A Smart Doorbell or Camera like the Ring, lets you view video of who’s at your door. But does the ring record 24/7? And how does video recording work on the Ring Doorbell and Security Camera? In this guide I’m going to break down how recording works, because it’s doesn’t work like a traditional security camera does.
Does a Ring Record 24/7?
No a Ring Doorbell or Security Camera doesn’t record video 24/7. Instead these “smart” doorbells, will only start recording when an event is detected. The Ring isn’t recording all the time but will active on motion.
When something enters the cameras field of view, the Ring device will start recording video. This could be a Person, Animal (like a cat or dog) or a Car. You’ll receive a notification (that can be customised) when an event occurs.
You can also view Live Video from your doorbell 24/7. This video is streamed directly to your phone and isn’t recorded.
How Long Does a Ring Doorbell or Security Camera Record For?
The default setting on Ring Devices is 20 second. This is long enough for most events, but you can choose to record length that is longer. You can find out how to adjust the Ring recording length here.
Why Doesn’t the Ring Record 24/7?
There are two main reasons why a Ring Doorbell or Security Camera only records in short bursts:
- Battery Life – Ring devices can be hard wired or powered by batteries. If a Ring was recording 24/7 the batteries would need recharging every day.
- Video Storage – Video takes up a lot of storage space. This would need to be stored on device or in the cloud and would end up costing quite a lot. Streaming this video to the cloud would also use a lot of bandwidth and potentially slow down your internet.
For most users, having 24/7 recording is just not needed. For a doorbell or home security cam, being able to see when people arrive or when a package is dropped off is more than enough.
How Long Do Ring Doorbells Record For?
Ring Doorbells can record from 15 seconds to 120 seconds. This setting can be changed. The longer the recording length the faster it will drain your Ring’s battery. I’ve found that 30 seconds seems to work well for most things.
Do You Need a Ring Subscription to View Recordings
Yes. To view past recordings of events, you will need a Ring Subscription. If you don’t have a subscription you’ll still be able to view live video and get notifications when motion is detected. So while a Ring doorbell isn’t useless without a subscription it won’t get all the features.
Will Ring Ever Offer Continuous Recording?
While they have hinted in the past that this is coming, I wouldn’t be surprised if we never see this from Ring. For most home users, having large amounts of recorded video isn’t a must have feature.
Smart Doorbells and Cameras with 24/7 Recording in Australia
The Wired Nest Video camera, which is now available in Australia does have 24/7 recording, although you will need to pay for the most expensive Nest Aware Subscription to get access.
The Eufy Cameras also can record 24/7 video if you add an SD card to them. The great thing about the Eufy cameras is they don’t require any ongoing subscriptions.
