Can I Make My Ring Doorbell Record Longer?

Individuals and families alike have discovered the many benefits of adding smart home technology to their homes. Products like video doorbells open up a bunch of possibilities to connect with and protect your home from intruders. However, not every device is perfect.

Can I make my Ring Doorbell record longer videos? Unfortunately, no, you cannot extend the length of video recordings on your Ring doorbell. Ring created a feature called Motion Stop that ends recordings after 20 or 60 seconds depending on the device you own.

Learn more about the possibilities of recording videos on your smart doorbell and how to access your videos in the future.

Can the Ring Smart Doorbell Record Longer Videos?

How long does the Ring Doorbell record videos? According to the Ring support site, you cannot record videos longer than 20 or 60 seconds on your Ring Video Doorbell. The Motion Stop feature starts recording video when the device detects motion near your front door, from up to 30 feet away.

However, after the recording begins, it will stop 20 or 60 seconds later. The recording will last 20 seconds on battery-operated devices or 60 seconds on hardwired devices without a battery option. Why does this limitation on video recording exist? Ring Support states this feature helps save on battery life and data changes on your device.

Why Is This Video Recording Feature So Important?

After Ring users experience suspicious activity at their home, they often become disappointed because of the limitations of this recording feature. Many were not able to see and review the full incident after the device was triggered to record.

They’re able to see when the stranger approaches, but the video cuts off before they can see what they do next. This can pose a concern to many homeowners. As many are aware, most home intruder incidents last longer than just a few seconds.

There have been mentions about potential updates to the device and possible changes to this feature, but these have not been implemented yet.

Remember This Tip to Record Longer Videos on Your Ring Doorbell

When your ring doorbell detects motion near your front door, it will send you a push notification that you can receive as long as you’re connected to a strong mobile or WiFi network. If you do not answer (or tap on) the notification on your smartphone, the limited 20 or 60-second video recording will begin (that you can access later). However, you can view the live feed (thus, a longer video) of an incident as long as you answer the notification on your phone right away.

Of course, this can be a little inconvenient if you are away from your home, (like at work in a meeting) and you can’t pull out your phone immediately.

Using the Ring’s Live Feed

You can, of course, always access the Ring Doorbell’s Live View. In the Ring app, you can check on your property 24/7. However, this is still a downside because full-time Live Feed viewing can drain the battery on both your device and your smartphone.

Also, in order to secure your home, there’s no way to know the exact moment to tune in to your Live View in order to check for intruders.

Saving and Reviewing Your Videos with the Ring Protect Plan

When you do record videos on your Ring Doorbell, you can save them up to 60 days when you purchase one of their subscription plans:

• Basic Plan: With this plan, you can save, review, and share your videos any time from anywhere. There is a monthly or annual base price, plus an additional fee for each extra device.
• Protect plan: This plan includes all the features of the Basic plan, but it allows you to connect an unlimited number of cameras. It also comes with a lifetime product warranty and discounts on the purchase of other devices in the future.

Alternatives to the Ring Video Doorbell

Although this limited video recording feature is a pretty big downside to the Ring Doorbell, there are many other features that make up for it. Features like remote viewing of your front door and the ability to communicate with who’s knocking from almost anywhere are still great tools to have.

Visit the Ring site to learn more about their products and to get alerts if they ever release an update for this feature.

Or, if the Ring Smart Doorbell (Amazon) just isn’t for you and your family, check out some of these popular alternatives that can be found on Amazon:

• Ring Pro: a new device that is more costly, but maintains a continuous loop; the camera stays on after the device detects motion.
• Nest Security Camera: offers 24/7 live streaming and connects with Alexa; it easily connects with the cloud, so your recorded videos will be easily accessible.
• SkyBell: another video doorbell option that offers comparable features, but without the monthly subscription.