Ring Doorbell Video Too Dark: How To Fix It

Last updated on October 26th, 2023 at 02:07 am

Is your Ring doorbell video too dark at night? I know the frustration.

Last year, I installed a brand new Ring doorbell at my front entrance. At first, the night vision worked flawlessly.

But after a few months, the video feed after dark became completely useless – grainy, dim and unclear.

I depended on that camera to see visitors and watch my porch at night. But suddenly I couldn’t make out anything through the app after sunset!

I was so disappointed that my fancy new security system failed me when I needed it most.

In this post, I promise to walk you through exactly how to troubleshoot and fix Ring doorbell night vision issues, using the methods that restored perfect night video for my camera.

Let’s get start.

Why Your Ring Doorbell Video Too Dark

To understand why your Ring doorbell may be producing dark or black and white IR video at night, it helps to first understand how night vision works on these devices.

The key component that allows Ring doorbells to see in low light conditions are the infrared LEDs around the camera lens.

These infrared illumination lights are invisible to the naked eye, but allow the camera sensor to pick up shapes, movement, and objects even in total darkness through infrared radiation.

The number of infrared LEDs and their placement varies between Ring doorbell models, but they work the same way.

The IR LEDs automatically turn on when an ambient light sensor in your Ring doorbell detects that darkness has fallen.

This switch from normal color video to monochrome night vision footage happens seamlessly in the evening hours.

So why does the night vision video turn out dark or fail in some cases? There are a few common culprits:

• The ambient light sensor is not correctly calibrated, causing the IR LEDs to activate at the wrong time or not at all. This can result in grainy or switched footage.
• The infrared LEDs have debris or obstruction in front of the lenses, preventing the infrared illumination from working properly.
• Issues with the camera sensor itself, resulting in poor quality footage.
• Extremely low light conditions beyond the night vision capability and IR LED strength of that particular Ring model.
• Defective hardware related to the IR LEDs, ambient light sensor, or other components.

Understanding what can go wrong with the night vision features will help you pinpoint solutions.

Next we’ll go over some settings adjustments and troubleshooting tips to improve your Ring doorbell’s performance in the dark.

Optimizing Your Ring Doorbell’s Night Vision Capabilities

While hardware failures may require replacement, there are also some tweaks you can make to the settings for your Ring doorbell to optimize its night vision capabilities:

Adjusting Night Vision Activation Time

In the Ring app, you can configure at what ambient light level the device will switch into night vision mode.

This setting is labeled “Dusk to Dawn” or “Darkness Detection” depending on your model.

Ideally, you’ll want the Ring to activate its infrared LEDs as early as possible while still retaining color video in low light.

This gives you the maximum useful brightness and range.

Try setting the slider early, at around 30 minutes before sunset. Observe the video over a few evenings to see if color video remains usable until true darkness falls.

If the video becomes monochrome too early, push the slider later in small increments until you find the sweet spot.

Setting Adjustable Motion Zones

Your Ring device uses motion detection to know when to start recording. The area that is monitored for motion can be tweaked in the app.

By limiting the motion detection range to only the most important zones, you can improve performance.

This focusing of the sensor reduces false alerts and captured irrelevant footage.

Set the motion zones to cover only walkways, doors, and other areas you want to actively monitor after dark.

Limit them to 3-5 ft from the camera. This tighter coverage allows the infrared LEDs to work most efficiently.

Tweaking Motion Detection Sensitivity

In addition to setting the monitored area for motion, you can also adjust the sensitivity of the motion detector.

This controls how much movement is required to trigger a video recording.

If set too high, the Ring will capture tons of clips from insignificant motion like branches blowing. Too low, and you risk missing events entirely.

Experiment with the motion sensitivity slider during the daytime to find the right balance for your location.

This ensures the night vision works reliably for true motion events instead of wasting effort on false triggers.

Quick Fixes for Improving Night Vision Video

Before diving into recalibration and advanced troubleshooting, there are a few basic steps you can try to quickly improve your Ring doorbell’s night vision:

Checking the Camera Lens and LEDs

Examine the camera lens and surrounding LED lights for any dirt, debris, spiderwebs or other obstructions that could be interfering with the infrared illumination.

Use a soft, clean cloth to gently wipe down the surface around the camera to remove anything blocking the lights. A single stray hair across the lens can degrade the video quality.

Cleaning Debris from LEDs with Cloth

Use a can of compressed air to clear any dust or particles from the infrared LED fixtures.

You can also use a toothpick or cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to gently clean the LED lenses themselves.

Just be very careful not to apply pressure or scratch the fixtures.

Toggle Night Vision On/Off to Reset

In the Ring app, you can manually turn night vision on and off at any time. Sometimes toggling this setting off and then on again can essentially reboot the IR LEDs and reset any glitches.

Give this a try after cleaning the lenses. Often a quick reset restores normal night vision behavior.

Re-Positioning or Angling the Doorbell

If certain areas in the camera’s field of view are consistently darker than others on the night vision footage, the issue may be the location and angle of your Ring device.

Suboptimal positioning can result in certain zones being outside the ideal illumination range of the IR LEDs.

Try shifting the doorbell left/right or adjusting the angle up/down to cast the infrared light more evenly across the entire area you want to monitor after dark.

Re-Calibrating the Light Sensors

If you’ve tried the quick fixes with no improvement to the night vision performance of your Ring doorbell, the next step is recalibrating the light sensors:

Using the Ring App to Recalibrate

In the app settings, you’ll find a calibration tool that forces your device to re-measure current ambient light levels and re-set its thresholds for switching to monochrome night vision mode.

Follow the on-screen prompts to initiate the recalibration sequence. Then test the camera through sunrise, daylight, sunset, and nighttime to confirm it is accurately detecting light conditions and triggering the IR LEDs only in full darkness.

Troubleshooting Inconsistent Performance

If recalibrating initially seems to resolve the issue but problems return, there may be an underlying hardware defect throwing off the light measurements intermittently.

Pay close attention to when exactly the poor night vision occurs after recalibrating, and capture debug data to share with Ring support. They can check the logs to determine if the unit is faulty.

When You Need Professional Help

While the settings tweaks and troubleshooting steps mentioned can resolve many night vision issues, there are times when you’ll need to involve professional support or replacement of the Ring device:

Signs of Hardware Malfunctions or Defects

• Persistent faulty light measurements and corresponding video switching after multiple calibrations
• Visibly damaged or cracked IR LED fixtures
• Doorbell unit feels excessively hot, indicating electronics failure

Damaged Infrared LEDs

If the IR LED fixtures are physically cracked or have visible corrosion, they may need replacement. The coverage and illumination intensity of night vision will be degraded.

Faulty Ambient Light Sensor

An ambient light sensor that no longer readings current light conditions accurately can’t properly switch the unit between day video and night vision. Erratic changes between modes indicate a defective light sensor.

In these cases of hardware damage or malfunction, contact Ring support. They can run diagnostics on your doorbell, arrange a replacement if covered by warranty, or provide instructions for repair.

For optimal security and performance, it’s worth investing in a fully functional Ring doorbell with pristine night vision capabilities.

FAQs

Can You Adjust The Brightness On A Ring Doorbell?

The short answer is yes, you can adjust brightness on Ring doorbells, but the way you do it depends on the specific model. Here’s a quick rundown:

• For battery-powered Ring doorbells like the Ring 4, you can’t directly change the brightness. But you can turn off night vision to force the camera to stay in color daytime mode at night. Just toggle night vision off in the Ring app.
• For wired Ring doorbells and cameras, you’ll find a brightness setting in the device settings within the Ring app. Adjust the slider up or down until you get the desired image brightness.
• On certain spotlight cam models, go to Light Settings to pick from Low, Medium, and High brightness levels.

The key is checking your specific Ring device in the app and finding any brightness controls available.

Just remember that boosting the brightness may impact battery life if your doorbell is battery powered. But a small bump can help compensate for a dark mounting area.

How Do I Make My Ring Doorbell Video Clearer?

A few quick tips for making your Ring doorbell video clearer:

• Wipe down the camera lens gently with a microfiber cloth to remove any dust, dirt or debris that could cause blurry footage.
• Adjust the motion zones in the Ring app so detection happens only in the areas you want to monitor. This prevents false alerts.
• Make sure night vision is toggling on reliably after sunset. Clean the IR LEDs around the camera if needed.
• Improve WiFi strength near the doorbell if video is pixelated. Move the router closer, add an extender, or replace antennas.
• Turn off the “Enhanced Neighborhood” feature if you notice quality drops. This can strain the camera’s resources.
• Check that your Ring Protect subscription plan provides optimal video resolution for the specific camera model. Upgrade if needed.

Follow those tips and your Ring videos should come through nice and clear! Let us know if problems persist.

Can You Adjust Night Vision On Ring Doorbell?

Yes, the night vision capabilities on Ring doorbells are adjustable, primarily by changing when night vision activates and tweaking the motion detection settings.

In the Ring app, go to night vision settings and adjust the “Darkness Detection” threshold slider. This controls at what ambient light level night vision will turn on.

You can also set motion zones and detection sensitivity to reduce bogus alerts at night. This lets the IR LEDs concentrate on the most important areas.

If certain zones are too dark, try repositioning the doorbell so the night vision covers the area more evenly. And toggle night vision off/on to reset it if needed.

Those are the main ways to optimize night vision performance on Ring doorbell cams for clearer footage after dark. Let the light sensors and smart IR LEDs do their job!

Why Are My Ring Camera Lights Dim?

A few common reasons your Ring camera’s lights may appear dim include:

• Dirt or debris covering the LED lenses. Wipe them clean with a soft cloth.
• Weak batteries in a battery-powered Ring doorbell model. Try swapping in freshly charged batteries.
• The camera is mounted too far from the area you want to illuminate. Move it closer.
• You have the brightness set low. Adjust to Medium or High in the Ring app.
• A hardware issue like a defective or broken LED. Contact Ring Support if cleaning doesn’t help.
• Extremely cold temperatures can hamper the LEDs. Keep the camera area above -20°F if possible.

Check those potential causes if your Ring lights seem dim. With battery power or cold weather, the LED brightness can definitely be impacted.

A good cleaning and adjusting settings is your best first step.

How Do I Change The Dark Mode On My Ring App?

The Ring app should automatically match your device’s system-wide dark mode setting by default. But you can manually override it:

On iOS:

• Go to the Ring app’s Settings > App Theme
• Choose Light or Dark

On Android:

• Tap the 3-line menu icon
• Select App Settings > Dark Theme
• Toggle on or off

So on both iOS and Android, simply head into the Ring app’s settings to find the appearance/theme options for enabling or disabling dark mode. Match it to your preferences.

The rest of your device UI mode doesn’t need to match for Ring. You can set light or dark independently if you want to use the opposite scheme just for the Ring app. Enjoy!

How Do I Fix My Ring Camera Light?

Here are some tips for fixing an unresponsive or malfunctioning light on your Ring camera:

• If the light won’t turn on, make sure night vision is enabled in the Ring app and it’s dark enough to trigger it.
• Clean the LED lenses gently with a dry cloth in case dirt or debris is blocking them.
• For battery-powered Rings, try swapping in a fresh set of batteries.
• Turn the camera off and then back on using the power button or by removing the batteries.
• Use the Reset option in the Ring app’s Device Health section if needed.
• Make sure the light wiring, if your camera is wired, is still intact and connected.
• Contact Ring Support if you still can’t get the lights working after those steps. A hardware issue may require replacement.

Taking a methodical troubleshooting approach should help breathe life back into those Ring camera lights.

Let us know if the problem persists after cleaning and resetting.

Why Is My Ring Chime Not Glowing?

A few reasons why your Ring Chime might not be glowing:

• Dirt or dust accumulated on the LED indicator. Wipe it gently with a dry cloth.
• The chime is in a brightly lit room overwhelming the LED. Move it somewhere darker.
• The WiFi connection to the doorbell camera is very weak. Improve Wi-Fi strength.
• The LED bulb itself is burned out. This requires replacing the chime module.
• A hardware defect causing LED issues. Contact Ring for a warranty replacement.
• The motion or ding settings are disabled in the Ring app. Re-enable them.
• The chime is defective and needs to be replaced.

Try cleaning the LED, adjusting settings and placement first. But if the glow persists, the hardware itself likely needs to be swapped out. Let Ring Support diagnose the issue further.

Why Can’t I See My Ring Doorbell At Night?

If your Ring Doorbell camera’s live view goes totally dark at night, a few possible causes:

• The night vision mode failed to activate. Try cleaning the IR LEDs and toggle night vision off/on.
• The camera is angled in a way that the IR lights don’t illuminate the whole area. Reposition the doorbell.
• Extremely cold temperatures can impair the IR LEDs. Keep the area reasonably warm.
• Defective or damaged hardware related to night vision. You’ll need a replacement.
• WiFi connection issues between the doorbell and your phone/network at night. Improve WiFi coverage.
• Your phone’s camera can’t pick up the IR light. Use another device to view the feed.

So inspect the night vision LEDs, positioning, and WiFi first. But if those don’t reveal the cause, time for a warranty swap to restore 24/7 visibility!

Does Ring Camera Always Light Up?

No, the lights and LEDs on Ring cameras won’t necessarily be on all the time. Here’s when they typically activate:

• The infrared night vision LEDs only light up when it’s dark enough outside to trigger night vision mode.
• The white spotlight LEDs turn on based on motion events or manually via the Ring app.
• The colored status ring will glow when the camera is first connecting during setup.
• On battery models, the lights stay off to conserve power unless night vision or the spotlights are needed.

So in general, the Ring cameras try to keep their LED lights off as much as possible, only turning them on when necessary to preserve battery and avoid overloading the video. The lights won’t be constantly on.

How Can I Improve My Ring Camera?

Some easy ways to improve your Ring camera:

• Adjust the motion settings to reduce false alerts. Tweak the zones and detection sensitivity.
• Add a solar panel to keep a battery-powered model charged.
• Use the security mounting screws Ring provides to properly angle and secure the camera.
• Make sure the WiFi signal strength is good in the camera’s location. Add a range extender if needed.
• Enable 2-factor authentication and strong password protection for the Ring account.
• Upgrade to a Ring Protect Plus subscription for professional monitoring.
• Set up smart lighting automations to trigger the camera lights.
• Clean the camera lens regularly with a microfiber cloth to maintain video clarity.

Those tips really optimize Ring camera performance, security, and convenience! Let me know if any other questions come up.

How Do I Change From Dark Mode?

If you want to switch the display on your Ring app from dark mode to light mode, simply:

• Open the Ring app and tap the hamburger menu icon ☰
• Choose App Settings
• Select “Dark Theme”
• Toggle the switch to OFF or uncheck the box, depending on your device.

This will instantly change the Ring app from dark mode to light mode. The menu icons may shift places, but it just flips the color scheme.

You can always go back and enable dark mode again in the future. The Ring app makes it easy to switch back and forth based on your preference at the moment.

Give light mode a shot if you want a cleaner, brighter look!

Conclusion

Having footage turn dark and grainy as soon as the sun goes down is incredibly frustrating when relying on your Ring doorbell for security and awareness.

Hopefully this guide provided some techniques to breathe new life into your Ring’s night vision capabilities.

Some common fixes include adjusting motion detection settings, cleaning the IR LEDs, recalibrating light sensors, and optimizing placement.

For hardware defects, replacement may be necessary. Proper night vision is a make-or-break feature for any video doorbell.

Now you can confidently troubleshoot and resolve any dark footage issues that arise with your Ring device.

Just remember the tips in this article to keep your outdoor camera delivering crystal clear, well-lit video 24/7.

As always, contact us with any questions about optimizing your Ring doorbell or other security devices to protect your property around the clock. Stay safe out there!