Can a Stolen Ring Doorbell Be Traced?

One of the main concerns Ring owners have is that their doorbell will get stolen. Because it is possible for your Ring doorbell to be stolen, I have gathered information to find out if a stolen Ring doorbell can be traced. 

Can a stolen Ring Doorbell be traced? A stolen Ring doorbell cannot be traced. There is no way to determine its location. With a Ring subscription plan, the theft will be recorded, but when the doorbell loses its connection to its power source and Wi-Fi network, the camera feed can no longer be accessed. 

The guide below provides information on how to protect your Ring doorbell from theft and exactly what to do if your doorbell does get stolen.

Ring Doorbells Cannot Be Traced

While Ring doorbells do not have the ability to be traced, they do have built-in measures to protect against theft. 

All Ring doorbells come with one or two security screws which make it so that the doorbell cannot be easily removed. Also, if you can install your doorbell on a stucco wall with anchors, it will be even more difficult to remove. 

Additional Theft Prevention Options

Even with the security screws, many users have reported that it only took someone approximately 15 seconds to steal their Ring doorbell. They know the exact time it took because they have a video recording of it. 

Here are some additional measures you can take to protect your Ring doorbell from theft:

• Install an anti-theft grid box over your Ring doorbell. A grid box can be purchased at your local hardware store.
• Install an outdoor Ring camera with a built-in light and siren which you can activate through the Ring app to scare off potential thieves. Shop for one here. 
• Purchase a security yard sign such as this one to inform potential thieves that they will be recorded if they are on your property. 
• Download and sign up for Ring’s Neighbors app to receive notifications from your neighbors and local law enforcement about incidents in your neighborhood. 

What to Do If Your Ring Doorbell Is Stolen

If despite all your precautions, your doorbell is stolen, you can get a replacement doorbell from Ring. 

Ring will replace your stolen doorbell for free as long as you follow these steps:

1. Report the theft to the police as soon as possible.
2. Make sure not to touch the area where the crime occurred until the police arrive.
3. Take pictures of the area without touching it.
4. Request a copy of the police report. 
5. Use this link to report the incident to Ring. Scroll down and click on “Report Theft”.
6. Email Ring your police report at [email protected] within 15 days of the theft occurring. 
7. You will receive your replacement doorbell within 14 business days. 

Recording a Theft 

To ensure that you will catch a potential thief on camera, you will need to have a Ring subscription plan. 

If you do not have a subscription plan, you will receive a motion alert notification on your phone or tablet when a thief approaches, but no video will be recorded. You must view the camera’s live stream before the doorbell loses its connection or you will miss your opportunity to see the thief. 

With a Ring subscription plan, the doorbell will automatically record video and audio of the theft. 

A hard-wired Ring doorbell will continue to record until it is disconnected from its wired power source. A battery-operated doorbell may record longer because it will stay powered on after it is removed from the wall. It will record until it loses its connection to your Wi-Fi network. Both the original Ring Video Doorbell and Doorbell 2 have the option to be battery operated. 

The recording of the theft will automatically be stored in your Ring cloud. You can save the recording to any of your devices and share it with law enforcement, on the Neighbors app, or elsewhere. 

Other Potential Security Concerns

The other main security concern that Ring doorbell owners have is hacking.

Theoretically, it is possible for a hacker to access your doorbell’s live stream by hacking into your home’s Wi-Fi network or Ring account. They might even be able to change what you see when you access your camera’s live stream. 

This may sound scary, but few Ring users report incidents of hacking, and some reports that went viral later turned out to not be hacking cases after all. 

Preventing Hacking

There are several easy things you can do to protect your Ring doorbell from hacking. 

• Enable two-factor authentication in the Ring app. This will require you to enter a code that is texted to you after you enter your password. Click here for directions. 

• Do not share your login information with others. If you want to share access to your Ring doorbell with someone else, add them as a Shared User in the Ring app using these instructions.

• Choose passwords that are not easy to guess. Use multiple words with a combination of upper-case and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. Change your passwords regularly. 

• Make sure your Ring software is always up-to-date because Ring sometimes issues security updates. Install any updates in the Ring app.