Ring Doorbell Stuck In Black and White?
By Trae Jacobs,
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A Ring Doorbell helps keep your home safe while providing peace of mind. Among its many features is real-time HD video with night vision capabilities. However, a glitch can occur where a Ring Doorbell’s video footage only appears in black and white. What’s the deal?
Common causes for a Ring Doorbell being stuck in black and white relate to artificially dark conditions. These include a large overhang above your porch, a big tree with heavy foliage, or an excessively shady location. Connectivity problems can also be to blame.
The Night Vision feature is a necessity when it’s dark out. But it can be troublesome if it stays on all the time. Here’s what you need to know and how to resolve a malfunctioning Night Vision feature on your Ring doorbell.
Why Is My Ring Doorbell Stuck In Black and White?
A Ring Doorbell’s Night Vision feature lets you see what’s happening outside your home at night. But the opposite is true if your Ring Doorbell video footage appears in black and white when it’s light outside.
These are the likely causes of a Ring Doorbell stuck in black and white due to a Night Vision malfunction:
- Unusually dark conditions are caused by a large overhang, dense foliage on trees or bushes, or excessive shade.
- Poor Wi-Fi signal strength or spotty internet service.
- Improperly programmed infrared settings on the Ring app.
A Ring camera stuck in night vision mode could prevent you from seeing things for what they are.
For instance, an intruder causes trouble at your home and leaves in a red car. You won’t be able to tell what color car they drove away in if the image is in black and white, even if you’re using Color Night Vision.
How Does a Ring Doorbell See at Night?
Ring devices, including the Doorbell, are equipped with Night Vision, allowing them to see at night.
Night Vision works through infrared lights, which create black and white footage. When Night Vision is activated, you will see a red indicator light on the device.
A Ring Doorbell’s Night Vision feature should only turn on in low lighting conditions.
How To Fix the Black and White Issue on a Ring Doorbell?
You’re not alone if your Ring Doorbell is stuck in black and white. So far, there hasn’t been a firmware update from Ring to address this problem. But there are things you can do to resolve this issue yourself.
Keep in mind that Night Vision issues can also affect other Blink devices like the Spotlight Camera. These are the most effective ways to fix the problem of Night Vision not turning off when it’s supposed to:
- Reboot your Ring Doorbell
- Check your signal strength
- Adjust the Infrared setting in your Ring app
- Reset your Ring Doorbell
- Alter your Ring Doorbell’s environment
- Call Ring Technical Support
1. Reboot Your Ring Doorbell
You can also reboot your Ring Doorbell to fix the problem of the camera being stuck in black and white. This procedure is done through the Ring app:
- Tap the three lines in the corner to access the Menu
- Select “Devices” and highlight your Ring Doorbell.
- Tap “Device Health”
- Choose “Reboot This Device” to initiate the rebooting process.
2. Check the Signal Strength on Your Ring Doorbell
Another issue that can contribute to Night Vision not working properly is a weak signal. Ring Doorbells rely on a strong, reliable Wi-Fi network for all its features to work properly.
Follow these steps in the Ring app to check the signal strength for your Ring device:
- Go to the Menu and select “Devices”
- Find your Ring Doorbell and select “Device Health”
- Under “Network,” look at “Signal Strength”
A color-coded system indicates Your Ring Doorbell’s signal strength. Green indicates a strong signal, red represents a poor signal, and yellow is somewhere in between.
If this diagnostic tool reveals your Wi-Fi signal is weak, reconsider the location of your router or upgrade your service to improve signal strength.
3. Adjust the Night Vision Setting In Your Ring App
You can set your infrared lights to activate automatically. You will need to do the following on the Ring app:
- Open the Menu and go to “Devices”
- Tap on the “Device Settings”
- Underneath the “Video Settings” tab, select “Color Night Vision”
- Toggle this to “Off”
Keep in mind that accessing this setting will be different, depending on if your Ring doorbell has color night vision.
4. Reset Your Ring Doorbell
Resetting your Ring Device is easy and can resolve a Night Vision issue in minutes.
If your Ring Doorbell is hardwired, disconnect it from its power source. Then, follow these steps to perform a reset:
- Detach your Ring Doorbell from its mounting bracket.
- Flip your Ring Doorbell over to its back and locate an orange button.
- Press and hold the orange button for 15 seconds.
- A light on the front of the Ring Doorbell will flash several times to indicate it is resetting.
It takes about 5 minutes to reset the Ring Doorbell once you initiate the reset.
5. Alter Your Ring Doorbell’s Environment
A Ring Doorbell stuck in black and white may function normally but is placed in a bad location. The environment your Ring camera is installed can affect its performance. This includes the activation of the Night Vision feature.
The Night Vision feature relies on passive infrared lights (PIR) to see in the dark. Certain conditions can create artificial darkness that basically “trick” a Ring Doorbell into thinking it needs to turn on Night Vision. These include:
- A large overhang above your front porch
- Trees or bushes with heavy foliage
- Any other condition obscuring natural light during the day
You can test your Ring Doorbell by relocating it temporarily and checking Live View on your smartphone.
If the images return to normal color mode, then you know that the initial location was the source of the problem. Either install it in a brighter spot or remove the obstruction.
If you’re reinstalling your Ring Doorbell, we have an excellent guide with advice on positioning and angle.
6. Call Ring Technical Support
If none of the above troubleshooting tips resolves your Night Vision issue, you may need to contact the Ring Technical Support Team. Among the things they may be able to do is:
- Boost the exposure setting of your Ring Doorbell
- Adjust your Ring camera’s brightness level
- Provide a new Ring Doorbell if none of the adjustments work
Another valuable resource is Tech Supportal. Here, you can get live help from an expert anytime with any device.
FAQ: Ring Doorbells in Black and White
Which Ring Doorbells have color night vision?
The list of Ring Doorbells that have color night vision is an extensive one:
- Ring Doorbell Plus, Pro, and Elite
- Stick Up Cam Standard, Pro, and Wired
- Floodlight Cam Standard and Pro Wired
- Spotlight Cam Plus, Pro, and Wired/Mount
- Indoor Cam 1st and 2nd Generations
How far can a Ring Doorbell see at night?
A Ring Doorbell can see up to 30 feet away at night. But under favorable conditions, a Ring Doorbell PIR technology can sense motion up to 200 feet away.
Why is my Ring camera gray?
If the images on your Ring camera appear gray, the likely cause is a poor connection between your Wi-Fi router and your Ring Doorbell. To resolve this issue, you can try:
- Make sure there are no obstructions between your Ring device and the router.
- Reset your Ring Doorbell.
- Reboot your Wi-Fi router.
