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Ring security camera is one of the best to monitor your property or loved ones. But is there a reason the security camera is offline when still connected to power? And what does the red light mean on Ring camera that appears offline?
While Ring is a great security camera system, that doesn’t mean the CCTV is immune to all the issues. It’s still a system like any other, which means it will fail at least once in its lifetime.
One of the common issues you can expect on your Ring camera is displaying a red light when not supposed to. While it depends on the camera, the red light can be on either the standard status LED, surrounding the lens, or at the bottom of the camera.
What Ring Camera Do You Have the Red Light?
In this quick guide, our goal is to help you understand the various situations you may see a red light on your Ring security camera. We’ve also covered how you can fix the issue on your own.
However, when and where you may see a red light depends on the kind of Ring security camera you have:
Do You Have the Ring Stickup Cam?
The Ring Stick Up Cam was the first line of wireless security cameras from the local company. It’s still a series in production, albeit now available in second and third-generation models with a 1080p Full HD resolution and 110-degree field of view. The first-generation Stick Up Cam records in 720p HD, with an 87-degree field of view.
Long history short, the Ring Stick Up Cam has two main points you’ll notice the red light:
- At the built-in status LED
- From the hidden IR LEDs around the camera lens
You may interested: How To Mount Ring Stick Up Camera
Do You Have the Ring Spotlight Cam
Ring Spotlight Cam is another option you may have to monitor your property. It’s the brightest spotlight security camera (375 lumens) we’ve seen so far that has a simple plug-and-play installation. Then, you can get the camera model with a battery, plug-in power, or hardwired option.
All three versions of the Ring Spotlight Cam may display a red light on the built-in status LED or hidden IR LEDs. However, the Spotlight Cam Battery may also have a red light at the bottom of the battery compartment, something other models don’t.
Do You Have the Ring Floodlight Cam?
The Ring Floodlight Cam gleamed for the first time at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2017). It’s yet another bestselling security camera from the Amazon brand, with thousands of positive recommendations online and offline.
Unlike the Spotlight family, the Ring Floodlight can’t operate on battery power from its super-bright white lights. So, you can only see the red light on the built-in status LED and IR LEDs.
What Does the Red Light Mean on Ring Camera?
In general, what the red light means on your Ring camera will depend on where it’s coming from:
Meaning 1: Red Light on Ring Camera Status LED
The status LED of your Ring camera is usually the easiest way to know the “status” of your system. If you get the hang of it, the status light has the patterns of when the camera is working accordingly or has an issue.
In most security cameras, the status LED is somewhere on the face plate/ the front of the camera. That applies to our Ring, whereby the status LED is right above the Lens for most of the camera series. “Most” include Ring Indoor Cam, Stick Up Cam, and Floodlight Cam. (If you have the Ring Spotlight Cam, the built-in status LED is on the bottom, next to the motion sensor).
In Ring Indoor Cam and Stick Up Cam, the Status LED plays in a pattern of either Blue or Red light. What the red light means on the Ring camera in both cases is also the same:
- The status LED flashes red light ON and OFF continuously: the Ring camera has failed to set up successfully. You’ll also notice the red light pattern when the camera suddenly has an error of incorrect password of the WiFi, which often happens after an incorrect configuration.
- The status LED blinks red and blue light fast: the built-in siren of the Ring camera is active/ sounding
- The status LED blinks red light ON and OFF fast for five seconds, then reboot: the Ring camera is factory resetting
On the other hand, Ring Spotlight Cam and Floodlight Cam feature a pattern of White, Blue, Green, and Red light. But even with more color patterns, the meaning of the red light on the Ring cameras is about the same:
- The status LED flashes red light ON and OFF rapidly for up to 2 or 3 minutes: the Ring camera has failed to set up or suddenly develops an incorrect password for the Wi-Fi.
- The status LED blinks red light ON and OFF fast continuously: the built-in siren of the Ring camera is active/ sounding
Solution: How to Fix the Red Light Issue
If the red light on your Ring camera status LED is from a failed setup, try to configure the device again. When it fails again, factory reset the Ring camera to resolve the configuration causing connection issues. Then, set up the device from scratch again.
A factory reset can also help fix your camera with an “incorrect password” error. It may also help in a software glitch that causes the siren to go off when not intended.
Meaning 2: Red Light on Ring Camera IR LEDs
The second place you may see the red light on Ring camera is where the IR LEDs are. IR LEDs are the Infrared lights integrated into your security camera to help it see in low light conditions or pitch darkness. What the lights do is illuminate the surrounding area, making it possible for the image sensor to see the objects.
There are usually two main types of IR LEDs used in CCTV cameras: 950nm and 840nm IR LEDs. 950nm IR LEDs are synonymous with indoor cameras and baby monitors as they illuminate invisible light.
As for the Ring cameras, they utilize the 840nm IR LEDs that usually illuminate the infrared light with a red glow. The red glow is a faint light to the point you can easily miss it if not paying much attention.
Now, Ring Indoor Cam and Stick Up Cam have only the IR LEDs to rely on for night vision. So, those with either of these cameras have already seen and know about the faint red glow around the lens.
As for the owners of the Ring Spotlight Cam or Floodlight Cam, they use the built-in white light for color night vision. If the white light somehow fails, the infrared LEDs will kick in, albeit the footage will be in black and white.
Solution: How to Fix the Red Light Issues
A red light around the lens of your Ring camera means that the infrared night vision is active. If you want to continue monitoring your spaces in darkness, leave the light be. In case you still want them off, just launch your app and go to Devices >> Device Settings >> Video Settings >> Infrared Lights for Night Vision.
If your Ring camera has an incorrect configuration that activates the IR LEDs when not needed, factory reset it.
Meaning 3: Red Light on Ring Camera Battery Indicators
Lastly, battery-powered Ring cameras have built-in indicators at the bottom of the battery compartment. The indicators are like the status LED for the battery, whereby each light pattern has a different meaning.
When the indicator on your Ring camera (in the battery compartment) is a solid red light, it means the battery is connected. It’s also an indication the battery is healthy and working accordingly.
However, when the built-in indicator is blinking red light, it means the Ring camera has a low battery charge. And the faster the red light blinks, the lower the battery charge is.
Solution: How to Fix the Red Light Issue
The solution to a blinking red light on the indicator of the battery is to recharge it. If the indicator is neither blinking nor a solid red light (it’s off), the battery has not connected properly or is damaged.
Before concluding the battery is damaged, wipe off any debris inside the compartment, then reinsert the battery. Who knows, dirt may have been the reason your Ring camera couldn’t read the battery.
Key Takeaway: What Does the Red Light Mean on Ring Doorbell Camera?
Like the security cameras, Ring video doorbell systems have built-in status LEDs to let you know the status of your device. However, the status light of most doorbells utilizes a Blue and White Light pattern.
The Ring video doorbell Pro series (both first and second-generation models) is the only one with a red light pattern. And what the red light means on the Ring doorbell is that the device has insufficient power. (The pattern is a red light flashing on only the bottom half of the status LED).
So, you’ll want to check your main power supply since the devices only use wired power: plug-in or hardwired.
Another thing, the Ring video doorbell (all models) has built-in IR LEDs around the lens to continue recording in darkness. The night vision infrared lights are the 840nm kind that illuminates with a faint red glow.
As such, when you see a red light around the lens, it means the Ring doorbell has the night vision active.
To disable the red glow of your IR LEDs, the steps are the same as with the Ring camera. Go to Devices >> Device Settings >> Video Settings >> Infrared Lights for Night Vision.
Contact Customer Support for Further Assistance
In case you notice it, that’s what the red light means on Ring camera. And as you can see, the meaning necessarily doesn’t have anything to do with your security camera being broken.
The red light can be just your Ring camera with the siren enabled, active night vision, battery connected, or power running low.
If not that, issues like the “incorrect password” or failed setup are easy to correct on your own. A quick factory reset will do, which you can perform with either the dedicated Setup button or the mobile app.
If your Ring camera still has the red light, contact Ring customer support. They will help you troubleshoot the camera- which is about what we’ve covered in the guide. And in case that fails, they will help you process a replacement (under warranty).
