Camera Previews Information

This article answers the most frequently asked questions concerning Camera Previews.

What are Camera Previews?
Camera Previews are still images you'll see when you first open up the Ring app. Each is labeled with the time since it was taken and which camera took the image. These images give you a view of conditions within sight of your camera.

How do Camera Previews work?
Each time you open up your Ring app, you'll be able to see a recent image from all of your Ring cameras.

These are still images sent from the camera. If you tap on the History tile at the top of the Dashboard screen in the Ring app you’ll see your recordings from all of your devices if you have a Ring Protect Plan.
To learn how to get the Ring Protect Plan and see your videos in your Ring app, click here.

What do I do if I see something that requires my attention?
Simply tap on an image and you'll be taken to the Event Timeline for that device, where you can view Live View or history if you have recording enabled.

What does the “...” button on each Camera Preview do?
You can tap the “...” button to quickly access features for your chosen device including:

  • Motion Snooze.
  • Lights on/off.
  • Device Settings.

Will previews reduce battery life for my Ring devices?
Camera Previews do not have a noticeable impact on battery life.

Will Camera Previews drive up my mobile data usage?
Given that Camera Previews show images, not video, data usage is minor.

Some of the camera previews seem to take longer to load than others. Why is this?
Cameras that have a constant power source such as the Ring Doorbell Pro and the Ring Floodlight Cam will generate camera images quickly because they are constantly checking to see if the app has requested a new image. Battery-operated devices such as the Ring Video Doorbell or the Spotlight Cam Battery will wait for a request from the app to generate an image. This is to help save on battery life.

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