A smart video doorbell could be one of the best home improvement decision you make this year, which means that you must choose the best video doorbell on the market today. Ring is one of the most popular, top-rated video doorbells, and if you settle on it like most other homeowners have, you may need some guidance setting it up.
While this smart home device does an incredible job of telling you who is at the door or in the vicinity of your door, allowing you to communicate with the new visitor or call the cops if necessary, you can only enjoy these benefits if you know how to set it up.
Specifically, you need to know how to put your Ring doorbell in the pairing mode because you can only access the functions of this video doorbell once the doorbell has paired up with your tablet or smartphone via your Wi-Fi network.
So, how do you do it?
Once you’ve installed the doorbell, alone or with the help of a technician, you can start the pairing process and enable the doorbell’s pairing mode by following these steps.
1. Download app and setup your account
Download the Android or iOS Ring App to your smartphone or tablet and then create your account. As you do this, ensure that the doorbell is charging. So, once your Ring doorbell is charged fully, you can open the Ring app on your preferred mobile device, then follow the pairing/ setup process.
2. Specify the location of the doorbell in your home
Set up starts with you specifying the location of your home, and where in your home you wish to install this doorbell. When selecting the location, you need to keep in mind factors like the doorbell’s sensitivity to motion, and where you need the most coverage in your home.
3. Connect to the doorbell from the app
Now that you have the location details out of the way and you’ve created your Ring account, you’ll log into your Ring account. Once logged in, tap on the Set Up Device option and then choose the doorbell model you wish to connect.
Next, scan your QR Code or the MAC ID barcode at the back of the doorbell or its packaging and enter your home’s address and the name of your device into the app.
Note that if you skip the code scanning step above, you will have to set up the Wi-Fi connection manually. Here, your tablet or smartphone must be connected to the Wi-Fi network named Ring Setup. If you are using an Android device, this connection will be automatic. However, if you are using an iPad or an iPhone, you have to follow the steps below:
Exit the app by pressing on your Apple device’s home button. Go to the Settings tab and select the Wi-Fi option. From here, choose the Ring-network (with the last 6 digits of your MAC ID) listed.
Now, exit the settings and reopen your Ring app then connect to the available Ring network for your device.
4. Activate the Setup Mode
Click on the setup button (the orange button at the back of the doorbell) on your doorbell. As the doorbell’s front light begins to spin, click on Continue in the app. Doing this puts your doorbell in the setup mode.
You can tell whether the setup mode setup is successful or not if you see a spinning white light at the front face of your new doorbell. Once done activating the setup mode, the next thing to do is to tap on the Join button and then select your Ring doorbell.
Remember that the name of your doorbell will have Ring Setup or Ring, along with the elements of your device’s ID.
After that is done, press on the button on the Ring doorbell’s face to check the quality of your video. You need to do this video check inside and outside the house, specifically the area you are mounting the doorbell.
During these tests, if your videos taken from outside look blurry and the indoor videos clear, you may want to move the Wi-Fi router as close to your front door as possible. Alternatively, you could buy a Wi-Fi extender or a Ring Chime Pro, which doubles as a Wi-Fi extender.
Here is what you should keep in mind
When you connect the doorbell to your Wi-Fi, you may have to wait for your device to complete some internal software updates. You can tell that the device is updating if you see light flashes. You will know that the update is complete when the flashing lights and the blinking stops.
Remember that these steps should be followed before the installation of the device is complete. And you should only attach the doorbell to its baseplate once the video quality is to your liking.
Just like that, your Ring doorbell will be connected to your home network.
Smart Doorbell Setup
BUT this is not the end. To add your Ring doorbell to your list of home devices, you must connect the doorbell to your smart home hub, for example, Amazon Echo Show, and Alexa.
Note that we have chosen Amazon Echo Show as an example because Show has a display screen which will allow you to see who is at the door, and since it has a microphone, you will hear what your visitor has to say – you could chat with them if you want to thanks to the 2-way communication module.
For all that to happen, the doorbell must be in the pairing mode – for Alexa to discover and pair with the doorbell. Thanks to this setup with your smart home hub, every time someone is at the door or if someone rings the doorbell, Alexa will notify you.
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How to Connect Your Ring Doorbell with Alexa (Amazon Echo Show)
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To connect these two devices, you need to add the Ring Alexa skill on Alexa, using the Alexa app. To do this, go to the app.
On the app, tap on the three lines you see at the upper left-hand corner of your app to open up the side menu and then tap on the Skills and Games option. Here, tap the Search button and type in Ring. Ring (the logo is blue and white speech bubble surrounding the word Ring) will show up as a top result under your Smart Home category. Tap on it and then select the blue option that reads Enable To Use or Enable Skill.
The next (final) step involves authorizing the connection between Ring and Alexa. For the authorization, you have to Click on Authorize. Once done, you will receive a confirmation message informing you that Ring and Alexa have been successfully linked.
From here, you will be redirected to your Ring account by the in-app browser. Enter your Ring credentials and then Sign In.
After your Ring account has been connected, you will be prompted to discover the Ring devices. Select Discover Devices to kick off the device discovery process. Your Ring doorbell should show up in seconds (or minutes), and then it will connect to Alexa (Amazon Echo Show) automatically. But this option doesn’t always work. If this happens and your doorbell isn’t connected, you may want to confirm that the doorbell is on, and then you’ll need to ask Alexa to find the device – this is simple, just ask Alexa by saying ‘Alexa, discover my devices.’
Using Alexa Routines, you can give Alexa commands on how to act or respond to the different actions of the doorbell.
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Things you can do with a Ring doorbell and Alexa
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- You could use Amazon Echo show to work as your doorbell chime
- Alexa could answer your doorbell and talk to your guests
- It can also make announcements or run routines every time the doorbell is pressed or where the doorbell detects motion.
- Alexa is also capable or arming and disarming your Ring alarm
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How to Setup The Doorbell Chime Notifications on Amazon Echo
On your Alexa app, tap on the devices option located on the lower right-hand corner. This icon looks like a house. Next, click on the All Devices option (from here, you can see all the devices that are already set up in your Amazon Echo Show).
On the All Devices tab, scroll down then select your Ring doorbell camera. You will see a small camera icon right next to your doorbell. Doing this takes you to the notifications options, and here you get to turn the camera on or off.
For example, for the doorbell alerts, you’d have to turn on the Doorbell Press or the Motion Announcements for movement at the door. Lastly, you have to turn on the communication settings for Amazon Echo Show.
To do this, go to the Devices icon on your Alexa app then look for the Amazon Echo device you wish the get your doorbell alerts from. Next, tap it and on the settings tab that opens up, go to the Communications section under the General tab, and then enable your announcements.
Doing this ensures that there will be a chiming sound whenever there is someone at the door. On your Echo settings page, turn off the Do Not Disturb option for you to receive the notifications, as desired.
And just like that, you are good to go!
