How To Turn Off A Ring Doorbell

Ring doorbells are growing increasingly popular. The extra added security and peace of mind that they bring is unbeatable.

How To Turn Off A Ring Doorbell

With a Ring doorbell, you can see what is going on around or outside your home at any point during the day, and you can save and store video footage in case you need it.

The only downside to Ring doorbells is that they do actually capture everything if you are planning on surprising your other half with a gift, and need to sneak it out of your car and into your home, the doorbell is going to capture that motion, and your partner could be notified.

So, what if you need to turn the Ring doorbell off momentarily or for a few hours? Can you turn it off? Can you alter the settings to turn your Ring doorbell off for extra privacy? Let’s find out! 

About Ring Doorbells

Ring is a home security and smart home company now owned and operated by Amazon.

Ring produces a range of products, from alarm systems to indoor and outdoor cameras, floodlight cameras, and of course, the famous Ring doorbell that started it all. 

Ring products are all about giving you a better sense of safety and security in your home, and your neighborhood.

With a Ring doorbell, you can see what is happening around your home at any point, and you can interact with visitors through the doorbell, record video, speak and listen to sounds outside the house, and more. 

Never again will you have to rush home to make it in time for a delivery, as you can speak to the delivery person, and simply tell them where to leave your package.

Plus, if someone turns up at your house that you don’t want to see, you simply can check the camera to see who it is, and you don’t have to answer the door! 

Ring doorbells can be wired, or battery operated, and provide you with two way voice communication, high quality video, and motion detection technology.

You can receive notifications via the app of anyone around your home or front door. 

But there could be times where you don’t want the doorbell to capture everything, so can you turn off a Ring doorbell? 

How To Turn Off A Ring Doorbell

You can indeed turn off your Ring doorbell if you want to. The process is actually pretty simple. To turn off your Ring doorbell, you will need to have access to the Ring application.

If you do not have the app, you can download it from the App Store (if you have an Apple product) or the Google Play Store if you have an Android device. From there, you can open up the application, and login with your email and password.

Then, you will need to head onto the tab that has your Ring Doorbell device. In the far right corner, you should see a wheel, if you select that, it will take you to the settings.

Then, you can select ‘Motion Snooze’, where you can select how long you would like to snooze the motion alerts for. 

However, the doorbell will still record video at this time.

If you don’t want anyone else seeing the recorded video, then you can go in and manually delete any recordings from the event history on the application for the period of time you want hidden. 

You can also disarm the device, by heading into ‘Mode Settings’ and selecting ‘Disarm.’ Then, no sensors or motion will be monitored, and no notifications will come through. You will also not have access to Live View during this time. 

Alternatively, if you have an older model Ring Doorbell, or one that is battery powered, then you can manually remove the battery by taking the doorbell from its mounting position, and taking the back off it.

The battery will then need to be pushed lightly down so that it pops out. For other products, you can cut the power to the device, or unplug it, before plugging it back in when you want it to work. 

Another option you have if you don’t want someone seeing what is happening outside of your home is to remove their access to the device.

If you go onto the Ring doorbell settings, and onto ‘Shared Access’ you can remove other users, and they will no longer be able to view the camera, go onto stored videos or access Live View and settings. 

Can You Temporarily Turn Off A Ring Camera?

Yes, you can turn off a Ring camera or device temporarily. The easiest way to do so is to turn off the device, so it will not continue to record any video or sound.

To do this, you can unplug the device from the wall, or remove the battery from it in the same way you would as if you were going to charge the device.

How Do I Get Privacy From My Ring Doorbell?

If you need more privacy from your Ring doorbell, you can alter the settings to provide you with ‘Privacy Zones’.

This prevents you from capturing video of your neighbors going about their business around your home and being recorded automatically.

To set up Privacy Zones, you need to head onto the Ring app. Select the Ring Doorbell, and then the settings button in the top right corner.

Then, you will need to click on ‘Device Settings’, and then ‘Privacy Settings’. From there, select ‘Privacy Zones’.

The feature allows you to block out part of the camera view to protect the privacy of you or others around the property. You could also use this to block out the view of something you do not want to be recorded. 

Final Thoughts

To summarize, you can turn off a Ring doorbell if you want to. You can either disarm the device, or turn off motion detection and alerts so that you or anyone else with access are not notified of an ‘event’.

Alternatively, you can remove the battery or power source from the device so that it does not record anything for a period of time. 

Luke Miller

Luke Miller is a writer, real estate professional, rental property investor, and home renovation enthusiast based in Phoenix, Arizona. He grew up in Iowa in a self-sufficient household where he learned the skills to do everything from plumbing, drywall, to basic handyman repair for everyday problems. He enjoys sharing his vast experience and his continuous learning with fellow DIY enthusiasts.

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