Ring Doorbell Missing Motion Events or Not Recording

Easy 10-15 minutes

If your Ring doorbell is missing motion events, not recording people approaching your door, or failing to send alerts, this guide covers the most common causes and fixes reported by the community.

Check Motion Alerts First

According to Ring, 90% of motion detection issues are caused by Motion Alerts being disabled in the app. This is the first thing to check.

  1. Open the Ring app and select your doorbell
  2. Tap "Motion Settings"
  3. Ensure "Motion Alerts" toggle is ON (blue)
  4. Also check "Ring Alerts" is enabled for doorbell presses

Check Motion Schedules

Motion Schedules can disable alerts during certain times without you realizing it.

  1. In Motion Settings, tap "Motion Schedule"
  2. Review any scheduled times when alerts are disabled
  3. Delete or modify schedules that might be blocking important times

Adjust Motion Sensitivity

If sensitivity is set too low, the doorbell won't detect motion unless someone is very close.

  1. Go to Motion Settings → Motion Sensitivity
  2. Move the slider to the right to increase sensitivity
  3. Start at a higher setting and reduce if you get too many false alerts

Set Motion Frequency to "Frequent"

Ring has a "Motion Frequency" setting that controls how often the doorbell checks for motion. If set to "Standard" or "Periodically," it may miss events.

  1. Go to Motion Settings → Motion Frequency
  2. Select "Frequent" for the most responsive detection

Note: "Frequent" uses more battery on battery-powered doorbells.

Check Motion Zones

Motion zones define which areas trigger detection. If zones are too small or exclude your walkway, motion will be missed.

  1. Go to Motion Settings → Motion Zones
  2. Ensure zones cover your walkway and porch
  3. Add or expand zones if needed
  4. Disable "People Only Mode" temporarily to test (this mode can miss events)

Known Night-Time Detection Issue

Many community members report that Ring doorbells miss more events at night, especially after periods of inactivity. Users describe it as the doorbell "going to sleep" and not waking up in time.

Possible workarounds:

  • Add a porch light to help with IR detection
  • Ensure the doorbell has good WiFi signal (weak signal is worse at night when the device may be in low-power mode)
  • Consider upgrading to a wired power source if you're using battery power

One user in the Ring Community reported: "This problem at night time is a known problem by ring and many other users... the camera appears to go to sleep mode and doesn't activate when it should have picked up the motion."

Check WiFi Signal Strength (RSSI)

Poor WiFi can cause the doorbell to miss events or delay alerts significantly.

  1. In the Ring app, select your doorbell
  2. Tap "Device Health"
  3. Check the RSSI value:
    • -40 to -50: Excellent
    • -50 to -60: Good
    • -60 to -70: Fair (may cause issues)
    • -70 or worse: Poor (likely causing missed events)

If RSSI is poor, consider adding a WiFi extender or Ring Chime Pro near the doorbell.

Positioning Problems

Ring doorbells use PIR (passive infrared) sensors that work best when motion crosses the field of view rather than moving directly toward the camera.

  • Mount height: Install between 48-56 inches from the ground
  • Avoid direct sunlight: Sun glare can blind the sensor
  • Don't point through glass: PIR doesn't work through windows
  • Use angle mounts: If your door is recessed or at an angle, use the included wedge mount

Reboot and Reset

Reboot (try this first):

  1. In the Ring app, go to Device Health
  2. Tap "Reboot This Device"
  3. Wait 2-3 minutes for the doorbell to restart

Full reset (if reboot doesn't help):

  1. Press and hold the setup button (orange button on the back) for 20+ seconds
  2. Release when the light on the front starts flashing
  3. You'll need to set up the doorbell again in the app

Check Phone Notification Settings

Sometimes the doorbell is detecting motion, but notifications aren't reaching your phone.

  • Check that the Ring app has notification permission on your phone
  • Ensure "Do Not Disturb" isn't active on your phone
  • On iPhone, check Settings → Ring → Notifications
  • On Android, check Settings → Apps → Ring → Notifications

Firmware Updates

Ring periodically releases firmware updates that can fix detection issues.

  1. In Device Health, check the firmware version
  2. Updates are automatic but may take days to roll out
  3. Ensure your doorbell has good WiFi to receive updates

Ongoing Community Reports

Many users continue to report intermittent missed events even after trying all troubleshooting steps. This appears to be an ongoing issue that Ring is aware of. If you've tried everything and still experience problems, contact Ring support to document the issue.

Community Discussions