Troubleshooting and light patterns for Ring Smoke and CO Listener

Ring Smoke and CO Listener listens for the alarm sounds from your existing smoke and CO detectors and alerts you through the Ring app. Use this article to troubleshoot common issues and identify LED light patterns.

Troubleshooting

Issues scanning the QR code

Make sure your mobile device operating system (OS) is up to date.
Make sure the camera lens on your mobile device is clean and free of debris.
Make sure the QR code on Smoke and CO Listener is not damaged, dirty, or covered in debris. Wipe it with a damp cloth or paper towel if needed.
Make sure there is proper lighting in the room. If the room is dark, turn up the lights or move to a more well-lit area.
If the in-app QR scan continues to fail, use your mobile device's native camera to scan the QR code. This will open the Ring app with the QR code already scanned.
If these steps do not resolve the issue, contact Ring Customer Support.

Resolve software update failures

Update your mobile device OS. Software updates use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and require a current OS version.
Stay within one to five feet of Smoke and CO Listener during the update. BLE is short-range.
Install fresh batteries. If Smoke and CO Listener was previously set up, replace the batteries and try again.
Power cycle Smoke and CO Listener: Remove the batteries, wait 10 seconds, re-insert them, and try again.
If the issue persists, contact Ring Customer Support for further assistance.

Smoke and CO Listener is stuck in Waiting to Join

If Smoke and CO Listener remains in a Waiting to Join state for five minutes or more:

Make sure Smoke and CO Listener has fresh batteries. If Smoke and CO Listener is new, the batteries should be fully charged. If it was previously set up, replace the batteries and try again.
Power cycle Smoke and CO Listener: Remove the batteries, wait 10 seconds, re-insert them, and try again.
If you have a supported Sidewalk bridge or gateway nearby, move Smoke and CO Listener closer to it.

Smoke and CO Listener goes offline

If Smoke and CO Listener shows as offline in the Ring app:

Make sure Smoke and CO Listener has fresh batteries. Replace the batteries and try again.
Power cycle Smoke and CO Listener: Remove the batteries, wait 10 seconds, re-insert them, and try again.
If the issue persists, contact Ring Customer Support.

Smoke and CO Listener does not detect smoke or CO detector sounds

If you are running a test after Smoke and CO Listener is already set up, always put your Ring Alarm into Test Mode first. A CO signal that goes through your Ring Alarm as a live signal might trigger a response from your monitoring center.
Make sure Smoke and CO Listener is within three to five inches of the smoke or CO detector.
Make sure there are no physical obstructions between Smoke and CO Listener and the detector.
Test your smoke or CO detector by pressing its test button. Confirm Smoke and CO Listener responds.
Make sure the detector sound pattern is a standard T3 (smoke) or T4 (CO) pattern. Non-standard patterns might interfere with detection. Try moving Smoke and CO Listener to a different position around the detector.

Key reminders

The device serial number (DSN) is on Smoke and CO Listener label and under the batteries. Remove the batteries to access the DSN if the label is not visible.
Smoke and CO Listener listens for alarm sounds from your existing smoke and CO detectors. It does not detect smoke or CO directly.
The setup button is on the front of Smoke and CO Listener, not on the side as in the previous generation.
Place Smoke and CO Listener within three to five inches of your existing smoke or CO detector for best results.
Always put your Ring Alarm system into Test Mode before running a test after setup.
Non-standard alarm sound patterns might interfere with detection.
Smoke and CO Listener is not a standalone smoke or CO detector.
Keep Smoke and CO Listener away from areas with strong airflow or background noise.
Test Smoke and CO Listener after setup by pressing the test button on your existing smoke or CO detector.

Light patterns

Startup: Green, blinks twice rapidly

Smoke and CO Listener is starting up.

Animation of green LED blinking twice rapidly on Smoke and CO Listener during startup.

Setup mode: Green, blinking slowly

Smoke and CO Listener is in setup mode and ready to connect to your network. This lasts up to 10 minutes.

Animation of green LED blinking slowly on Smoke and CO Listener in setup mode.

Successful setup and update: Green, solid (three seconds)

Smoke and CO Listener has been set up or updated successfully.

Animation of green LED solid on Smoke and CO Listener after setup complete and OTA update successful.

Setup timeout: No LED

Smoke and CO Listener was not set up within the time limit. The LED turns off.

Animation of No LED on Smoke and CO Listener.

Factory reset in progress: Green, blinking rapidly

Smoke and CO Listener is performing a factory reset. Continue holding the setup button for 10 seconds.

Animation green LED blinking rapidly on Smoke and CO Listener during factory reset.

Factory reset complete: Red, solid (one second)

Smoke and CO Listener has been reset successfully and will reboot into setup mode.

Animation of Red LED solid on Smoke and CO Listener after factory reset complete

Network disconnected: No LED

Smoke and CO Listener is not connected to the network. There is no LED behavior.

Post registration reboot: No LED

Smoke and CO Listener is rebooting after registration. There is no LED behavior, but Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) remains active for up to five minutes.

Update mode: Green, blinking slowly

Smoke and CO Listener is in update mode and ready to receive an update. Press the setup button or send a cloud command to begin. This lasts up to five minutes.