It is no doubt frustrating if your Ring Video Doorbell is not working correctly. After all, you rely on this device to monitor the area outside your door for safety. You also installed that device to know if you have visitors in real-time. It is great and all, the device rich with features. However, it is not by any means perfect.
One of the issues you will encounter with a Ring Doorbell is a black screen. Does it mean your video doorbell is broken? Maybe but usually, it isn’t. For a Ring Doorbell black screen, most likely has something to do with your Wi-Fi router. No worries because there are ways to fix the problem.
We will start by finding the cause of the black screen. The common reasons for black recordings or video streams include weak Wi-Fi signal, data loss, slow Internet speeds, or hardware malfunction. In the next section of this article, we will find the cause to determine the right solution.
When it comes to fixing the issue, you will have to try multiple solutions to find the one that works. Finding the cause of the black screen problem and its resolution will be highlighted here. Most of the tips apply to all kinds of Ring devices, whether it is Ring Doorbell 2, Ring Doorbell Pro, or Ring Doorbell 3.
*Note: You will probably have to fiddle on the advanced features of your router.
Ring Doorbell Black Screen – Here’s the Truth and the Fix
As mentioned, the likely cause of the black screen of your Ring Doorbell is something related to your Internet. Before you start working on your router or calling your Internet Service Provider to demand to fix it, start by troubleshooting. Try to find the cause of the issue with the following instructions.
- Launch a web browser on your computer. Go to Ring’s website ring.com/account and log into your account.
- Once you are logged in, head to the Dashboard, and play any of the recordings there.
- If the videos showed a black screen, the root of the problem is highly likely the Ring servers or the device itself. It might have something to do with your router, modem, or Internet Service Provider.
- If the recordings played the usual way, then the problem isn’t the doorbell itself. It has to do with your Ring app, which might be due to a weak signal.
- Find the exact cause by playing a video – first, on your mobile phone using your home Wi-Fi. Next, play the video again using your cellular network. This way, you can figure out which connection leads to the black screen issue.
Fixes You Can Do Before Adjusting the Router
Before you adjust the settings of your Wi-Fi router, you can start with the following simple tricks. The steps above help you narrow down the possible causes, but you will have to try every one of the solutions below to see which one works.
1. Ring App Problem
You will know if the problem is the Ring app by playing a recording through a computer instead of a mobile device. If it plays the normal way, then you know for sure that the app is the root of the problem. On that note, below are some of the suggestions to fix the Ring application:
- Check if there is an update available on Google Playstore or App store. A simple update often solves this problem.
- Turn off Wi-Fi and watch a video using your cellular data. If this works, then the problem is not the app but your Internet connection.
- Delete and redownload your Ring app but as a last resort. If you delete the app, you need to set up your settings again because they will be deleted as well, particularly those specific to the app.
2. Poor Signal Strength
Make sure that you have a strong wireless signal as a bad one will lead to connectivity issues. If that happens, your Ring device can’t access the video recordings properly. You can check the signal of your Wi-Fi by going to the Device Health section in the app. From there, see that the RSSI of the video doorbell is within the acceptable range.
See more: Ring Doorbell Not Connecting to Wi-Fi: Here’s to Fix!
3. Poor Upload Speed
You can find out if the upload speed is the problem by running a speed test. Note that the minimum download and upload speed for a 720p display is 500 kbps. However, you need it to be 1Mbps if you want optimal performance.
For a 1080p display, the minimum upload and download speeds are 1Mbps, while 2Mbps is necessary for optimal performance. Of course, you will need extra bandwidth if you have more than 1 Ring device and want an excellent performance.
4. Loss of Data
Even when you have good signal strength, you can still experience data loss, and that can lead to a black screen. So that you can avoid further loss of data, make sure to perform all the steps listed above. With that, you can confirm that the Internet signal reaches your doorbell.
If the problem is not the slow speed and physical obstructions, another possible cause of data loss is the firewall settings. The firewall protects your Wi-Fi, so you can’t turn it off, of course. In that case, you can lower it. Consult with the manufacturer of your Wi-Fi on how to reduce the level of your firewall settings.
Here is a video on how to improve your Ring device connectivity.
5. Ring Doorbell Issue
If you have more than one Ring Video Doorbell, you should check if the others also have the same black screen issue. If the recordings are blank, the problem is on your Internet connectivity or the setting for the firewall.
On the other hand, your device must not be getting enough signal if you only have the black screen problem in one doorbell. In that case, you should talk to Ring’s support team to see what can be done as the issue lies on the device’s hardware.
Fixing Ring Doorbell Black Screen with Advanced Features of Wi-Fi Router
Are you a tech-savvy? If you know your way around a Wi-Fi router, you can tweak some of its settings if the tips above didn’t work. Here are some of the things you can do:
1. Check Your Wi-Fi Router
Verify if the problem is with your network by connecting your device to a different one, like your mobile’s hotspot. If the recordings played normally, then the problem is with your Internet or router. If it didn’t, then the issue is with the device itself. You will need extra help from Ring Customer Support to fix this.
2. Enable and Connect to Guest Network
A guest network is an access point separate to your home network. It is isolated from all your other devices. By enabling it, you can create a network for your device without a firewall. Do this by creating a simple SSID name with a strong password then connect your Ring doorbell to it.
3. Create DHCP Reservation or Static IP
With a DHCP reservation, you can create a permanent IP address assignment exclusive for a single device. You can create this using the Mac ID listed on your Ring device, which you will see either on its back or the box. By using this, your Ring doorbell will have the same address each time it connects to your router.
You can also set a static IP while you were setting up your device. When you set this up, make sure it is out of the range of your DHCP server. This way, you can prevent an IP conflict.
4. Move Ring Device to Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of Router
Try moving your Ring device to the demilitarized zone (DMZ), also known as IP passthrough, of your router. You can do this using the private IP address you made. If you do this, you let the traffic of your device to pass through all security settings that were preventing or hindering your connection. Take note that you can only do this for a single doorbell at a time.
5. Try Port Triggering or Port Forwarding
In this step, try forwarding the required ports using your reserved IP address. This method is recommended if you experience the black screen issue on more than one device. You also cannot do this in more than one video doorbell.
6. Lower Firewall Settings
As mentioned before, your firewall setting can also cause the black screen issue. By lowering it to medium, it is possible to fix the problem. Remember not to turn it off, though, as that will compromise the security of your Wi-Fi.
Conclusion
A black screen is quite an annoying issue. Fortunately, there are a bunch of ways to solve it. What to do with a Ring Doorbell black screen? – make sure you have a strong signal, get your app updated, and fix any issue with your router. If those didn’t work, you should contact Ring for the next thing you can do.
References:
- Fixing the Ring Doorbell Black Recording/Screen, Smarthomestarter.com, May 12, 2020
- Why is My Ring Doorbell Recording Black Screen?com, September 24, 2019
- Fixing Black Video Errors by Adjusting Your Router, Support.Ring.com
