Does the Ring Stick-Up Cam Work Through Glass?
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If you’re more worried about what’s happening outside your home than inside your home, you may consider placing your Ring Stick-Up Cam in front of a glass window or door.
While Ring doesn’t recommend this, there are ways to make it work.
Will a Ring Stick-Up Camera Work Facing a Window?
The Ring Stick-Up Cam will work through glass — I have one in front of my living room window to check for parking on my street!
However, there are some major limitations to placing your Stick-Up Cam in front of a window.
Ring doesn’t recommend placing the Stick-Up Cam in front of a window or glass door because:
- It can affect Motion Alerts
- Window glare can affect your Live View
- Glass can muffle sound
Glass Blocks PIR Sensors
The Stick-Up Cam uses PIR, or passive infrared sensors, to detect motion. PIR detects heat from moving objects in your camera’s field of view, then uses this heat detection to alert you to motion.
When your Stick-Up Cam has a glass pane in front of it, it won’t be able to use its PIR sensors to detect motion.
Glare Affects Live View
Ring Stick-Up Cams aren’t designed for placement behind glass. Infrared lights on the camera and ambient light from the room can reflect from your window back onto your camera’s lens, limiting what you see in Live View.
Glass Muffles Sound
If you’ve ever had to close your windows to drown out the sound of your neighbor mowing the lawn, you know how much a closed window can muffle sound.
Like every Ring Camera and Doorbell, the Ring Stick-Up Cam offers Two-Way Audio so you can hear what’s going on around your home and talk to anyone in earshot.
But if you place your Stick-Up Cam behind a window or glass door, there’s a strong chance you won’t be able to hear the sounds around you.
Tips for Using a Ring Stick-Up Cam Through Glass
Even though Ring doesn’t recommend it, the Ring Stick-Up Camera can work placed in front of a glass pane. You just need to take some extra steps to reduce the issues mentioned above.
Motion Detection
Because of how the Ring Stick-Up Cam detects motion, there’s not much you can do if the glass prevents you from getting Motion Alerts.
Increasing your Motion Sensitivity might help, but it’ll never detect motion as well as it could if it wasn’t in front of a glass pane:
- Open the Ring app.
- Select the Settings icon above your Stick-Up Cam’s Live View.
- Tap “Motion Settings.”
- Select “Motion Sensitivity.”
- Drag the slider to the right.
Problems with Glare
Glare is one of the biggest problems with placing your Stick-Up Cam in front of a window. However, it’s also one of the easiest to mitigate.
Start by moving any lamps that reflect off the window your camera is in front of. Then, open the Ring app and follow the steps below:
- Find your Stick-Up Cam’s Live View and tap the Settings icon.
- Select “Device Settings.”
- Tap “Video Settings.”
- Toggle “Infrared Lights for Night Vision” off.
Turning these lights off will prevent glare from obstructing your view when Night Vision is active.
The blue status light that illuminates when Live View is open or video recording is active doesn’t usually create a lot of glare.
But if you’re having trouble seeing because of this light, you can always tape over it.
Remember that your Ring Stick-Up Cam won’t work if the window is cracked or dirty. For best results, always keep it clean.
Two-Way Audio
If your Stick-Up Cam is on the interior side of a glass window, you won’t have any trouble hearing sounds inside your home.
If you also want to hear sounds coming from outside your home, the only way to mitigate the issue is to keep the window slightly open. This isn’t an ideal solution, but it’s your only option apart from placing your camera outdoors.
Alternatives to Using a Ring Stick-Up Cam Through Glass
While it is possible to use your Ring Stick-Up Cam through glass, it’s not the best way to use it. Before you put your Stick-Up Cam facing out a window, consider these alternatives.
Put Your Stick-Up Cam Outside
Ring Stick-Up Cams are IP65-rated, making them indoor and outdoor devices. They are weather-resistant enough to withstand rainfall, but shouldn’t be submerged in water.
If you’re not comfortable just setting your Stick-Up Cam on an outdoor windowsill, you can always mount it on an exterior wall. And if you’re worried about internet connection, consider a Wi-Fi Extender.
Consider the Ring Indoor Cam
Ring Stick-Up Cams and Indoor Cams look and function similarly. However, there are some key differences that make the Indoor Cam more appropriate for placing in front of a window.
The most important is that wired Ring Indoor Cams detect motion based on what the camera sees — not what the PIR sensors pick up. Even through a window, it’ll detect motion outside your home.
Get an Outdoor Camera
If your primary concern is keeping an eye on what’s going on outside your window, you might want to consider other Ring Cameras. Ring has plenty of security cameras for outdoor use, including:
FAQ: Ring Stick-Up Cam and Windows
Does the Ring Stick-Up Cam Need to Be Plugged in?
Whether or not your Ring Stick-Up Cam needs to be plugged in depends on which model you have.
There are wired and wireless Stick-Up Cam options available. If you have a wired model, it needs to be plugged in. If you have a battery-powered model, you’ll power it through a rechargeable battery pack.
Can You Mount a Ring Stick-Up Cam on Glass?
There are suction cup mounts available for the Ring Stick-Up Cam, which allow you to mount them on a glass window, door, or mirror.
