do wired doorbells need?+
A wired doorbell needs a transformer that supplies 16 to 24 volts AC to run properly.
Does a solar charger help?+
A solar charger adds a trickle charge, which helps, but it does not replace normal charging.
Can low battery block an update?+
Yes, a battery below thirty percent can stop a firmware update from installing, so recharge it first.