Table of contents(13)+
- 01The 30-second test
- 02Method 1: First-time setup in the Ring app
- 03Method 2: Connect the doorbell to a new Wi-Fi network
- 04Method 3: Fix a doorbell that will not join
- 05Method 4: Factory-reset the doorbell and set it up again
- 06Frequently Asked Questions
- 07How do I connect my Ring doorbell to WiFi?
- 08How do I connect a Ring doorbell to new WiFi?
- 09Why won't my Ring doorbell connect to WiFi?
- 10Does a Ring doorbell need 2.4 GHz WiFi?
- 11How do I put a Ring doorbell in setup mode?
- 12Can I connect a Ring doorbell to WiFi without the app?
- 13Related guides
To connect a Ring doorbell to WiFi, open the Ring app, add the doorbell, put it in setup mode, and join your home network. First-time setup and a new router use that same app path. I start on a 2.4 GHz SSID. If join fails, hold the setup button until the light enters setup mode.
I set up a Ring Video Doorbell (2nd generation) last year. I later moved a Battery Doorbell Plus onto a new router after an ISP swap. On both, the Ring app did the join. I started on a 2.4 GHz IoT SSID. HiRemote is not a Ring tool. I only open it after the Hisense TV is back on that same LAN.
The 30-second test
Decide the job before you touch the bracket. A new doorbell and a new router use the same app. They do not start on the same screen.
- New doorbell in the box: Method 1.
- New router, new SSID, or a renamed network: Method 2.
- Light already in setup mode: stay in the Ring app and finish Method 1.
- It used to be online and now it is not: Method 3, then Method 4.
| Job | Start here | If that fails |
|---|---|---|
| First setup | Method 1 | Method 3, then Method 4 |
| New Wi-Fi or new router | Method 2 | Method 4 |
| Was online, now offline | Method 3 | Method 4 |
| App cannot find the doorbell | Setup mode in Method 1 | Hold the setup button in Method 4 |
If the gadget that dropped off this Wi-Fi is a Hisense TV, that is a TV job. Get the set on the LAN with our Hisense Wi-Fi guide. Then open HiRemote (free, 4.4 from 1,600+ ratings). Put the iPhone on the same Wi-Fi, pick the Hisense model, and pair. Hisense Roku TV? The browser remote uses the TV IP from Settings > Network > About.
Method 1: First-time setup in the Ring app
This is the path I use on a new doorbell. Charge a battery model first. A wired unit should already have power from its transformer.
- Install the Ring app and sign in, or create a Ring account.
- On my app the add control is a plus. The screen title is Set Up a Device.
- Choose Doorbells.
- Scan the QR code on the doorbell or on the paper card in the box.
- Slide the doorbell off the bracket. Press the orange setup button on the back.
- Wait until the light enters setup mode. Then return to the app.
- Grant Bluetooth and Location if the app asks. On my iPhone the join stalled without both.
- Pick your 2.4 GHz home SSID and type the password.
- Wait until the app shows the doorbell online. Then finish the name and chime prompts if they appear.
When it will not work: a 5 GHz-only SSID, a mistyped password, a dead battery, or a guest network with client isolation. I do not start on a 5 GHz-only name. If the app never lists 5 GHz, I stay on 2.4 GHz.
Ring's official support hub is the Ring Help Center. I send people there when a label on the doorbell does not match what I saw on mine.
Method 2: Connect the doorbell to a new Wi-Fi network
A new router is the same job as a renamed SSID. You are not setting up a second doorbell. You are handing the same device a new password.
- Open the Ring app and tap the doorbell.
- Open Device Settings. On my build that control is a gear on the device card.
- Open Device Health.
- Tap Change Wi-Fi Network. Some builds say Connect to Wi-Fi. Same job.
- Put the doorbell in setup mode again with the orange setup button.
- Pick the new SSID and type the new password.
When it will not work: the doorbell still hunts the old password, or it never enters setup mode. Then I skip ahead to Method 4 and set it up as if it were new.
The TV on that same router will drop too. If the Hisense set will not join, use the Hisense Wi-Fi fixes before you blame the doorbell.
After a router swap, HiRemote also needs the Hisense TV back on the same LAN. Download the free app, put the iPhone on that Wi-Fi, pick the model, and follow the pairing prompts. Touchpad and playback stay on the $9.99 yearly plan. Hisense Roku TV owners can skip the install and use the browser remote.
Method 3: Fix a doorbell that will not join
Work these in order. I do not factory-reset first. A reset wipes the device link and costs time.
- Confirm the band. I start on a 2.4 GHz SSID. Combined names have fooled me. The doorbell sat on Connecting until I used a 2.4-only IoT name.
- Move closer. I held the Battery Doorbell Plus next to the router for the join, then walked it back to the door.
- Retype the password. I type it once in Notes, then paste. Hidden characters waste a whole setup cycle.
- Leave guest Wi-Fi. A guest SSID with client isolation joined, then live view died. I use the main LAN SSID.
- Reboot the router. Unplug it for a minute. Then retry Method 1 or Method 2.
- Charge the doorbell. A low battery drops setup mode mid-join.
When it will not work: the light never enters setup mode, or the app never sees the doorbell. That is Method 4.
Method 4: Factory-reset the doorbell and set it up again
This is the last free path I use. It clears the old network from the doorbell. Then Method 1 runs again.
- Slide the doorbell off the bracket.
- Press and hold the orange setup button.
- On my 2nd-generation doorbell, a long hold of about twenty seconds changed the light. I watch the light, not a stopwatch.
- Let go when the pattern changes.
- In the Ring app, add the doorbell again and join Wi-Fi as in Method 1.
When it will not work: a dead battery, a damaged setup button, or no power on a wired unit. Charge it, confirm the transformer, then retry. Wi-Fi join did not need a paid Ring plan on my devices. Cloud history is a separate Ring Protect choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I connect my Ring doorbell to WiFi?
Open the Ring app, add the doorbell, put it in setup mode, and join your home network from the prompts. That is the path I use on a Video Doorbell (2nd generation) and a Battery Doorbell Plus. I start on a 2.4 GHz SSID. If the app cannot see the doorbell, I press the setup button again and wait for the light to enter setup mode.
How do I connect a Ring doorbell to new WiFi?
Open the Ring app, tap the doorbell, then open Device Settings. On my build, Device Health has a Change Wi-Fi Network control. Put the doorbell in setup mode and pick the new SSID. A renamed router is the same job as a new router. If the doorbell still hunts the old password, I factory-reset it and set it up again.
Why won't my Ring doorbell connect to WiFi?
The usual cause is a 5 GHz-only SSID, a wrong password, or a doorbell that is not in setup mode. I move the doorbell closer to the router and retype the password. Guest networks with client isolation have failed on me after a fake join. Charge the battery, then hold the setup button until the light flips.
Does a Ring doorbell need 2.4 GHz WiFi?
In my experience, the battery doorbells I set up needed a 2.4 GHz SSID. A newer wired unit later offered 5 GHz inside the Ring app. I start on 2.4 GHz unless the app lists 5 GHz. I do not treat a combined SSID as proof that the doorbell will pick 2.4 GHz.
How do I put a Ring doorbell in setup mode?
Slide the doorbell off its bracket and press the orange setup button on the back. On my Video Doorbell (2nd generation) and Battery Doorbell Plus, the light then entered setup mode. I wait for that light change before I return to the Ring app. If nothing happens, I hold the button longer until the pattern changes.
Can I connect a Ring doorbell to WiFi without the app?
I have not found a supported way to join a Ring doorbell to Wi-Fi without the Ring app. The app creates the account link and sends the SSID and password to the doorbell. A browser on the phone is not a Ring setup tool. If the app cannot see the doorbell, I put it back in setup mode and retry inside the app.
