Ring's video articles say poor Live View quality comes from a weak connection between the device and the router, or between the phone and the cloud, and that internet speed matters more for higher-resolution devices. Check signal strength under Device Health, move the device or router, add a Chime Pro or mesh and test your internet speed. Ring's router article covers router settings that damage video: keep only one router, avoid a heavy firewall and consider bridge mode.
The checks in more detail
Try Live View from a different network, such as mobile data, to see whether the phone connection is the cause. Ring's adaptive video article explains that Ring lowers quality when the connection is slow, so poor quality is often the connection choosing to keep video flowing. Clean the lens, since dirt, rain, cobwebs and glare from a porch light blur the picture, and adjust the device angle or remove a screen protector that produces glare.
Night vision can wash out against a nearby wall or window. If the device is battery-powered, a low battery can reduce performance. Restart the router and modem, power cycle the device and reset it if the problem stays. Update the Ring app and phone, and check firmware in Device Health. Compare Live View on wifi and on mobile data in the same minute; if only one is poor, that path is the problem and the other is fine. Night vision looks worse when infrared bounces off a nearby wall or a spider web on the lens, so check both before adjusting settings.
Take a screenshot of a poor Live View and one of a good one at the same time of day, since the comparison shows whether the fault is the lens, the light or the connection.
Differential
Likely causes of “Ring doorbells and security cameras video is blurry, dark, frozen or delayed”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A weak signal
What separates it Live View is blurry or laggy because the signal between the device and the router is weak
How to confirm Move the router closer to the device, or add a Ring Chime Pro to boost the signal at the door
- 2
Slow internet
What separates it The video is low quality because the internet connection is slow
How to confirm Test the speed of the internet connection, and restart the router if it is much slower than expected
- 3
A dirty lens or glare
What separates it The picture is blurry because the lens is dirty or glare is falling on it
How to confirm Clean the lens with a soft cloth, and reposition the device if glare keeps spoiling the picture
- 4
Adaptive video lowering quality
What separates it The quality drops when the network is busy because adaptive video lowers it on slow connections
How to confirm Improve the connection at the device, so adaptive video does not need to lower the quality
- 5
A router setting
What separates it The video drops repeatedly because of a router setting or a second router on the network
How to confirm Adjust the router's settings, or use bridge mode on the second router, so only one router routes
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The signal strength reading shown in Device Health
- The result of an internet speed test at your home
- Whether the phone connection is the cause
- A screenshot showing how blurry the picture looks
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck signal strength
ReversibleCheck the signal strength in Device Health, where a low reading points to a weak link with the router.
Test internet speed
ReversibleTest the internet speed and restart the router, since poor speed spoils the quality of the video.
Try another phone network
ReversibleTry another phone network for the app, to work out whether the phone connection is the cause.
Clean the lens
ReversibleClean the lens and reposition the device, so that glare does not fall on the lens.
Adjust router settings
ReversibleAdjust the router settings, keeping to one router or setting the second one to bridge mode.
Power cycle the device
ReversiblePower cycle the device by removing the power for ten seconds, then restoring it and testing again.
Reset if needed
ReversibleReset the device if the problem continues, and then set it up again in the Ring app.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- High resolution
- Higher-resolution devices need faster internet.
- Battery devices
- A low battery can reduce performance.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Battery Doorbell Plus, Spotlight Cam Pro, Floodlight Cam Wired Pro, Indoor Cam (2nd Gen).
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If quality stays poor on a strong connection, contact Ring support
- !If it is only over mobile data, the phone connection is the cause
- !If the lens is damaged, contact Ring about a repair or a replacement
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Speed and signal.
Live View and video problems.
Router settings.
Adaptive video quality.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why is my video poor?+
The usual causes are a weak signal, slow internet speed, or a dirty lens in front of the camera.
What is adaptive video?+
Adaptive video is Ring lowering the picture quality to keep video flowing on a slow connection.
Can my phone be the cause?+
Yes, your phone can be the cause if its own connection is weak, so test it on another network.
Can the router be the cause?+
Yes, the router can be the cause, through its settings or a second router on the same network.