What you need to do before you open the box

A Ring doorbell arrives as a sealed unit. Before you open it, you need to decide whether you're replacing an existing doorbell or installing one where none exists. If you're replacing an existing doorbell, turn off power at your breaker box first — the old wiring may still be live. If you're installing new, you'll need to run wires from your breaker box to your door frame, which usually means hiring an electrician unless you already have low-voltage wiring in place.

Ring makes both wired and battery-powered models. The wired versions (Ring Video Doorbell Pro and Pro 2) need constant power from your home's electrical system. The battery versions (Ring Video Doorbell and Ring Video Doorbell Plus) run on rechargeable batteries and don't need wiring, but you'll need to remove and charge them every few months depending on how many people ring it.

Gather what you'll need: a screwdriver (usually Phillips head), the mounting bracket that comes in the box, and either wire strippers and electrical tape (if wired) or just the batteries (if battery-powered). Have your Wi-Fi network name and password ready — you'll enter these during setup.

Key Takeaways

  • Wired Ring doorbells require power from your home's breaker box and should only be installed after turning off the breaker; battery models need only a charged battery and Wi-Fi access.
  • The physical installation — mounting the bracket and securing the doorbell — takes 10 to 20 minutes for most people, but running new wiring can take several hours and may require an electrician.
  • You must read the Ring app and create a Ring account before the doorbell will record video or send notifications to your phone.
  • Ring stores video on its cloud servers by default, which means your video footage is not stored only on your home network but on Ring's servers, a trade-off between convenience and privacy.

Opening the box and checking what's inside

When you open the Ring doorbell box, you'll find the doorbell unit itself, a mounting bracket, screws, and either batteries or wire connectors depending on your model. Check that everything is there before you start — the box should list all contents on the back. If anything is missing, contact Ring's support before proceeding.

Read the quick-start guide that comes in the box. It shows you which wires connect where (if wired) and confirms your specific model number. Different Ring models have slightly different wiring configurations, so this matters.

Installing the mounting bracket

The mounting bracket is the metal piece that screws to your door frame. Hold it up to your door frame at eye level — most people install doorbells between 48 and 60 inches from the ground. Mark the screw holes with a pencil, then drill pilot holes if you're drilling into wood or metal. Pilot holes prevent the wood from splitting and make screwing easier.

Screw the bracket firmly into place. It should not move when you push on it. If you're mounting on brick or concrete, use the anchors that come in the box and a drill bit rated for masonry.

Connecting wires (wired models only)

If you have a wired Ring doorbell, you need to connect it to your home's existing doorbell wiring or run new wires from your breaker box. Before you touch any wires, turn off the breaker that controls your doorbell circuit at your electrical panel. Test the wires with a non-contact voltage tester to confirm power is off.

Most homes have two wires running to the old doorbell: a live wire (usually red or black) and a neutral wire (usually white or black). Disconnect these from your old doorbell. Strip about half an inch of insulation from each wire using wire strippers. Connect the live wire to the positive terminal on the Ring bracket and the neutral wire to the negative terminal. find the connections with the wire connectors provided, or use electrical tape if connectors aren't included. Tuck the wires into the wall cavity behind the bracket so they're not visible.

If you don't have existing doorbell wiring, you'll need to run new low-voltage wiring from your breaker box to your door frame. This typically requires an electrician and costs between $150 and $300 depending on distance and difficulty. Some electricians can do this in an hour; others may need to fish wires through walls, which takes longer.

Inserting batteries and mounting the doorbell (battery models only)

If you have a battery-powered Ring doorbell, insert the rechargeable batteries into the slots on the back of the unit. The Ring Video Doorbell and Plus use two AA batteries. Make sure they're fully charged before you install the doorbell — a low battery will cause setup to fail.

Slide the doorbell onto the mounting bracket until you hear or feel it click. The bracket holds the doorbell in place magnetically, so it should sit flush against your door frame with no gaps.

Downloading the app and creating your account

read the Ring app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Create a Ring account using your email address and a password. You'll use this account to view video, receive notifications, and manage settings.

Open the app and select "Set up a device." Choose your doorbell model from the list. The app will ask you to connect the doorbell to your Wi-Fi network. Hold your phone near the doorbell and follow the on-screen prompts. You'll enter your Wi-Fi network name and password. The doorbell will connect and begin downloading its firmware — this can take 5 to 10 minutes.

Once connected, the app will ask you to name your doorbell (for example, "Front Door") and set your notification preferences. You can choose to receive alerts every time someone rings, or only during certain hours. You can also choose whether to record video continuously or only when motion is detected.

Understanding what happens after setup

After setup, your Ring doorbell will begin recording video whenever someone presses the button or motion is detected. By default, Ring stores this video on its cloud servers for 60 days. You can watch it in the app from anywhere, but it's not stored only on your home network — it's stored on Ring's servers, which are owned by Amazon.

This is a trade-off: cloud storage means you can access your video even if your home internet goes down or someone steals the doorbell, but it also means your video is transmitted to and stored by a company outside your home. If you want more control over your video, some Ring models support local storage through a Ring Protect subscription and a separate storage device, though this requires additional hardware and setup.

Test the doorbell by pressing the button and checking that you receive a notification on your phone. If you don't, check that notifications are enabled in your phone's settings and that the doorbell is connected to Wi-Fi.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my doorbell doesn't connect to Wi-Fi during setup?

Move closer to your router or move the router closer to the doorbell. Ring doorbells need a strong signal to connect. If you have a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network, try connecting to the 2.4 GHz band instead — some Ring models don't support 5 GHz. Restart the doorbell by removing and reinserting the batteries (or turning off the breaker for 30 seconds if wired), then try setup again.

Can I install a Ring doorbell myself if I don't have existing doorbell wiring?

Yes, if you buy a battery-powered model — no wiring is needed. If you want a wired model and don't have existing wiring, you'll need an electrician to run the wires from your breaker box to your door frame. This is not a DIY task unless you have electrical experience, as improper wiring can damage the doorbell or create a fire hazard.

Do I have to use the Ring app to see video?

Yes. The Ring doorbell requires the Ring app to view live video or recorded footage. You cannot access it through a web browser on a computer, though some third-party integrations (like Amazon Alexa) allow limited control through other apps.

What happens to my video if I cancel my Ring account?

Your video is deleted from Ring's servers. If you want to keep your video, you need to read it before you cancel. The Ring app has a read option in the video playback screen, but you can only read videos one at a time.

Is the video encrypted so Ring can't see it?

Video is encrypted in transit (while it's being sent to Ring's servers) and at rest (while it's stored), but Ring can still access it with a warrant or court order. Ring has shared video with law enforcement in response to legal requests. If privacy from Ring is important to you, a battery-powered doorbell with local storage (if available) or a non-connected doorbell camera may be a better choice.