A homeowner on a ladder installing their Spotlight Cam Plus Battery on a side of their home.

Installing Spotlight Cam (1st Gen), Battery

Follow the steps below to help you prepare and mount your Spotlight Cam (1st Gen) for Battery use.

Step One - Charge the Battery

Before installing your Spotlight Cam, the included battery needs to be charged by using the included orange USB cable. Please note that the amount of time it takes for the battery to charge will vary depending on whether the USB cable is plugged into a wall outlet or a USB port in a computer or other device.

Note: Both the red and green lights on top of the battery will illuminate while charging, but only the green light will be lit once fully charged.

Step Two - Insert the Battery

Follow these steps to insert the battery into your Spotlight Cam:

  • Press the white button to open the battery compartment on your Spotlight Cam.
  • Push the battery into the compartment until it clicks into place.
  • Firmly close the battery compartment door
  • Note:
    It may take a bit of pressure to completely close the compartment door. Be sure to push on it until you hear the click that indicates the compartment is closed.

You will only need one battery for your Spotlight Cam to work properly. If you want extended battery life though, or want to avoid down time while charging the battery, a second battery is available for purchase.

Step Three - Set up Your Spotlight Cam in the Ring app.

Before physically installing your Spotlight Cam, it's important to set it up in your Ring App.

Tap here to learn how to do the in-app setup.

Step Four - Select Your Location to Install Your Spotlight Cam

Select a location to install your Spotlight Cam. It's important when selecting a location to remember that Spotlight Cam is designed to be placed at an optimum height of nine feet with the motion detector parallel to the ground. This will put the motion sensor in a perfect position to detect human-sized objects at up to 30 feet.

Step Five - Identify a Mounting Plate Orientation

Spotlight Cam comes with a mounting plate that, depending on its orientation, allows you to mount it on a wall or under an overhang. To mount Spotlight Cam on a wall, insert the mounting plate with the ball socket pointing down. To mount on an overhang, insert the mounting plate with the ball socket pointing up.

If you need to change the direction of your mounting plate:

  • Press the button on the back of the unit to open the battery compartment.
  • Remove the security screw and weather seal.
  • Press the release button and slide the mounting plate out.
  • Insert the mounting plate in the direction you want.
  • Tighten the security screw.
  • Insert the weather seal in the unused hole.

Step Six - Install the mounting bracket

Note that the "arm" of the mounting bracket can face either up or down, so experiment until you find what you like best. Use the bracket to mark your holes.

If installing on a masonry surface like stucco or brick, use the provided drill bit to make your holes, then insert wall anchors before installing the screws. If installing on a wood surface, use the install screws to screw the mounting bracket directly into your wall.

Step Seven - Mount the Spotlight Cam

After installing your bracket, remove the security screw and push the ball on the back of Spotlight Cam into the socket until it pops into place. Position the camera with the motion detector parallel to the ground.

Step Eight - Position the camera

Using the live feed on your phone, position Spotlight Cam to your desired view. Once you are happy, tighten the security screw on the right side to fix Spotlight Cam in position.

Last updated 4 months ago