Quality night vision cameras are a great addition to your home’s security system. Ring offers doorbells and cameras with night vision which switch to infrared light to record videos in low light conditions. But sometimes, this technology is not always reliable.
If your Ring camera night vision is not working, it becomes inefficient, leading to security breaches.
Ring night vision not working can be due to weak internet connection, Ring server problems, camera hardware issues, dirty camera lens, faulty camera, wiring issues, and others.
In this post, you will get insights on how the Ring camera night vision works, why this feature is not working, and all the possible solutions for most Ring night vision problems.
How does Ring camera night vision work?
Before you start troubleshooting your Ring doorbell camera , it helps to understand how night vision cameras work. Ring night vision cameras can detect IR(Infrared) and UV(Ultraviolet) light. During the day, the Ring camera uses its infrared-cut filter to block out infrared light.
But when it’s dark, the infrared-cut filter moves out of the way, and all the infrared light reaches the camera’s sensors, allowing it to record at night. The Ring camera’s night vision distance is about 20 feet away, but the clarity declines after a certain point.
How do I turn on night vision in my Ring camera?
With all that said, you cannot control when your Ring camera goes into night mode as it doesn’t have daylight control. However, Ring cameras are excellent at detecting lighting levels and automatically switching between daytime and night vision mode- usually under a second.
Fortunately, Ring cameras have color night vision, which applies false color to parts of the recording that have sufficient light. In the color night vision mode, the IR cut filter moves out of the way, resulting in more light engulfing the camera’s sensor.
Then Ring adds color to the areas to light-producing better results overall. So here’s how to turn on color night vision on your Ring camera;
- Open the Ring app on your smartphone.
- Tap the three lines on the upper left side of the screen.
- Select “Devices.”
- Choose the Ring camera you want to adjust.
- Go to Device Settings > Video Settings > Color Night Vision > Enable/Disable color night vision to turn the feature on or off.
Why is my Ring camera dark at night?
Your Ring camera detects low light conditions and automatically enables night vision mode by using infrared light to form black and white images for your to view on the Live View. But there are a few reasons why your Ring camera is dark at night, such as a broken Ring camera, Ring app issues, or WiFi issues.
Adjust night vision settings
One of the main reasons for the Ring camera being dark at night is the wrong infrared settings. Here’s how to change night vision settings:
- Go to the Ring app on your smartphone or tablet
- Tap the three lines at the top corner of the screen.
- Go to “Video Settings” and then “Night Vision Settings.”
- Set Night Vision to “Auto”
WiFi connection has issues.
If the video feed is playing normally, but it’s dark, your Ring camera could be having trouble communicating with the Ring servers. This could be an issue with your WiFi router, modem, or internet service provider preventing you from streaming quality videos.
You need to have enough bandwidth to stream high-quality videos－Ring recommends WiFi upload of at least 1-2 Mbps.
A WiFi network clogged by too many devices can reduce its bandwidth. Try to free up some bandwidth using the following hacks.
- Limit the number of devices using the network by disconnecting devices you are not using.
- Use other WiFi alternatives like ZigBee and Z-wave to connect other devices.
- Install WiFi repeaters to extend the range of your WiFi signal.
- Try rebooting your router or modem to refresh its signal. Sometimes the signal becomes weak if the modem or router runs for a long time.
Weak WiFi signal strength
Ring cameras need a strong signal to transmit video files to your smartphone or tablet. If the signal strength coming from your WiFi network is not the issue, the Ring server network might be the culprit.
Ring cameras perform best with an RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) of 0 to 60. This means that your smart device streaming the footage from the camera should be able to handle the signal strength needed for HD videos.
Reboot Ring camera
Sometimes rebooting your Ring camera can fix night vision issues. It’s relatively easy, but you’ll need to remove it if it is hardwired. You will have to unscrew the unit to access either the button or the power terminals at the back. Follow the steps below to reboot your Ring camera:
- Find the orange button at the back of the camera.
- Press and hold the button for 30 seconds.
- You will see a flashing light on the front side to mean the camera is rebooting.
- Wait about 5 minutes as the device resets, and the flashing light will go off once the reboot is complete.
Ring server problems
Ring cameras and other devices rely on a steady connection to the central server to stream high-quality video to your smart device. Therefore, if there is an issue with the Ring server, your video feed can go dark.
Unfortunately, there isn’t anything users can do about server issues. However, you can check the Ring’s server status to confirm if the servers are down and wait for the Ring’s technical team to resolve the issue.
Ring camera hardware issues
If the servers are okay, you might have a hardware problem. Although Ring cameras can handle the wear and tear that comes with being outside, they can still become defective over time or come with factory defects.
If your Ring camera is still within the warranty period, you can send your Ring camera back to your dealer for a replacement.
Ring privacy zone settings
Another reason your Ring video footage is dark is its privacy features. Ring cameras have a Privacy Zones feature that allows users to exclude areas in the camera’s field-of-view from Live Video or to record such as a neighbor’s door. The Ring camera will blackout these areas on the streaming video.
Open your Ring app, go to privacy settings, and check if someone has set up any Privacy Zones. You can add, delete and even name the Privacy Zones in the privacy settings.
How can I improve my night vision Ring?
Several factors can affect the night vision on your Ring cameras, such as internet speed, dirt on the camera lens, infrared reflection, and battery issues. Try the solutions below to improve the night vision Ring. Check Live View in the app after each step;
- Start the process by testing the speed of your Ring camera.
- Carry your mobile device to the Ring camera you want to improve, open a web browser and go to Bandwidthplace.com
- Click the Start button
- Look at the table under the gauge
- Ring recommends upload and download speeds of around 2 Mbps or greater for their devices.
- If your speeds are lower, try moving your router closer to the Ring camera.
- Signal strength between the Ring camera and router is as important as speed to get better quality streaming.
- Open your Ring app
- Tap on the three lines on the top left of the screen
- Select ”Devices”
- Choose the Ring device you would like to test
- Select the ”Device Health” tab
- Look at your “Signal Strength’ on the Device Health screen under the Network section.
- Clean the Ring camera lens with a slightly damp soft, lint-free cloth for cleaning optics. Dust, dirt, and thumbprints can cause blurry images.
- Reposition your Ring camera so that objects and surfaces are out of view. Metallic objects near the camera can reflect infrared to the camera creating blurry or white spots. If possible, you can move the objects away from the Ring camera.
- Check the batteries often. If the batteries are low, the infrared light may not be as effective, thus affecting the quality of night vision videos. Check the batteries and recharge them.
Why is my Ring camera not working at night?
If your Ring camera is unresponsive or has poor video quality only at night, here are the possible causes and solutions.
Poor internet speed
Slow internet is the most common problem for the poor video quality on night vision mode. Check for your internet speed on your browser and ensure you have a minimum of 2 Mbps of upload and download speed for the best streaming.
Try rebooting your router. If the problem persists, limit the number of devices on the network to increase bandwidth. If internet speed doesn’t improve, contact your internet service provider.
Faulty camera
If there is no image on the Live View or the camera is unresponsive, the camera is likely faulty. The only solution is to replace the Ring camera.
Poor wiring
If you installed your Ring camera recently and the streaming video is glitching or freezing, there are likely wiring issues. Check the Ring camera’s wiring, ensuring the Pro Power Kit installation is correct.
The Pro Power Kit is a device that ensures that enough power reaches your Ring device to function. Here’s how to properly install the Ring Pro Power Kit.
- Turn off power at the breaker box.
- Remove the cover of your internal bell.
- Connect the wire harness to the Pro Power Kit.
- Disconnect the wire labeled “Front.”
- Use wire clips to connect the “Front” wire to the black wire on the wire harness.
- Attach the brown end of the black wire to the “Front” terminal on the bell.
- Disconnect wire labeled “Transformer.”
- Attach the blue end of the white wire to the “Transformer” terminal on your bell.
- Place the Pro Power Kit inside your doorbell away from moving parts.
- Replace the cover on your Ring device, turn on the power at the breaker, and set up the app.
Conclusion
Our troubleshooting guide below should explain why your Ring camera night vision is not working well and all the possible solutions. You can resolve most issues by improving internet speed, rebooting the Ring camera, cleaning the camera lens, adjusting the Ring night vision settings, and correctly wiring the Pro Power Kit. In case none of the tips work, you should contact customer support to resolve the issues.