How Long Will Your Ring Doorbell Battery Actually Last?

Ring’s line of video doorbells offer a great way to keep an eye on what’s happening outside your home. The convenience starts to fade if you have to replace or recharge the battery frequently, though. So, how long does a Ring doorbell battery last?

How Long Does a Ring Doorbell Battery Last?

Ring offers estimates for each of their cameras’ battery lives, but you should always take these with a grain of salt. Plenty of environmental factors can affect the batteries, making real-world performance differ from what the manufacturer says. Here’s a closer look at how long Ring says its doorbell batteries will last and what you can actually expect.

Ring Battery Doorbell

The basic Ring Battery Doorbell’s battery lasts between six and 12 months, according to Ring. Part of the reason for such a long lifespan is that it records in 1080p, which is clear enough to see detail but not as taxing as ultra HD videos. Still, many users find that their doorbells don’t last quite that long.

Ring says its six-to-12-month figure stems from “normal use” but doesn’t specify what that means in terms of outdoor conditions, video settings and how often you check the feed. It covers just a few events each day, so you’ll experience shorter battery life if there’s frequent motion in front of your camera, too.

Users with frequent traffic on their streets often report that their Ring doorbell batteries last just two to four weeks. Others without quite as many events say theirs lasts more than a month, often around three or four. Regardless of the specifics, few people experience the official six-to-12-month range in real life.

Ring Peephole Cam

Ring’s Peephole Cam is a smaller, apartment-friendly option with a similar battery life. According to Ring, it should last between six months to a year between charges — the same as the Ring Battery Doorbell — but users tend to report it lasts slightly longer than that model.

Based on user reviews, the Ring Peephole Cam’s battery actually lasts around two months. Some say it needs recharging within a month, but these cases seem to be in areas with a lot of movement in front of the camera. Either way, it’s shorter than what Ring estimates but a little longer than many Ring Battery Doorbell use cases.

It’s worth noting that the Peephole Cam and Battery Doorbell use the same battery. In fact, all current-gen Ring cameras operate on interchangeable batteries. However, how long it lasts varies depending on the camera-specific features using those cells.

Ring Battery Doorbell Plus

The Battery Doorbell Plus came out in 2023 and boasts a battery life up to three times as long as the original Battery Doorbell, according to Ring. That should mean it can last between a year and a half to three years with a few events each day. However, few real-life users report experiencing anything quite that long.

Some reviewers say the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus lasts just over six weeks. Others say they’ve been able to use it for four to five months before recharging it. It seems to vary widely based on usage and its environment, even more so than other models, but it does last longer than the vanilla option.

The Doorbell Plus has more artificial intelligence (AI) features than the original, which may contribute to shorter-than-expected battery lives. Even if the system is highly efficient, using these computationally intensive functions too much will limit its lifespan.

Ring Battery Doorbell Pro

Ring’s newest and most advanced non-hardwired video doorbell is the Battery Doorbell Pro. The company gives it the same six-to-12-month timeline as the low-end alternatives, and user reviews suggest it does largely perform the same, although that’s far less than what Ring promotes.

While some reviewers say it should last for a few months, users who’ve had it for longer report needing to recharge the Doorbell Pro after just three to four weeks. Specifics vary, but many customers say they need to charge their cameras every month.

A month-long battery life is not unusual in light of how long the other Ring video doorbells last. Still, it’s much shorter than the timeline Ring markets, so you should be aware of that limitation before spending the money on a high-end camera.

How Long Do Other Video Doorbells Last?

Ring may be the most recognizable name in video doorbells, but some models from other companies may last longer. The Blink Video Doorbell is another one of the best doorbell cameras available, largely for its battery life of over a year. Customers say that you have to use lithium batteries instead of alkaline ones, but that if you do that, you’ll get months of battery life.

Google’s Nest Doorbell is a similar story to the Ring Battery Doorbell. Users say it typically lasts between two to six weeks, which aligns with what most people say about the lowest-cost Ring option.

Other cameras don’t last quite as long. Many buyers of the Eufy Video Smart Lock report it lasting around two weeks or less. Some say they get just a few days out of it before needing to charge it.

In light of these alternatives, Ring doorbell battery life is often shorter than advertised, but still standard for the industry. You may get longer lives out of some other options, but it’s not a guarantee.

How to Extend Your Ring Doorbell Battery Life

Knowing how long your Ring doorbell battery lasts is just half the equation. You’ve likely noticed that both real-life ranges and company estimates leave a lot of wiggle room. That’s because so many factors can affect it, which means you can extend your battery life through several steps.

Adjust the Sensitivity

One of the best ways to extend your Ring doorbell battery life is to change the sensitivity. A higher sensitivity may seem safer because it means your camera will catch more movement. In reality, though, it often means more false positives, so you can get away with turning it down a little.

Some Ring customers say they get hundreds of notifications a day, so you can likely afford to lower the sensitivity. Less motion sensitivity leads to fewer detections, which means your camera is recording and alerting you less often. When you get fewer alarms, you’ll also be less likely to pull up the live feed throughout the day. All of these changes help your batteries last longer.

Adjust Other Video Settings

Similarly, you can alter other settings to give you more battery life. Consider reducing the recording length so the camera won’t use as much power every time it detects something. You can also set up motion zones, which let you outline an area where movement won’t set off the camera. That’s especially handy when turning off notifications for a view of a busy street.

Reducing the light or color for your camera’s night vision can also help, as can setting the light to turn on only when it’s very dark out. Setting smart alerts to “light” and snoozing motion alerts while you’re at home and awake may be worthwhile, too.

Turn Off Live View

The Live View feature is another battery-drainer you may not need. Live View lets you see your Ring doorbell’s video feed in real time, which is handy but taxing on your battery, especially if you look at it often.

Turning Live View off means you won’t be able to see real-time footage from your camera in most situations. However, you can still look at it when someone rings the doorbell or it detects movement, so you’ll still get some security benefits from the device.

Check the Feed Less Often

Even if you leave Live View on, you can improve your Ring doorbell battery life by not checking it as often. Every time you pull up the live feed, you increase your camera’s internet activity. All that data going back and forth can drain the battery faster than you may realize.

Consider only checking Live View whenever you get an alert about something moving in front of the camera. You may also want to leave it alone when you’re home and awake, depending on your security needs and what you’re comfortable with.

Improve Your Wi-Fi Signal

One less obvious strategy to extend your Ring doorbell battery life is to ensure a strong internet signal. When your connection is weak, your camera may disconnect and reconnect to the network frequently. While it may seem small, those connectivity issues require a lot more power than normal operation, so avoiding them can significantly improve your battery life.

Because these devices sit outside your house, it’s easy for them to rely on a subpar connection. A range extender may help, but these can still leave dead spots. By contrast, mesh networks eliminate dead spots and provide more consistent connectivity, so they’re a better option for smart homes. Alternatively, you could try moving your router closer to the door where you have your camera.

Extend Your Ring Doorbell’s Battery Life Today

How long a Ring doorbell battery lasts depends on several factors, including your specific model, its settings and how you use it. Once you understand these relationships, you can make a more informed purchase decision or get more out of the products you already own. Follow these tips today to extend your battery life and stay protected around the clock.