Many homeowners prefer Ring Doorbells powered by batteries that don’t need to be hardwired. Battery-powered video doorbells tend to be easier to install, have a wireless range suitable for most homes, and are sometimes more affordable than premium wired models.
However, you might be wondering, how long will a Ring Doorbell Battery will last?
Ring Doorbell batteries will last between six and twelve months before needing to be charged or replaced. Your device’s battery life depends on factors like activation frequency, battery type, the number of captured events, local weather, device settings, and the strength of your Wi-Fi connection.
I’m going to explain everything you need to know about how long a Ring Doorbell battery will last. I will also discuss the factors that impact your device’s battery life, how to tell if your Ring Doorbell’s battery is draining too quickly, how to fix issues with your device’s battery life, and whether wired Ring Doorbells are better than battery-powered models.
Let's get to it!
How Long Will Your Ring Doorbell Battery Last?
While there are various factors that impact the lifespan of a video doorbell’s battery, most models use batteries that are designed to last anywhere from six to twelve months.
Generally, a Ring Doorbell battery has a long lifespan that allows homeowners to use the device for several months without needing to charge the device or replace the batteries.
What’s great about Ring Doorbell batteries is that the official Ring app will notify you once your device’s battery starts running low.
The low battery notification will appear on the smartphone app as soon as any of your Ring Doorbells or Ring Cameras fall below a 30% battery level.
Tapping on the low battery icon in the app will give you options to conserve battery life.
There are many settings that can be adjusted from the low battery notification screen, which will extend the battery life until you can charge the device or replace the batteries, depending on your specific Ring model.
While there are many other great ways to prolong a Ring Doorbell’s battery life (which we'll discuss below), it’s important to understand the factors that affect the battery’s lifespan.
6 Factors That Affect Your Ring Doorbell Battery’s Lifespan
From activation frequency to Wi-Fi connectivity, here’s an overview of all the factors that impact your Ring Doorbell’s battery life!
1. Activation Frequency
Each time someone presses the button on the front of your Ring Doorbell model, you’ll receive an alert via the app installed on your smartphone.
Since button presses will wake up your Ring device to send you a notification and capture footage, a high activation frequency will cause the battery to drain faster.
Switching to a wired Ring device can prevent issues like this.
2. Battery Type
The type of battery that powers your Ring Video Doorbell will determine the device’s battery life.
While some models use standard batteries that can easily be replaced, others use rechargeable batteries that can be charged with a USB cable.
The frequency of charging and battery replacements will vary between models, so stick to the recommendation in your device’s manual.
3. Captured Events
The more events that your Ring devices capture, the more battery power will be used.
While a physical press of the Ring button can activate it, your device’s Motion Settings are more likely to cause it to capture more footage.
Limiting excessive event captures will increase your Ring Doorbell’s battery life.
To do this, lower the sensitivity of the "Motion Settings" and change "Motion Frequency" to "Regularly" or "Periodically" on the app. You can even disable certain zones via the app.
It’s also possible to adjust the direction of your Ring device so that it detects less motion. You should only use the Live View feature when necessary since it can increase battery drain.
4. Local Weather
Cold weather conditions can have negative effects on lithium polymer and lithium-ion batteries, which are two types commonly used in Ring devices.
When the temperature drops to certain temperatures, your Ring device’s batteries will run out of power faster. People in cold regions will need to frequently recharge or replace their Ring device’s battery/batteries.
At 36°F, your Ring Doorbell battery cannot hold a charge effectively. The battery may not charge at all at 32°F, while the battery may stop working entirely in temperatures below -5°F.
You can dismount your battery-powered Ring during extremely cold weather and fully charge it indoors before remounting it outside.
5. Power Settings
Your Ring device’s settings may be causing your battery to drain faster.
Your "Power Settings" can be checked via the Ring app by navigating to the "Devices" tab and tapping on the "Power Settings" option.
Adjusting your Snapshot Capture, Video Recording Length, and Advanced Motion Detection settings can help conserve and prolong your Ring Doorbell’s battery life.
6. Wi-Fi Connectivity
A poor Wi-Fi connection is often the reason a Ring Doorbell’s battery drains too quickly. Poor connectivity causes your device to constantly lose connection, forcing the Ring Doorbell to frequently disconnect and reconnect to your home network.
Ultimately, this causes a poor Wi-Fi connection to drain more of your model’s battery life.
Besides your device constantly reconnecting to your network, you can tell a poor connection is draining your battery when audio/video quality is distorted, notifications are delayed, or you can’t connect to Live View. Sometimes your Ring doorbell may have trouble connecting to Wi-Fi altogether.
Rebooting your network, changing the position of your Wi-Fi router, or installing a Wi-Fi extender can fix battery drain issues linked to poor connectivity.
How To Tell If Your Ring Doorbell Battery Is Draining Too Fast
If your Ring Doorbell’s battery lasts less than six months, there’s likely an underlying issue causing the battery to drain faster.
You can monitor your Ring device’s charge level from the app after recharging or replacing the battery, depending on your model.
Increased battery drain will likely be due to one of the factors discussed above.
Can You Improve A Ring Doorbell’s Battery Life?
There are many clever ways to improve the overall battery life of your battery-powered Ring Doorbell. Here are six solutions you can consider!
1. Adjust Ring Doorbell Settings From The App
There are many device settings you can adjust from the Ring app to prolong battery life.
Set your light sensors to 1 or 0 so that they’re only activated when it’s very dark. You can also reduce the brightness settings to the lowest option and adjust the Group Auto shutoff time to 30 seconds.
2. Correctly Maintain Your Ring Doorbell Battery
It’s important to properly maintain your Ring Doorbell’s battery for the longest lifespan. If your model uses replaceable batteries, only use quality name-brand batteries like Duracell, Energizer, or Amazon Basics.
If your model requires more than one battery, always use two new batteries from the same brand. Rechargeable battery-powered models should be regularly recharged.
3. Fix Any Unexpected Battery Drain Issues
Many factors can cause unexpected battery drain issues. You should troubleshoot your device if your Ring Doorbell’s battery drains too quickly.
The earlier list of battery drain factors (with solutions) can be used to troubleshoot issues with short battery lifespans.
4. Install A Ring Doorbell Wi-Fi Extender
Installing a Wi-Fi extender for your Ring Doorbell can prevent poor network strength causing your Ring device’s battery to drain faster.
There are extenders manufactured by Ring, which are just as simple to install as your battery-powered Ring Doorbell and plug into standard wall outlets.
5. Reduce Downtime With An Additional Battery
Purchasing a Ring Rechargeable Battery Pack for your Ring Doorbell can reduce downtime when your battery dies.
There are many solutions available from Ring, including this Rechargeable Battery Pack for Video Doorbell 3, 3 Plus, and 4 uses.
While backup batteries will always come in handy, the type you’ll need depends on your specific Ring Doorbell model.
6. Switch To A Wired Ring Doorbell Model
If you’re generally unsatisfied with the battery life of your Ring Doorbell, you should consider switching to a wired model.
Ring’s Video Doorbell Pro models are some of the best overall hardwired doorbell solutions, with even more premium features than battery-powered models.
Are Wired Ring Doorbells Better Than Battery-Powered Models?
While there are many benefits to Ring’s wire-free doorbell cameras, there are even more advantages to investing in a wired model.
Wired models have the best range, higher video quality, and the increased power required to support better specs. For example, a wired model can run more LED lights and has more advanced motion sensors.
While it can be tricky to install a wired Ring Doorbell, especially for those renting property, you won’t need to worry about the charge level of a wired model.
However, unlike battery-powered models, some hardwired devices may not work in the event of a power failure. Ultimately, there are benefits to each type of Ring Video Doorbell!
Conclusion
Batteries for Ring Doorbells last between six and twelve months before they need to be charged or replaced.
Activation frequency, battery type, number of captured events, local weather, device settings, and Wi-Fi strength all contribute to the battery life of your device.
Luckily, there are many ways to prolong your device’s battery life!
