Ring Doorbell Motion Sensor Keeps Going Off? Here are 5 Fixes

When it comes to securing your home, placing a doorbell motion sensor can be considered the primary step. It helps by alarming you whenever someone or something will try to step at your door. Ring doorbell motion sensors are significant and worth mentioning in this case. They use advanced motion detection features that can also differentiate the motion of humans, animals, or other objects.

But the problem is sometimes this sensor keeps going off, which creates a security concern for the user. The very common reason, in this case, is particular hardware damage or any faulty part. 

This post contains the relevant causes and fixes regarding the Ring doorbell’s going off issue. So, take a few minutes and read the entire post to know them all. 

Why Does the Ring Doorbell Motion Sensor Keep Going Off?

Our home security is always one of our biggest concerns. Who doesn’t want his home to be secure? But when you face this kind of problem, especially when you’re far away from your home, it becomes very frustrating at that time and keeps you in deep worry. But what are the reasons behind this occurrence? 

The most possible causes that are preventing your Ring motion sensor from being active are –

• Battery charge is low
• The sensors are too far from the base station
• Obstacles between the sensor and the contact
• Glitches in Ring alarm or app
• There’s a hardware problem
• There’s an outer impact

How to Fix It?

Now that you know the causes, it’s time to apply the fixes to make sure that your Ring Motion sensor stays online as it should. Here are them one by one –

Fix 1: Replace the Battery

As the Ring motion sensors run on batteries, it’s pretty normal that the battery charge may decrease over time and require replacing them with new ones. Batteries generally drain faster when they are old, have internal damage, or are exposed to a higher temperature. Therefore, when the battery charge level is low, it can make the motion sensor keep going off. So, it’s better to try replacing them. 

Fix 2: Ensure the Sensor Is in the Z-Wave Range

The Ring motion sensors are meant to stay connected to the base station. It’s possible when the sensors are in the Z-Wave range. The Z-Wave technology is responsible for connecting the contacts and motion sensors together. If somehow the sensors are placed at the limit or outside of the range, this issue can appear. So, make sure the sensors are within the range. 

Fix 3: Use a Range Extender

Sometimes any obstacle between the base station and sensors can cause this issue. Any big obstacle that is capable of blocking the Z-Wave can surely make the sensors unable to stay online continuously. If it’s possible to locate the obstacle and move it out of the range then do it. Otherwise, make use of a range extender near the obstacle so that it can take the wave and directly deliver it to the sensors. 

Fix 4: Ensure the Software Status Is Fine

The sensor going off problem also can be a result of software glitches or outdated software. A simple fix in this case is performing a factory reset of the sensor. All you need to do is –

Step 1: First, remove the motion sensor device from the app. 

Step 2: Then check for the reset button labeled with the word setup at the rear side of the sensor. Use a pin or similar thing into the hole and press the button.

Step 3: Hold down the pin for at least 10 seconds.

When you see the LED light flashes red once and after that starts flashing orange, it means you’ve successfully reset it. 

Next, you can try resetting the base station in the same way. To reset the app, simply uninstall the app and reinstall it.

Fix 5: Replace the Sensor

When all the things mentioned earlier are fine that means the problem is most likely with the hardware itself. Truth to tell there’s nothing much you can do by yourself in this situation. If you’re blessed with a warranty, make use of it and exchange the sensor for a new one. Otherwise, you can contact the retailer from whom you bought your sensor and ask him for an alternative.

Bonus Points

Bonus point 1: Even if the problem still persists after replacing your sensors with fresh ones, it indicates the rarest case which can be the Z-Wae interference. To make it simple, when there’s any Z-Wave interference, it can make your sensors keep going offline by disconnecting from your base station. When there are numerous Ring sensors at your place or your neighbors own plenty of them, it causes Z-Wave interference. Even though it’s a rarest phenomenon, it’s a fact. 

Bonus point 2: Most of the fixes are also applicable in the case of Ring alarms randomly keeps going off, especially fix no. 4. 

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

How does a Ring doorbell motion detector detect humans?

The motion sensor utilizes its motion detector to detect any infrared energy in the motion zones. Living beings including humans release this energy as heat. Therefore, the motion detector tends to detect a large amount of heat to verify if someone is moving within the zone or approaching the sensor. If so, it alarms the sound by notifying the home security panel.

Why does my Ring doorbell keep alerting motion?

The most possible reason is that there’s something or someone in the motion range that’s causing alerting the motion sensors. For example, a vehicle or moving object, sunray appears in a way that seems like an object, or just simply a moving shadow. In this situation, verify if it’s the actual scenario, and if so, remove what’s causing the problem. Otherwise, you can try adjusting your motion sensitivity and motion range.

How do you stop a motion sensor on a Ring?

You need to start by launching the Ring app. Then tap the three lines icon which is at the top-left of the dashboard. Next, get into Devices and choose the motion sensor you want to stop. Finally, slide the motion detection slider to off. As simple as that!

What’s the difference between motion detection and motion alerts on a Ring doorbell?

Basically, motion detection is the feature that tries to detect any physical movement in certain motion zones. The sensor’s motion detector always stays turned on along with recording the detection in the Event history. On the other hand, motion alerts analyze those recorded videos and decide whether to ring the alert or delay it. 

Conclusion

Thus far, we’ve provided all the prominent information regarding the Ring doorbell motion sensor keeps going off including the reasons behind it and the effective solutions. You can easily get out of this mess successfully if you can apply the fixes accordingly. Let us know which fix does the job for you and if you have any questions regarding it.