Important: Make sure your Ring app is updated to the latest version and follow the instructions at the bottom of this page to see if the deactivate feature is available to you. Please read all of the instructions BEFORE deactivating your device to prevent losing access to controls in the Ring app.
Deactivating a Ring doorbell or security camera means that you’re allowing a transfer of ownership, so the device can be used by someone else, but you can retain access to your Events and videos (if you have a Ring Protect Plan).
Events appear in your Event History Timeline as a log when you answer your doorbell, use Live View or when your device detects motion, etc.. When you have Ring Protect subscription, your Events are recorded as videos and video recordings are stored in the cloud according to your individual plan’s retention period (eg. up to 180 days in the US).
Examples of Events
Important
- Deactivating a device and removing a device are two different actions.
- Deactivating a device, will allow you retain your videos.
- Removing a device from your Ring account will cause you to immediately lose access to videos.
A Ring device cannot be transferred to another owner until the device has been deactivated or removed from the Ring app. You cannot deactivate or remove a Ring device via your account on ring.com, you must use the Ring app.
What to Know About Device Deactivation
- Only the owner of a Ring device can deactivate it.
- You won’t be able to control or change any of the device settings after your device is deactivated.
- Your videos are stored in the cloud only with a Ring Protect Plan, and the storage time may vary based on your Video Storage Time settings. For example in the U.S., video are stored in the cloud by default for 60 days (up to 180 days).
- Example: If a video was recorded March 1 and the Video Storage Time is set to 60 days, then the video will expire and delete on April 30.
- If a video was recorded March 1 and the Video Storage Time is set to 60 days, then the device was deactivated on April 1, the video would still expire and deleted on April 30.
- Each video has its own storage time period, based on when it was recorded.
- The Video Storage Time is based on the day the video was recorded, not the day the device was deactivated.
- If you want to change your Video Storage Time, adjust your settings in the Ring app BEFORE you deactivate your device.
- After you have deactivated your device, once your videos and Events have expired, the Ring Video Doorbell or Security Camera will be no longer appear in your Ring account or the Ring app.
- You can bulk download videos until they expire if you log in to your account via Ring.com. You can download videos individually in the Ring app.
- Shared Users can also download videos before they’ve expired according to your subscription plan’s retention period.
How to Deactivate a Ring Doorbell or Security Camera
Important: Please read What to Know About Device Deactivation (above), BEFORE deactivating your device and losing access to controls in the Ring app.
In the Ring app:
- Tap the three lines on the top left
- Tap Device
- Tap Device Settings
- Tap the General Settings tile
- You may need to scroll up to see it
- Tap Deactivate Device
- Tap Keep Events — which includes videos
- Tap Got It! to complete the process.
