Ring Devices and Extreme Temperatures

Ring devices may have their performance affected by extreme weather and other conditions. We've listed a few suggestions on what to do if your Ring device runs out of power or shuts down.

Learn what to do if you received a Cool Down Mode error message in the Ring app.

Battery life and cold weather

Extremely cold weather has unfortunate effects on lithium-ion batteries such as those used in Ring devices. As the temperature drops, batteries may have trouble holding a charge. If it gets cold enough, the batteries may temporarily disconnect power until the temperature normalizes. We design our devices this way to protect their overall lifespan.

At certain temperatures, the batteries in your Ring device may run out of power faster than expected and may need to be recharged more often. This is expected behavior and your Ring device should return to normal operation when the temperature goes up.

Another important factor in Ring’s battery life is whether it is wired to another source of power such as an existing powered doorbell chime. Ring battery-powered devices are run off the batteries, not off of the external power source. The external power sources are used to recharge the batteries and cannot power the device. When the temperature drops below freezing, the battery will stop accepting the external charge and may run out of power.

 Key temperatures

• 36°F (3°C):

  The battery may not hold a charge as effectively, resulting in you having to charge the unit more frequently.
• 32°F (0°C): 

  The battery may not charge at all. Even hardwired configurations may not charge the battery. Alerts may be displayed in the Ring app for certain devices.
• ~-5°F (-20.5°C):

  The battery may disconnect power completely until temperatures warm up, or it may enter Sleep Mode for some Ring Smart Lighting devices (see below to learn more about Sleep Mode). 

What to do when it gets cold

• Bring your device inside:

  When it gets cold and your device's battery runs out, bring your entire device inside and charge the battery with a USB cord. This will allow your device to warm up while the battery charges.
• Make sure your battery is fully charged:

  When charging your battery, be sure that it reaches 100% before your remount the device. While the battery still won't be as effective as when the temperatures are warmer, making sure that the battery is at 100% will allow your device to work as long as possible.
• Monitor your charge and the temperature:

  As long as the temperature hovers around the points listed above, you may have issues with battery charge. Therefore it's important to constantly monitor your battery life when it gets cold to make sure your device is always working.

I tried to recharge my battery on a very cold day and the battery wouldn't recharge. What's going on?

If the battery is too cold, onboard software will keep it from charging in order to avoid damaging the battery. Bring the battery inside and allow it to warm to room temperature before trying to recharge the battery.

Get more information on battery life.

Ring devices and hot weather

While Ring devices are engineered to work in a variety of weather conditions, extreme heat conditions and exposure to direct sunlight can cause overheating and damage the internal components of your Ring device. Your devices are programmed to shut down and not ring before the heat tolerance of the device is exceeded. Note that this behavior is expected and the device should reactivate when the temperature goes down.

Key temperatures

• 120°F (50°C):

  When the environment reaches this temperature, the device will shut down immediately to avoid damaging the internal components.
• 113°F (45°C):

  While your Ring device may operate at this temperature, prolonged exposure to this level of heat may also cause the device to shut down. 

What to do when it gets too hot

• Bring your device inside.

  When it gets hot, bring the entire device inside, take out the batteries and allow both the batteries and the unit to cool to room temperature. Do not charge the batteries until they have cooled to room temperature.
• Look for shade.

  Remember that direct sunlight may heat up your Ring device to hotter than the ambient temperature and trigger a shutdown. If possible, install your device in an area that gets shade at least a few hours a day. 
• Keep an eye on the daily weather.

  While your Ring device will operate at 105°F, a couple of days at this temperature may trigger a potential shutdown.

When your Ring device enters Sleep Mode

To protect your batteries from further damage, Ring puts some devices in Sleep Mode. Only newer solar devices will have the Sleep Mode capability. Your device will enter Sleep Mode in these cases:

• Reaches high temperature (~140˚F/60˚C)
• Reaches low temperature (~-5˚F/-20.5˚C)
• Reaches critical battery level (~10% battery or lower)

To learn more about managing the battery life of your Ring smart lights, read Battery Life and Your Smart Light Battery Devices.