Your Ring device is ready, but setup keeps getting stuck at Wi-Fi. The next move depends on where the connection breaks: between your phone and Ring’s temporary network, or between Ring and your home network. Start with the light pattern, then work through the fixes for that connection.
Find out which connection failed
Your doorbell’s light gives you a starting point. White flashing on the right side means the home-network connection failed; flashing at the top indicates a password problem, and flashing on the left indicates an internet or server connection failure. Cameras and Chimes have separate light patterns.
A spinning white ring means the doorbell is in setup mode. That mode expires after 10 minutes, so restart setup if you’ve left it sitting while checking something else.
Fully charge a battery-powered device before another attempt. Solar-powered cameras and doorbells need a charged battery too. For a hardwired or plug-in model, confirm that power is present and that the transformer or power supply meets that model’s installation requirements.
Restart setup and join the Ring network
This addresses a failed connection between your phone and Ring’s temporary setup network.
From the Ring dashboard, tap Set Up a Device.
Follow the device-identification prompts.
Briefly press the device’s physical setup button when prompted. Its location depends on the model.
For a doorbell, select Light is Spinning White; for a camera, select Light is flashing.
Accept Join on iPhone or Connect when offered on Android.
If the automatic connection fails, open your phone’s Settings > Wi-Fi. Some Android phones place Wi-Fi inside another settings category.
Select the network beginning with Ring- or Ring Setup.
Return to the Ring app.
Select your home Wi-Fi network.
Enter its password to continue setup.
Check the password your phone has saved
An incorrect home Wi-Fi password stops setup even after your phone joins Ring’s temporary network.
Forget your home network in your phone’s Wi-Fi settings. This gives you a fresh password check instead of relying on the saved connection.
Reconnect your phone to that network by typing the password yourself.
Once the phone connects, retry Ring setup with the same password. On a doorbell, flashing at the top of the light ring points to a password problem.
Bring the connection closer and try 2.4 GHz
Move the Ring camera or doorbell nearer the router for setup.
Keep your setup phone near the Ring device throughout the process.
Disconnect your router and modem from power for 30 seconds.
Restore their power.
Wait until your internet connection returns.
Choose your router’s 2.4 GHz network for the next setup attempt. Some Ring models do not support 5 GHz; a guest network is another option Ring recommends trying.
For a 2.4 GHz-only Ring device on eero, open Settings > Troubleshooting > My device won’t connect > My device is 2.4 GHz only in the eero app.
Select Pause 5 GHz and 6 GHz.
Complete Ring setup within the 10-minute pause.
Tip: For weak coverage at the installation location, use a compatible Wi-Fi extender, an existing Chime Pro, or an eero mesh system; ordinary Chimes and Chime Plus should not be assumed to provide Chime Pro’s extender function.
Stop phone settings from interrupting setup
Ring does not support VPN use with its app. Disconnect your phone’s VPN in its app or settings before retrying setup, or configure the VPN to exclude Ring traffic.
If Ring requests local-network access on your iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network. Enable Ring if it is listed. Alternatively, tap Allow when the permission prompt appears.
If your phone abandons Ring’s setup network for cellular data, try temporarily turning off automatic switching. On Apple software exposing the control, turn off Connectivity Assist under Settings > Wi-Fi. On Samsung Galaxy models exposing the option, turn off Switch to mobile data under Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi > More options > Intelligent Wi-Fi.
Those switching controls are a troubleshooting test for phones that leave the setup connection. Apple’s current control is Connectivity Assist in Wi-Fi settings, which replaces the older Wi-Fi Assist control under Cellular.
Adjust router settings if Ring still cannot connect
Incompatible Wi-Fi security settings block setup even with the correct password.
For Video Doorbell 3, 3 Plus, or 4, Stick Up Cam Pro, and Spotlight Cam Pro, select WPA2-Personal in the router’s Wi-Fi Security settings. Router menus vary, so locate that setting through your router’s administration controls.
Disable PMF if your router offers it for the affected network.
Save the changes.
Restart the router.
Retry Ring setup. A separate 2.4 GHz WPA2 network is another option for these affected models.
If setup still fails, remove spaces and punctuation from the router’s Wi-Fi network name.
Retry setup with the simplified name.
For a failure at the internet-connection stage, temporarily disconnect the router’s Ethernet cables except its internet uplink.
If your home uses multiple routers, use one router or ask your internet provider or router manufacturer to configure bridge mode.
For a cellular router or hotspot, select IPv4 or IPv4v6 instead of IPv6-only operation.
Clear app problems before resetting the device
If Ring freezes or its setup controls stop responding, fully close the app.
Reopen Ring for another setup attempt.
Install any available update for Ring - Always Home from your phone’s app store. Ring supports iOS 17 or later and Android 9 or later.
Restart your phone or tablet if the app continues to malfunction.
For persistent app problems, uninstall Ring using your phone’s app-management controls.
Reinstall Ring from the official app store.
Sign back in.
Repeat setup with another supported phone or tablet if the problem continues.
If the Ring device has connected and is installing firmware, leave it powered until the automatic update finishes. Do not press the setup button or disconnect power during the update.
When your internet works but Ring cannot reach its services, check Ring’s service-status page for mobile-app, account, or device-health incidents.
Wait for any relevant incident to resolve before retrying.
If these checks do not resolve setup and no firmware update is running, power-cycle the Ring device next.
Power-cycle or reset the device as a last step
For a removable-battery Ring model, remove all battery packs for 10 seconds before reinstalling them; leave sealed internal batteries in place. For a plug-in model, disconnect power for 10 seconds before plugging it back in. For a hardwired model, switch its power source off and back on.
If setup still fails, factory-reset a doorbell, camera, or Chime covered by Ring’s reset instructions: hold its physical setup button for 20 seconds, then release it. The button location varies by model.
Repeat setup after the reset. Do not apply this reset procedure to Ring Alarm or Alarm Pro base stations without Ring Support guidance, because resetting those systems removes connected Alarm components.
Contact Ring Support if setup remains unsuccessful. For a restricted network or a managed phone with an enforced VPN, ask the network or device administrator to help with Ring’s connection requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reconnect a Ring device after changing my router or Wi-Fi password?
Open the Ring menu (☰) and select Devices. Choose your device and open Device Health. Under Network, select Reconnect or Change Network, then follow the physical setup prompts.
What can I do if Ring cannot scan the setup QR code?
In the camera setup flow, select Set up a non-Ring device or choose manually at the identification stage. Follow the manual identification prompts to continue.
Will reinstalling Ring fix a device registered to someone else?
No. Removing the app does not release device ownership. If the device is already yours, use its original account. Otherwise, start Set Up a Device and follow the identification prompts. Select Request Ownership, then Only This Device. Wait for release confirmation before setup. For doorbells, cameras, and Chimes, release can take up to 15 days if the previous owner does not respond.
Do these Wi-Fi setup steps also apply to Ring Alarm Pro?
Alarm Pro uses a different network setup. Connect it to your modem by Ethernet as the primary router, or add it to an existing compatible eero network. In Ring, start Set Up a Device, select the Alarm setup category, and follow the prompts into eero. Alarm Pro cannot join an arbitrary existing router as a normal Wi-Fi client. A standard Ring Alarm Base Station supports Wi-Fi or Ethernet, but cannot use both simultaneously.