How to Reactivate a Ring Video Doorbell That Won’t Connect

It can be incredibly frustrating when your previously functioning Ring video doorbell suddenly will no longer connect to WiFi or fails to stream live video feeds. A disconnected Ring doorbell will typically display error messages in the app about being offline or unable to access the live view camera.

This doorbell deactivation leaves you without remote monitoring capabilities or motion-based alerts. Thankfully, there are several effective troubleshooting steps you can take to reactivate and restore full functionality to your dormant Ring doorbell. With a few strategic connectivity and power checks, you can often get your disabled Ring device back online and working properly again.

This guide will walk through the common reasons a Ring doorbell can become deactivated in the first place. We’ll then explore helpful troubleshooting techniques to reconnect wired and battery-powered Ring doorbells, change to a new WiFi network, and leverage Ring’s customer support when needed. Follow along to learn how to breathe new life into a currently inactive Ring video doorbell.

Reasons a Ring Doorbell Can Become Deactivated

Before attempting reactivation, it helps to understand what can cause a Ring doorbell to lose its connection in the first place:

• WiFi network changes – Altered WiFi passwords, switched networks or router upgrades can all disconnect the doorbell.
• Range issues – Poor WiFi signal strength at the doorbell’s location due to distance from the router or interference.
• Power supply problems – Hardwired or battery voltage drops can interrupt the doorbell.
• Firmware updates – Rarely, failed firmware updates may deactivate the device.
• Component failures – Hardware defects or damage can prevent the unit from maintaining connectivity.
• User tampering – Unauthorized smart home platform linking can deactivate the device.
• Account changes – Switching, disabling, or removing a Ring account can knock associated devices offline.

Once aware of what might have caused the problem, you can tailor troubleshooting for the specific circumstances that led to your Ring doorbell being disconnected.

Reconnecting a Wired Ring Doorbell

For hardwired/wired Ring doorbells that won’t activate:

1. Ensure the power supply is live – Use a multimeter to check for consistent voltage between 16-24V at the doorbell wires.
2. Inspect the wiring – Look for loose wire nuts, exposed copper, and moisture in the junction box that could cause shorts.
3. Open the Ring app – Navigate to the doorbell settings and select Device Health to confirm it is offline.
4. Hard reboot the doorbell – Temporarily remove the doorbell from the wall mount and disconnect wires to cut power completely.
5. Reconnect power – Reattach doorbell wiring, allowing 5 minutes for reboot and reactivation. Recheck Device Health.
6. Run doorbell diagnostics – In the Ring app, initiate remote diagnostics to detect any doorbell issues requiring repair.
7. Contact support – If the wiring is sound but the doorbell remains offline, contact Ring Support for additional troubleshooting.

Checking power supply and connections typically restores a wired Ring doorbell. But for trickier cases, Ring’s diagnostics and support experts can isolate activation issues.

Reconnecting a Battery-Powered Ring Doorbell

For Ring doorbells running solely on battery power that won’t properly activate:

1. Remove and reinsert the battery – Completely remove the battery pack for 60 seconds, then re-install it to force a hard reboot.
2. Try an alternate battery – Attempt powering up with a known-good spare battery, as the inadequate voltage from the current battery could cause deactivation.
3. Check battery charge level – If able to view battery status, charge the existing battery to 100% if it’s low to rule out a lack of charge.
4. Allow time to reactivate after changes – Make one change (new battery, WiFi network, etc.) and allow 15-30 minutes to reactivate before adjusting other variables.
5. Manually initiate setup – In the Ring app, delete, then re-add the doorbell to kick off fresh onboarding and see if it reconnects during setup.
6. Bring doorbell closer to a router – If on battery power, test while closer to the WiFi router to determine if range impacts the ability to activate during setup.
7. Contact support – If still unable to get the doorbell back online, contact Ring support for additional troubleshooting help.

A full reboot and reset sequence will often get the device to reactivate for battery-operated Ring doorbells.

Switching Doorbell to New WiFi Network

If your Ring doorbell won’t activate following changes to your WiFi setup:

1. Note old network settings – Determine your prior WiFi SSID and password, if available for reference.
2. Open the Ring app – Navigate to the doorbell’s Device Settings screen.
3. Choose “Set Up Device” – This will initiate linking mode for 2 minutes.
4. Select the correct network – Input the current WiFi SSID and password when prompted during setup.
5. Allow time to connect – Give the process 10-15 minutes to re-pair with the new WiFi network before troubleshooting further.
6. Move WiFi router – Relocate your router closer to the doorbell to rule out weak signals if the device hasn’t reactivated on the new network after sufficient time.
7. Perform factory reset – If unable to reactivate the new WiFi with your existing configuration, reset and fully reconfigure the doorbell from scratch on the new wireless network.

Reactivating your Ring doorbell on a new WiFi network requires carefully progressing through the setup sequence within range of the correct router.

Getting Reactivation Help from Ring

If you are still unable to get your Ring doorbell back online and working properly after exhausting the above troubleshooting steps, reach out to Ring support:

• In the Ring app, navigate to Get Support and select Contact Us to begin a live chat or phone call with a support representative.
• Clearly explain the reactivation issue, what troubleshooting you’ve tried, and when the problem began.
• Provide the doorbell’s serial number, the original date of purchase/installation, and firmware version.
• Note any error messages you see in the Ring app related to the doorbell and test connectivity results.
• The ring can provide customized Support based on your doorbell model and specifics of the deactivation cause to finally get your device back online.

A non-responsive Ring doorbell can be reactivated quickly with simple connectivity and hardware checks, power cycles, and firmware updates. But if your doorbell remains deactivated after thorough troubleshooting, Ring’s dedicated support experts can provide additional guidance tailored to your unique situation. Just provide complete details on the issue and what steps you’ve tried.