Understanding Why You Can't Hear an Internal Chime
If your doorbell is functioning but you can’t hear your internal chime, there are several possible reasons. The article below will outline these reasons. Simply determine which situation describes your circumstances to find the best solution.
Identifying your doorbell power source
First, you’ll need to identify if your smart doorbell is battery powered or hardwired. Some general rules about Ring doorbells are:
- A 100% battery powered doorbell will be audible outside of your home, but will not ring your internal chime kit.
- A Ring doorbell that’s hardwired should ring your internal doorbell if it:
- Has adequate power from the transformer
- Is wired properly
- Links to wiring diagrams below
- Is set up in the Ring app and is connected to the appropriate chime type:
- mechanical chime - has traditional shortding-dongsound
- digital chime - has longer, more melodic sound
- Is using a compatible chime kit
- Compatible chime kit links are below categorized by doorbell-type.
Please note that the one exception is the Ring Video Doorbell Wired (2021 release) which is wired but requires a Ring Chime, Ring Chime Pro or Amazon Echo/Alexa device in order to have an audible internal ring.
For battery powered Ring Doorbells
A Ring doorbell that’s 100% battery powered will be audible outside of your home, but you will not hear a chime inside. A battery-powered doorbell may include a battery that’s not visible, such as the Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Generation) or it may have a completely removable battery such as in the Ring Video Doorbell 3.
Doorbells that are battery-powered, but hardwired to your home power supply, get a trickle charge from the power supply. They’re primarily running off the battery, which is why they may need to be charged from time to time. The same is true about solar chargers for Ring doorbells. The doorbell will use the battery as its main source of power and get a trickle charge from the solar charger.
If it’s not an option to hardwire the doorbell, you can purchase a Ring Chime or Ring Chime Pro.
The Ring Chime is a plug in accessory that can be used to hear your doorbell inside your home.
The Ring Chime Pro is a combination wifi extender and internal chime.
Both the Chime and Chime Pro will need to be set up in your Ring app and you’ll be able to connect either one to your doorbell.
For hardwired Ring Doorbells
Hardwired means your smart doorbell is attached to your doorbell's power supply by internal wires. A hardwired doorbell may have an internal battery pack such as in the Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Generation) or it may be completely wired without a battery pack at all, such as a Video Doorbell Pro. If your doorbell has an internal battery and is hardwired, it’s primarily running off the battery and getting a trickle charge from your home power supply.
If you have a Ring doorbell that’s hardwired to your home wiring, and you can’t hear the doorbell inside, there are a few potential reasons:
- You haven’t set up your doorbell in the Ring app.
- Your doorbell is disconnected from wifi.
- See instructions below on how to reconnect to wifi.
- Your doorbell is not wired properly.
- If you have just set up your doorbell and it has never activated your internal Chime kit,
- Cold weather is affecting your doorbell performance.
- Your doorbell battery is not fully charged.
- Battery-powered ring doorbells run primarily off the battery, the hardwiring provides a trickle charge, not a full continuous charge.
- Likewise, solar chargers provide a trickle charge, not full continuous power to your battery-operated device.
- Your doorbell transformer may be worn out and needs replacement.
- A licensed electrician can help you determine if your transformer needs to be replaced.
- You have an internal chime that’s not compatible with a Ring doorbell.
- Check the list below to see compatible Chime Kits for your particular Ring smart doorbell.
Check if your doorbell is wired correctly: Wiring Diagrams
Ring has wiring diagrams for many different doorbell and internal chime kit configurations.
To find the wiring diagram you need for your home chime(s), click here.
Check your Chime Kit compatibility
Ring doorbells are compatible with many different chime kits. To see a complete list of compatible chimes, please select the model of doorbell that you have below:
Issues with Hardwired Doorbells without batteries
Hardwired doorbells without battery packs operate completely from your home power source. If you can’t hear your doorbell inside your house and your doorbell is hardwired, it’s most likely a wiring or power issue if you have set up the device in the Ring app.
If you have a Ring Video Doorbell Pro, you can troubleshoot insufficient power issues here.
Please note that the one exception to this is the Ring Video Doorbell Wired (2021). If you have this doorbell, even though it’s hardwired, you won’t hear your internal doorbell ring unless you connect a Ring Chime or Ring Chime Pro.
You will still get notifications from your Ring Video Doorbell Wired (2021 release) from the Ring app, and from your Alexa device if you have the Ring Skill connected.
More information on Ring Video Doorbell Wired.