Ring Alarm (1st Generation) Keypad mounted to a wall inside a home.

Troubleshooting Contact Sensor (1st Gen)

Get tips on how to fix your Ring Alarm Contact Sensor (1st Generation) by reconnecting it, removing the device, performing a factory reset and more.

Contact Sensor (1st Generation)

Reconnecting your Ring Alarm Contact Sensor (1st Generation)

If your Contact Sensor (1st Generation) is losing or has an unstable connection, you can try moving it closer to the Alarm Base Station or add a Range Extender between the Contact Sensor and Base Station. If you’re still experiencing connectivity issues:

  1. Remove the cover from the device, and remove the battery.
  2. Wait a few seconds and then reinsert the battery.
    • One LED light flash:
      Contact Sensor is in-network.
    • Three LED light blinks:
      Contact Sensor is out of network.
    • Nothing happens:
      Replacing the battery with a new one.

Removing your Ring Alarm Contact Sensor (1st Generation)

To remove the Contact Sensor:

  1. Open the Ring app.
  2. Tap the
    menu (☰).
  3. Tap
    Devices
    .
  4. Tap
    Contact Sensor 1st Gen
    in the Contact Sensor section.
  5. Tap the
    Device Settings
    tile.
  6. Tap
    Remove Device
    at the bottom of the screen.
  7. Confirm device removal by tapping
    Remove Device
    on the next screen.
  8. Tap
    Got it
    once your Contact Sensor is successfully removed.

The Ring app will let you know the device was removed. You should leave the battery out until you are ready to reconnect your Contact Sensor (1st Generation) to your Base Station.

Ring Alarm Contact Sensor (1st Generation) still won't connect or adds as a Binary Sensor

To stop the Contact Sensor from adding as a Binary Sensor:

  1. Remove the cover from the device.
  2. Remove the battery from the device.
  3. Open the Ring app.
  4. Tap the
    menu (☰).
  5. Tap
    Devices
    .
  6. Tap
    Contact Sensor 1st Gen
    in the Contact Sensor section.
  7. Tap the
    Device Settings
    tile.
  8. Tap
    Advanced Options.
  9. Tap
    Z-Wave
    , then tap
    Remove Z-Wave Device
    .
  10. Tap
    Remove
    and the app will say “Removing device, listening for device to remove.”
  11. Insert the battery into the device. The device should be removed successfully and you may now set up the device.

If this still doesn’t work, you may need to factory reset the Contact Sensor.

Factory resetting your Ring Alarm Contact Sensor (1st Generation)

If you've tried all of the above steps and you're still having difficulty with your Contact Sensor, you can try to factory reset the device.

  1. Remove the cover from the device.
  2. Remove the battery from the device.
  3. Press and hold the tamper button (found near the antenna).
  4. Insert the battery while holding the tamper button. The LED light will flash. Hold the button until the LED light stops flashing, OR until you see a solid LED light.
  5. Put the cover back on the device.

If you have tried all of these steps and it still doesn’t work, review best practices for Ring Alarm Contact Sensor setup and use. We also recommend reaching out to our support team for assistance.

Last updated 3 months ago