A ring doorbell is a type of doorbell with a battery. As such, you can expect it to deplete over time. The question is how long do ring doorbell batteries last? Batteries in general can vary in terms of lifespan. In this article, we explore the answer to a ring doorbell’s battery lifespan and everything related to it.
What Happens When a Ring Doorbell Battery Dies?
Before we dive into the longevity of ring doorbell batteries, it’s good to understand why it’s important to know it. When the battery in your Ring Doorbell dies, the device will cease recording and monitoring activities outside, and for wireless models, it will no longer chime. If you notice a lack of response from your doorbell, it’s likely due to a depleted battery. Fortunately, recharging is a simple process.
Using the provided charging cable, connect it to the battery after removing the faceplate, which only requires unscrewing a single screw. To stay ahead of potential outages, the Ring app typically notifies you when the battery is running low, allowing you to proactively address the situation and keep your doorbell functioning seamlessly.
How Long Do Ring Doorbell Batteries Last in General?
Video doorbell batteries usually last between two to twelve months, and how often you use the doorbell affects how long the battery lasts. If your doorbell is frequently activated, the battery will run out faster. Brands like Ring and Google Nest have battery-powered models for homes without existing doorbell wiring. Ring suggests that with regular use (about 1,000 activations), the battery should last around 6-12 months, but actual experiences vary, and some people find it lasts less. It’s essential to keep an eye on your battery, considering how you use the doorbell.
How to Check the Battery
Keep an eye on your Ring Doorbell battery using the Ring app on your phone. Just go to “My Devices,” pick your doorbell, and check the upper-right corner for the battery level. Click on the gear icon to see the exact battery percentage. The app also has a section showing how the battery is used.
If your battery isn’t lasting as long as expected, check the Power Settings in the app under Devices and Feature Power Usage. This helps you find any feature using too much battery. If nothing stands out, it could be environmental factors or battery wear. Regularly check these app features to stay updated on your Ring Doorbell’s power status.
How Long Does the Battery Take to Charge
Charging a Ring battery typically takes five to 10 hours, but this can vary due to factors like temperature. Cold weather may make charging longer, while excessive heat can also affect it. If your Ring still shows it’s not fully charged after ten hours of charging and reinstalling, try ringing the doorbell several times to prompt the app to update the status accurately. A weak Wi-Fi signal can also make the Ring battery seem low on power, even when fully charged. Considering these factors ensures a more precise assessment of your Ring battery’s charging status.
What Causes a Ring Doorbell Battery to Deplete?
Many factors lead to a ring doorbell battery depleting and some of the most common reasons are as follows:
High Front Door Activity
High activity at your front door can drain your video doorbell’s battery faster. When there’s lots of movement, like kids playing or traffic passing by, the camera’s motion detector activates more frequently. This affects the doorbell’s performance and shortens the battery life. Keep in mind the environment’s impact on motion frequency, as it directly affects how long the battery lasts in such situations.
Plenty of Live-streaming
Using the live-streaming feature often on your Ring video doorbell can affect its performance and battery life. It’s important to prioritize home safety, especially if kids are playing or there are concerns about package deliveries. While monitoring deliveries is crucial due to the rise in porch thefts, frequent use of the video feature uses a lot of power, similar to how excessive streaming affects a phone.
Just like a phone heating up and performing less efficiently with prolonged streaming, the Ring video doorbell faces a similar impact when extensively used for streaming. Being mindful of how often you live-stream can help maintain the doorbell’s battery life and overall effectiveness.
Wi-Fi Signal Strength
Your Ring video doorbell’s performance depends on how strong your Wi-Fi signal is. The doorbell and its app need a good internet connection for streaming. Even if your Wi-Fi is strong inside, outdoor areas may have weaker signals. This weaker signal can make the doorbell work harder to stay connected.
Because the Ring video doorbell is mainly known for its video and streaming features, it uses a lot of Wi-Fi. The doorbell is designed to work well with Wi-Fi, so the strength of your internet signal plays a key role in how long the battery lasts. To keep your Ring video doorbell working effectively for a long time, it’s important to have a strong Wi-Fi signal.
Direct Sunlight
Direct sunlight can harm your doorbell’s battery life. When the door gets direct sunlight, the device may overheat, causing reduced efficiency. This is especially problematic for the battery, as prolonged heat exposure shortens its lifespan. As a result, the doorbell’s performance is significantly compromised, closely linked to the battery’s efficiency. To ensure optimal functioning, it’s important to position your doorbell to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
Cold Weather
Cold weather can impact the efficiency of lithium-ion batteries, including those in Ring video doorbells. When temperatures drop below 4 degrees Celsius (40F), the battery becomes less efficient. If your doorbell is outdoors, you may experience performance issues on very cold nights or during winter. To mitigate this, it’s advisable to have a standby generator during such times, ensuring that your Ring video doorbell functions optimally even in chilly weather conditions.
How to Improve Your Ring Doorbell Battery’s Life
Ensuring your Ring device’s extended battery life is crucial, especially when dealing with excessive drain. While the weather is beyond your control, practical steps can optimize your Ring doorbell’s performance:
- Turn off Live View: Live View significantly impacts the battery, even when used intermittently. Limit its use to essential moments or consider turning it off if reducing active usage doesn’t suffice.
- Check Wi-Fi Strength: Monitor the RSSI in the Ring app. Enhance Wi-Fi in the installation location if the signal is weak, promoting more efficient battery utilization.
- Adjust Motion Sensitivity: Fine-tune motion sensitivity to decrease irrelevant events. Use motion zones to exclude areas with unnecessary motion, focusing the device on pertinent events.
- Set up Motion Scheduling: Identify anticipated motion times, like regular trash collection, and use motion scheduling to avoid unnecessary alerts, preserving battery life while ensuring crucial notifications.
- Adjust Motion Frequency: Tailor motion frequency to control the Ring’s algorithm, preventing excessive events. Opt for a lighter algorithm to reduce daily events, particularly beneficial in repetitive motion scenarios, but find a balance to avoid missing important events.
How Long Do Ring Doorbell Batteries Last: FAQs
Can you replace a Ring doorbell battery?
Yes, you can primarily purchase replacement batteries through Amazon, ensuring compatibility with your specific doorbell model. Be cautious with third-party options and consider reviews for quality assurance.
How do you install a Ring doorbell? ‘
Remove your existing doorbell, mount the Ring bracket, connect wires, install the diode for digital Ring doorbells, and place the Ring on the bracket. Refer to Lifewire’s guide for detailed steps.
How do you reset a Ring doorbell?
Hold down the orange button for 20 seconds for a hard reset. When the Ring flashes, release the button, wait for a minute, and press the orange button again to activate setup mode.
How do you connect the Ring doorbell to Wi-Fi?
In the Ring app, tap the menu icon, go to Devices, select your Ring doorbell, choose Device Health, and then select Reconnect to Wi-Fi or Change Wi-Fi Network.
Conclusion
A ring doorbell battery is generally long-lasting but different factors can cause the battery to deplete quickly. These factors often boil down to environmental effects but can also be technical depending on how much the doorbell is used. Just as many things can cause a ring doorbell battery to drain, there is a list of ways to prolong its life. Overall, you can have a long-lasting ring doorbell battery so long as you know what to look for and remember to maintain it. If you want to learn other ways to care for your ring doorbell, you can learn how to keep it from getting foggy.
