Understanding why you can't hear your doorbell ring inside your home

If your doorbell is functioning but you can’t hear it inside your home, there are several possible reasons why you can’t hear it. Depending on the cause, the problem may be easy to fix. Simply determine which situation describes your circumstances to find the best solution.

Identify your doorbell power source 

First, you’ll need to identify whether your Ring Video Doorbell is battery powered or hardwired.

  • A 100% battery-powered doorbell will be audible outside of your home, but will not ring your internal chime kit
  • A doorbell that’s hardwired should ring your internal doorbell if it:
    • Has adequate power from the transformer
    • Is wired properly (see links to wiring diagrams below)
    • Is set up in the Ring app and is connected to the appropriate chime type:  
      • Mechanical chime - has traditional short
        ding-dong
        sound
      • Digital chime -  has longer, more melodic sound 
    • Is using a compatible chime kit (see chime kit compatibility below)

Note: The one exception is the Ring Video Doorbell Wired, which is wired but requires a Ring Chime, Ring Chime Pro or Amazon Echo/Alexa device in order to have an audible internal ring.

Battery-powered Ring Video Doorbells

A Ring doorbell that’s 100% battery powered will be audible outside your home, but not inside. A battery-powered doorbell may include a battery that’s not visible, such as Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Generation) or it may have a completely removable battery. such as Ring Video Doorbell 4.

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 for 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 in order to hear a chime inside your home.

Ring Chime is a plug-in accessory that can be used to hear your doorbell inside your home.

Ring Chime Pro is a combination wifi extender and internal chime.

Both Ring 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.

Hardwired Ring Video Doorbells

Hardwiring your Ring doorbell means your it is attached to your home power supply by internal wires. A hardwired doorbell may have an internal battery pack that you can’t see such as Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Generation) or it may be completely wired without a battery pack at all, such as Ring 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
  • Cold weather is affecting your doorbell performance
  • Your doorbell battery is not fully charged
    • Battery-powered ring doorbells run primarily off the battery and 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 replacing
    • 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 (see chime kit compatibility below)

How to reconnect to wifi

  1. Open your Ring app
  2. Tap the menu ☰
  3. Tap
    Devices
  4. Tap the doorbell you want to check/reconnect
  5. Tap
    Device Health
  6. Tap
    Change Network
  7. Tap
    Reconnect
  8. Tap
    Continue
    and follow the prompts in the app
  9. Once your device is reconnected to wifi (which can take up to 30 minutes), check your
    in
    Device Health
    under
    Network

Wiring diagrams

Ring has wiring diagrams for many different doorbell and internal chime kit configurations.

Find the wiring diagram you need for your home chime(s).

How to check your battery level

Batteries that are included with new Ring doorbells are partially charged because there are legal requirements about shipping lithium batteries. Your new doorbell comes with enough charge to set it up, but full battery charging can take 5 to 10 hours depending on whether the USB cable is plugged into a USB port or a wall outlet. If you have attempted multiple set ups and failed, you may have drained the battery. In that case, it's best to fully charge the battery and start again at a later time.

To check the charge of your Ring device battery:

  1. Open the Ring app
  2. Tap the menu ☰
  3. Tap
    Devices
  4. Tap the doorbell you want to check
  5. Tap the
    Device Health
    tile
  6. Check
    Battery Level
    percentage.
    • Your battery will not show the new charged percentage until after you reinstall it.

Chime kit compatibility

Ring doorbells are compatible with many different chime kits. Find a complete list of compatible chimes for your Ring doorbell.

Note: Ring Video Doorbell Wired is compatible with Ring Chime and Ring Chime Pro only.

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.

Troubleshoot insufficient power issues with your Ring Video Doorbell Pro.

Important: The one exception is the Ring Video Doorbell Wired. 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 from the Ring app and from your Alexa device if you have the Ring Skill connected. 

Last updated 9 months ago
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