Troubleshooting Ring Alarm Outdoor Contact Sensor (2nd Gen)

Follow these steps to help resolve issues with your Ring Alarm Outdoor Contact Sensor (2nd Gen).

See troubleshooting tips for tampered Contact Sensors

For all Outdoor Contact Sensor troubleshooting steps, make sure your sensor is within three to five feet of the Base Station.

The light patterns on your Outdoor Contact Sensor will help you identify if it’s working well, or if there’s something wrong. The LED indicator on your Outdoor Contact Sensor might:

• Blink green three times

  when it is ready to connect to the network.
• Blink green one time

  when it is connected and communicating with your Base Station.
• Blink red one time

  when it is unable to communicate with the Base Station.

Ring Alarm Outdoor Contact Sensor (2nd Gen) won’t connect

Try these steps, one at a time, and see if any of them resolve the issue before moving on to the next step. If the light flashes green one time, it is back online and working.

• Move the Contact Sensor closer to the Alarm or Alarm Pro Base Station.
• Add a

  Range Extender

  between the Contact Sensor and the Base Station. The Range Extender helps extend and expand the Base Station’s Z-Wave network, allowing for greater range and signal strength for all compatible devices at your location.
• Remove the back cover, remove all batteries, wait a few seconds, then reinsert them.
• If nothing works and there is no light on the Outdoor Contact Sensor, try replacing the batteries with new ones.

If your Contact Sensor isn’t working or being recognized by your Ring Alarm and the battery power is sufficient, you may have to adjust the position of the magnet and sensor. Move the sensor closer to the magnet or in a more optimal alignment. View tips for installing a Contact Sensor.

Removing your Ring Alarm Outdoor Contact Sensor (2nd Gen)

To remove the Outdoor Contact Sensor:

1. Remove the battery from

   Outdoor Contact Sensor.

2. Open the Ring app to the main dashboard.

3. Tap the Alarm shortcut tile.

4. Tap your Ring Alarm or Ring Alarm Pro

   Base Station

   .

5. Tap the Device Settings tile.

6. Tap

   Advanced Options

   .
7. Tap

   Z-Wave

   .
8. Tap

   Remove Z-Wave Device

   .
9. When the app says

   Listening for Device

   , put the Ring device into exclusion mode.
   • Gen 2 sensors

     : Tap the pinhole reset button.
   • Gen 1 sensors:

     Insert the battery.

The device should be removed successfully and can be re-added using the Ring app.

Ring Alarm Outdoor Contact Sensor (2nd Gen) still won't connect or adds as a binary sensor

1. Remove the Outdoor Contact Sensor from its base. Ensure that the batteries* are installed.

2. Open the Ring app to the main dashboard.

3. Tap the Alarm shortcut tile.

4. Tap

   Outdoor Contact Sensor

   .

5. Tap the Device Settings tile.

6. Tap

   Advanced Options

   .
7. Tap

   Remove Failed Device

   .

* Always insert replacement batteries correctly, matching the + (positive) and - (negative) symbols on the battery with the symbols on your Motion Detector.

Factory resetting your Ring Alarm Outdoor Contact Sensor (2nd Gen)

If you've tried all of the above steps and are still having difficulty with your Outdoor Contact Sensor, you may need to perform a factory reset on this device. 

1. Slide to remove the Outdoor Contact Sensor from its base.
2. Use a pin, paperclip, or sim card ejector to press and hold the pinhole reset button on the back. After the LED light turns off, release the reset button.
3. Now re-add the Outdoor Contact Sensor to your Ring Alarm by tapping on

   Set Up a Device

   from the main menu, then

   Security,

   then

   Sensors

   .
4. Follow the onscreen instructions. Scan the QR code on the Sensor as instructed or enter the 5-digit PIN code.
5. Carefully remove the batteries,* then re-insert them. Press and hold the button on the front of your Contact Sensor for 5 seconds, then slide the Sensor back onto its base. Tap

   Got It

   to proceed.
6. You’ll receive confirmation that the Outdoor Contact Sensor was added successfully. If not, choose the option to “Try Again.”

While repeating the setup process, when you’re prompted to pull the battery tab, you may have to use a small tool, such as a micro screwdriver, to carefully remove the coin cell batteries from the casing of your Outdoor Contact Sensor, then reinsert them.