Understanding adaptive video play

Learn about adaptive video play, a feature of your Ring app programmed to prioritise continuous playback at the expense of quality.

How it works

Rather than leave you hanging while your system's high-quality video buffering catches up, Adaptive video play transmits a lower quality video image in the interim. When the higher quality video image is loaded, your image will seamlessly switch over to a higher resolution.

Adaptive video play is necessary because loading times for videos can vary based on your available bandwidth.

Things to check

Wifi connection and speed 

Speed is important for high quality video playback on your Ring app timeline. If you have a Ring device that's supposed to transmit video at 1080p, but occasionally shows an entire video in 720p, that's the adaptive video play system in action.

Things to try

Find a better cellular signal or improve your wifi

You might be in an area where a poor connection is keeping the high-quality video from catching up. It's important to note that even if an entire video displays in 720p, the higher quality video is continuing to download and will be available on playback.

There are no user-accessible controls for the adaptive video play system. However, you can avoid the low-quality video experience by moving to an area with a better cellular signal or by improving your wifi performance.