Are you experiencing issues with your battery-powered Ring Doorbell not charging? If so, you're not alone. Unfortunately, many homeowners who rely on their Ring Doorbell for added home security have reported similar issues.
There are various reasons why a Ring Doorbell is not charging, including a poor Wi-Fi connection, a damaged charging cable, a faulty battery, extreme weather conditions, a tripped breaker switch, and battery-draining settings. It’s also possible your Ring Doorbell is faulty, preventing it from charging.
When your Ring Doorbell isn't charging, it can leave you vulnerable by missing important security alerts—which is why it’s crucial to find the underlying issue preventing your device from charging. In this blog post, I will guide you through troubleshooting your Ring Doorbell to determine the cause of the charging issue and provide solutions to restore your device's functionality.
Let's get started troubleshooting your Ring Doorbell charging problems!
10 Reasons Your Ring Doorbell Is Not Charging (With Solutions)
Here are all the reasons for a Ring Doorbell that isn’t charging! For each reason, we’ve outlined the appropriate fix to ensure your smart security device charges properly.
1. The Ring App Battery Status Must Be Refreshed
Your Ring Doorbell’s battery status doesn't always automatically refresh in the Ring app, which has resulted in many homeowners mistakenly thinking that their device isn’t charging. Due to this, you should refresh your device’s battery status or give the app some time to catch up, before you continue troubleshooting potential charging issues with your Ring Doorbell.
Solution: Refresh The Battery Status In The Ring App
- Pressing the button on your Ring Doorbell is the easiest way to ensure the app displays updated battery status.
- You can check your app to see the updated battery status after pressing the doorbell’s button a few times.
- If your device isn’t charging after doing this, you should continue troubleshooting the underlying issue.
2. Doorbell Isn’t Connected To A Wi-Fi Network
Your Ring Doorbell communicates with your smartphone via your home Wi-Fi network, which allows it to send alerts and information about your device. When there’s a problem with your home network, the Ring app on your phone will not display an updated battery status, which makes it appear like your Ring Doorbell isn’t charging.
Solution: Re-connect To Your Wi-Fi Network
- Re-connect your Ring Doorbell to your Wi-Fi network via the app if it disconnected.
- If a weak connection is causing the device to drop the network, you can try rebooting your router or moving the router closer to the Ring device.
- You can also install a Wi-Fi extender to boost your signal strength.
- If you're having network issues, check out this guide on Ring Doorbell Wi-Fi issues for further troubleshooting.
3. Problems With Ring Doorbell Charging Cables
If your Ring Doorbell isn’t charging properly, there might be a problem with your charging cable. While most standard 2.1A charging cables will charge your Ring Doorbell within six hours, some cables may be less powerful and will take longer. Your cable also might have been damaged, preventing it from properly charging your device.
Solution: Replace Your Ring Charging Cable
- The best way to determine whether a faulty charging cable is preventing your Ring Doorbell from charging is to try charging your device with a different cable.
- There are many official fast-charging cables for Ring Doorbells available to purchase, which will safely charge your device faster than ordinary USB cables.
4. Battery Wasn’t Correctly Inserted Into The Doorbell
If you have a Ring Doorbell that uses a removable battery, you must ensure it is correctly inserted into the device. Failure to do this could prevent the battery from powering your device, giving the appearance that the battery wasn’t properly charged.
Solution: Properly Insert Your Ring Doorbell Battery
- Your Ring Doorbell battery will click into place when it is properly inserted.
- Once the battery has been properly reinserted, the charge percentage will be updated on the Ring app.
- You can consult your Ring Doorbell’s manual for further instructions on properly inserting your device’s battery.
5. The Ring Doorbell Battery Is Damaged
Ring Doorbell batteries will last anywhere between six and twelve months, depending on how often you use your device. However, many other factors can impact your battery’s lifespan, including extremely low or high temperatures. Over time, the battery’s ability to hold a charge will be decreased, which makes it seem like your Ring Doorbell isn’t charging.
Solution: Replace Your Ring Doorbell Battery
- You must buy a suitable replacement battery for your specific Ring Doorbell model.
- Your owner’s manual will outline the steps to replace your smart device’s battery. To help preserve lithium-ion replacement batteries for Ring Doorbells, never let the battery fully drain.
- Rather charge the battery before it’s fully discharged!
6. Settings Are Causing Battery To Lose Charge Quickly
There are many Ring Doorbell settings that can result in unexpected battery drain, particularly motion settings, which can make it seem like your device isn’t charging properly. Essentially, the more events your Ring Video Doorbell captures, the more of the battery’s charge will be used. Even using the Live View feature can cause the battery to drain faster.
Solution: Check Your Ring Doorbell Settings
- There are many settings that can be adjusted via the Ring app to ensure your device isn’t using more battery power than it needs to.
- You can lower the sensitivity of your Motion Settings or change Motion Frequency to the “Regularly” or “Periodically” option.
- It’s also possible to disable certain zones or adjust the direction of your Ring Doorbell to detect less motion.
7. Cold Weather Is Preventing The Doorbell From Charging
Extremely cold weather can negatively impact your Ring Doorbell’s lithium-ion battery, preventing it from charging or causing it to run out of power at faster rates. The lower the temperature drops, the more your device’s battery will struggle to hold a charge. At some freezing temperatures, the batteries may stop working altogether.
At 36°F, your Ring Doorbell’s battery will not be able to hold charged as effectively as usual, which will require more frequent recharging of the device. At 32°F, your device’s battery may not charge, even if you’re using a hardwired model! At temperatures below -5°F, the doorbell’s battery will cease working until the temperature increases.
Solution: Charge Your Ring Doorbell Indoors
- Based on the abovementioned temperatures, you should bring your Ring Doorbell inside when temperatures get too cold for the battery to effectively hold a charge or function properly.
- Rather charge your device’s battery to 100% indoors before mounting it outside again since this will ensure the device works as long as possible in the cold weather.
8. A Tripped Circuit Breaker Is Causing Charging Issues
A tripped circuit breaker can cause charging issues with both battery-powered and hardwired Ring models. Issues with your home’s circuit breaker can make it seem like your Ring device isn’t charging when it’s actually unable to charge due to a tripped circuit breaker.
Solution: Check Your Circuit Breaker For A Tripped Switch
- You should inspect your home’s circuit breaker to ensure it’s in proper working condition and that none of the breaker switches have tripped.
- If you found a tripped switch, you likely found the reason for your Ring Doorbell not charging properly!
- Flipping the switch up again should fix your charging issues.
9. Voltage Issue With The Ring Doorbell’s Transformer
Hardwired Ring Doorbells are designed to charge on their own. However, issues with the hardwired transformer that’s connected to your Ring Video Doorbell can prevent the internal battery/backup battery from charging properly. Replacing the transformer will fix the charging issues you’ve been having with a hardwired model.
Solution: Replace Your Ring Doorbell’s Transformer
- You will need to shut off your power at the breaker before removing your Ring Doorbell’s existing transformer.
- Once you’ve done this, you can mount the replacement transformer where the old one was positioned.
- The wires need to be connected to the new transformer before power is restored via the breaker.
- You can then test your hardwired Ring Doorbell to see if the problem with your Ring device has been resolved.
10. The Ring Doorbell Is Faulty
If you’ve gone through all the above troubleshooting steps, but you’re still struggling with your device not charging, chances are your Ring Doorbell is faulty. You can try performing a hard reset to see if the issue persists before contacting Ring Customer Support for further troubleshooting.
Solution: Hard Reset Your Ring Doorbell
- While a factory reset will erase all settings, it can fix many issues with your device.
- The steps to reset your Ring Video Doorbell will depend on the model you have.
- Your device will need to be set up again from the Ring app once it’s been reset.
If the charging issue persists, you should contact Ring for further support. The support team will help you further troubleshoot the issue. All Ring Doorbell models come with a one-year limited warranty, should you require a replacement device.
Final Thoughts
Troubleshooting your Ring Doorbell charging issues is crucial for ensuring your device is always ready to go when you need it. There are many reasons your device isn’t charging, including an unstable Wi-Fi connection, a broken charging cable, a damaged battery, a tripped breaker switch, a faulty transformer, extreme weather conditions, and battery-draining settings.
By identifying the underlying cause of your charging issues, you can apply the appropriate fix and restore your device's functionality. So, don't let charging issues interrupt your home security, take the steps to fix them today.
