No matter where you are in your Smart Homeexperience, you may have heard some of the benefits of the smart videodoorbell. They allow you to monitor who’s at your front door even when you’renot at home. However, if you’re new to Smart Home technology, it can often be achallenge to get everything up and running properly.
Tap or click to learn how the Ring video doorbell app saved a family from a massive fire. If you recently joined the millions across the nation who rely on Ring doorbells, you will find setup. We have apps for Iphone, Mac and Ipad but Applewatch and Apple Tv are missing. Apple TVs actually a very simple transfer since it's basically a customized version of iPadOS/IOS. But all of these requests or obvious features for Apple products seems to have died once Amazon purchased ring. The Ring Doorbell ($200) looks just like any other doorbell for the most part, but it comes with an integrated video camera so that you can see who’s at the door–from your smartphone–even when you’re not home. Here’s how to install and set up the Ring Doorbell quickly and easily.
Can the Ring Doorbell work without beingconnected to the internet? The RingDoorbell will not be able to access certain smart features if it is notconnected to a strong WiFi network. These smart features include:
- Push notifications to your smartphone
- Live video feed
- Remote control of your device
This article will go over some things youshould know about the Ring Video Doorbell, as well as some easy setupinstructions.
Does the Ring Doorbell Needa WiFi Connection to Work?
Toaccess the smart features on your Ring Doorbell, you need a strong internetconnection. Without it, the device has no way to sharedata and other information with the app on your phone.
You won’t be able to access the live streaming or push notifications when there is movement detected. Other smart features like remote control of your device also require an internet connection.
If you need to boost your WiFi, consider the Ring Chime Pro (Amazon) which boosts your WiFi up to 2,000 sq ft!
Use a Portable Hotspot ifYou Don’t Have a WiFi Network to Connect to
You can also connect your Ring doorbell to a WiFi hotspot if you don’t have access to a full wireless network from a router. The device will be able to function properly when connected to a hotspot.
Why Does my Ring Doorbell keep going offline? We cover the details here.
Ring Doorbell App For Mac
Portable 4G hotspots (Amazon) allow you to access smart features like the live feed and push notifications. However, before you connect your device to such a network, make sure to consider your data usage. This method will consume a lot of your cellular data if you use it for frequent watching of the live feed.
How the Ring Doorbell Workswithout Internet
If you do not have a WiFi signal, or if your signal is too weak, you can still use your Ring Doorbell in the traditional manner. You can connect your Ring Doorbell to your existing wired doorbell. That way, you’ll be able to hear the “ding, dong” when someone is at your front door.
If you already have a traditional doorbellinstalled in your home, you can use this connection to install your smartdoorbell directly. Here’s how:
- Complete setup for the Ring app on your phone.
- Shut off your power and remove your existing doorbell. (You’ll need a transformer with a voltage of 8-24 VAC when you connect your Ring to the existing doorbell.)
- Line up your Ring Doorbell carefully. Install the doorbell to its ideal height. Mark the places where the mounting holes will go with a pencil.
- Use a power drill to make holes where you just marked. If the front of your home is brick, concrete, or stucco, use the provided plastic anchors in the wall.
- If the existing doorbell is a digital one, install the included diode. (Installing the diode on a mechanical doorbell may damage it.)
- Use the two wires coming from your door and connect them to the two screws on the base plate.
- Install your Ring Doorbell over the holes.
- Feed the wires into your wall and make sure your Ring is secured with screws.
- Use the provided screwdriver bit to screw in the two security screws on the bottom of your device.
How long does the Ring battery last? Learn more here.
How Can I Tell if My RingDoorbell Is Connected to the Internet?
One of the most important aspects of usingyour Ring Doorbell to its full capabilities is making sure it’s connected to astrong WiFi network. You can run a connectivity test in the Ring app to makesure the signal you’re getting is at its optimal strength.
- In the Ring app, select the device you’d like to run the test on.
- Tap Device Health.
- Select Connectivity Test to monitor your device’s access to a good signal.
You’ll see the following results:
- Device to Cloudmeasures the strength of your device’s WiFi connection. Possibleresults will be Red (multiple factors are interfering with a strong connection),Yellow (there may be a couple of factors affecting your connection), or Green(strong signal and connection)
- Phone to Cloud measures the strength of your phone’s connection to theinternet. If your connection is weak, it can causeissues with mobile functions and the Ring app. Possible results will be Red(your phone is having trouble connecting to your device), Yellow (theconnection is weak), or Green (you have a strong signal).
If you lost connection to your WiFi networkand your device goes offline, it can be for a variety of reasons:
- A power surge caused some problemswith your router.
- You temporarily lost power.
- A wire in your router’s setupbecame loose.
- You changed the WiFi password.
- Your device does not havesufficient power.
Don’t worry if these conditions occur—they aretemporary issues. This means that once you resolve the issue at hand, yourdevice should be able to reconnect to a wireless network successfully.
Connecting Your RingDoorbell to a Wireless Network
To get the most out of your experience withthe Ring video doorbell, you should connect it to your home’s WiFi networkduring setup. This wireless setup is quick and easy; you don’t have to connectyour device to a computer or even power for its initial setup.
When you first set up your device and the appon your phone, it will try to connect to the WiFi network. iOS users mustselect Join when asked to join the Ring WiFi network. Android devices shouldautomatically connect to the network.
If thedevice doesn’t automatically connect to your wireless network, you can followthese steps on your smartphone:
- Press the Home button to leave the Ring app.
- In your Settings, select WiFi.
- Select the Ring network from the list of available networks. It will appear as “Ring” followed by either the last six or two digits of the MAC ID.
- Once you’re connected, return to the Ring app.
- Select your WiFi network.
- Enter the WiFi password and tap Continue.
After you connect your device to the WiFinetwork, it may perform an update on its internal software. While this happens,the light on the front of the device will flash white. When the light is doneflashing, you’ll know the update is complete, and you can continue using yourdevice as normal.
How far can Ring Doorbell See or Hear? Find out the answer here.
What Should I Do if My WiFiSignal Is Too Weak for My Ring Doorbell?
If your wireless network is too weak or doesnot reach your device, it’s a great idea to get a WiFi range extender. This isa stand-alone unit that expands the reach of your home’s WiFi network. It isdesigned to repeat your signal over a greater distance.
Apple Store Ring App
These devices are easy to connect. A great tipis to place your WiFi range extender near your Ring Doorbell to ensure a strongsignal.
After you perform all these tests and tasks toensure your device is properly connected to your WiFi network, it’s best totest it. Press the button on your video doorbell to test a call. This willinitiate the software on your device and ensure that it’s ready to use.
Get Help on Your Smart HomeJourney
If you have any more issues setting up yourdevice, don’t worry. Ring provides 24/7 customer support. When you needassistance, you can give them a call, and they will walk you throughtroubleshooting your device’s issues.
Ring and other companies like them aremanufacturing tools and devices that can help us all stay a little moreconnected to our homes. They allow for more possibilities when it comes to homesecurity and wireless connectivity. To grow your home’s Smart technologyopportunities, learn more about the products you could add to your household.
As I’ve mentioned before, one of my favorite pastimes is sitting down and quickly running through the motion events that have occurred on my Ring Video Doorbell. Most of the time I use my smartphone, but from time to time, I will use my desktop.
To answer the original question “can you watch Ring line on the computer,” the answer is yes, you are able to watch Ring live on your Apple or Windows computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
Continue reading to learn how to watch live events, when you should watch live events when you shouldn’t watch live events and where you can download the app for your computer.
Who Can Watch Ring Live on the Computer?
The Ring Video Doorbell has two types of users: the account owner, and shared users. The account owner has full access to the Ring app and doorbell. The owner can make any and all changes including:
- Changing the motion setting
- Changing the ring tones
- Turn alerts on and off
Shared users have a much more limited capability within the app. According to Rings’ app, shared users “can control Ring Alarm and access your choice of Ring devices, using the Ring app.”
Basically, this means shared users can’t make critical adjustments to your Ring settings. It is best practice to give everyone else including your spouse) a shared user level of permission. Never give another user the username and password for the owner account.
Anyone that is listed as an owner or shared user has access to view the Ring video Doorbell live on their computer. The Ring app must be installed on each individual computer for a user/ owner to view live and recorded.
In addition, Ring also has a website video doorbell owners can log into, but you are not able to view live events in this platform. You are only able to view recorded events, purchase new products, and pay your bill.
How Does Live Viewing Work on My Computer?
Live viewing works just like the mobile app. For this example, I will use the iMac version. Please note, that the Windows and Android app versions may differ slightly.
To view your Ring Video Doorbell live follow the below steps:
- Download the app (more on that later)
- Open the app
- Login with the username and password
- And close (not exit) the app
From here you have two options: live
Live Viewing by Notifications
Since the app is closed, it will remain working in the background, which is the key ingredient for live viewing to work. Notifications work in two ways: push and ‘instant
Push Notifications
Push notifications occur when you are outside of the app, working on something else. For example, if you are editing a YouTube video, you will be using the entire screen. When motion is detected, a notification will appear at the top right of your screen. The notification will look like the notifications you receive on your locked mobile device.
The notification will say “motion detected at your front door.”
When you see this notification, you have the option to click it, or ignore it and continue working. If you click the notification, it will take you to a live view of your video doorbell.
Note: this is the same process as if someone pushes the doorbell button.
‘Instant Live’
Note: I call this instant live because I don’t have a better name for it.
Instant
Let’s say I’ve just returned from work and I’m looking at events that have occurred today. I’m watching an event in which a fox runs across my front lawn. Suddenly, a school bus stops to let kids off the bus. When this happens, why Ring live video feed will open in the middle of the screen. In one instant, I am watching a live viewing of my video doorbell.
This is the same as when you are in your mobile app. The only difference is the mobile app will ask you if you want to view the in-progress event, in this case, you have the option to view or ignore the event.
What are the Benefits of Watching Ring Live on Your Computer?
The biggest benefit of watching the Ring live on your computer is the larger screen. When using the mobile app, everything looks smaller and is difficult to see. However, when I use my 27-inch screen, I can see every detail of the recording.
Also, another benefit of watching the Ring live on your computer is the higher resolution. Sometimes smartphones reduce the resolution, making it difficult to see what is happening. If you have a 4K monitor, you will be able to see everything crystal clear.
The final benefit to watching the Ring live on your computer is you will save your smartphones battery life. Watching live videos consumes a lot of battery life from both your mobile phone and your video doorbell. You can extend the batteries length by watching live events on your computer.
When Should I Watch Ring Live on My Computer?
This will vary by person, what I like to watch Ring live when I’m doing something that doesn’t require an intense amount of focus. For example, if I’m watching a YouTube video, it is nice to have the ring working in the background.
Also, you should use the Ring live on your computer when you are expecting a guest. For example, if I’m working from home, and I expect pizza delivered, I will have the app open, so I can be at the door when the food arrives.
You could also watch the ring app live on your computer if there have been notifications about problems occurring in the neighborhood. For example, if kids are walking around the neighborhood smashing pumpkins, watch the live view to stop them, or at least yell at them.
When Shouldn’t I Watch Ring Live on My Computer?
Like the section above, this will very by person, but I don’t like the Ring app during the following situations:
- I’m meeting with a client
- I’m writing a blog post
- I’m recording a YouTube video
- I’m editing a YouTube video
Let’s take a moment to discuss these situations.
Meeting with a Client
If I’m meeting with a client, regardless if it’s in person or over the phone, I can’t have the app open. I will get distracted every time. When the notification pops up on the screen, I have to look, even if I know what’s happening outside.
Looking at the notification causes me to pause my more important thought process. If I’m in the middle of a sentence, I stop taking, even if it’s for a second, to see what the notification says.
This isn’t limited to Ring, all notifications I receive distraction me.
Writing a Blog Post
One of the worst things that can
Recording a YouTube Video
Currently, I’ve made over 40 YouTube videos, and in half of them, you see me pause. This usually occurs because I’ve received a push notification from somewhere. When this happens, I stop, quickly read the notification, try to regather my thoughts and move on.
Also, the notification appears on the YouTube video if I’m doing a screencast. I feel it’s a bit unprofessional when this happens. It’s like when someone’s phone rings when your in a movie theater, just distracting!
Editing a YouTube Video
This isn’t as distracting as much as it takes away from computing resources. Because the video editor consumes a
Why You Shouldn’t Watch the Ring Live on Your Computer?
While watching the ring live on your computer, thee are a few drawbacks. In this section, I will discuss the biggest drawback.
You shouldn’t watch the Ring live because it is a drain on your resources. Watching the Ring Video Doorbell live will drain your doorbells battery, consume data, and take resources away from your computer. Let’s discuss these resources in the next section.
Video Doorbell Battery
If your Ring Video Doorbell is battery powered (you can ignore this section if your doorbell is connected to the existing electrical or ethernet cable) you battery will drain quickly. These doorbells are designed for short recordings (30 seconds) and not designed to consistently watch them live. If you decide to do this, know that you will need to recharge the battery shortly.
Consume Data
In addition to consuming data,
Consuming Computing Power
Finally, keeping the connection open can slow down your computer. If you are doing something like video editing and you have the connection open, you will notice a slow down on how your computer performs. You will notice that everything takes longer to complete, which is the worst possible scenario if you are trying to meet a deadline.
It can be Distracting
The final reason you shouldn’t watch the Ring live on your computer is it is distracting. If you have it open, you will be tempted to look and see what’s going on. There have been countless times when I’ve stopped what I was working on, just to see who keeps circling the block.
Conclusion
To conclude, yes, you can watch the Ring live on your computer. The process is as easy as downloading the app from Ring’s website,
As I mentioned, there are some benefits and drawbacks to watching the Ring video doorbell live. These benefits include watching on a bigger screen and not using your phone’s battery.
However, there are a few drawbacks as well. Those drawbacks include lower battery life, greater bandwidth consumption, and greater usage of computer resources.