Scratched Lens on Your Ring Camera? Here's What to Do
Discovering a scratch on your Ring camera or doorbell lens is disheartening. A damaged lens can significantly degrade video quality, causing blurry, distorted, or hazy footage that defeats the purpose of having a high-definition security camera. Whether caused by accidental impact, improper cleaning, or vandalism, a scratch needs to be addressed.
This guide will help you assess the severity of the scratch on your Ring lens, provide safe cleaning methods that won't make the problem worse, and outline your options if the damage is permanent.
Symptoms of a Scratched Ring Lens
The impact of a scratch can range from minor to severe. Here's what you might be seeing in your video feed.
- A permanent blurry or soft spot in a specific area of the video that doesn't go away with cleaning.
- Lens flare or starburst effects, especially at night when lights (like streetlights or car headlights) are in view.
- A visible line or distortion that runs across your video feed.
- Reduced overall sharpness and clarity in the image.
- Difficulty focusing, making both live view and recordings look hazy.
- A "halo" or foggy effect around light sources in the video.
How to Deal With a Scratched Ring Lens
Before considering replacement, it's essential to properly clean the lens to ensure the issue isn't just a stubborn smudge.
1. The Safe Cleaning Method
Using the wrong materials can turn a minor issue into a major one. Never use abrasive materials like paper towels, tissues, or rough cloths. Likewise, never use harsh chemical cleaners like window cleaner, alcohol, or solvents.
- Step 1: Use Compressed Air: First, blow away any loose dust or debris from the lens surface with a can of compressed air. This prevents you from grinding small particles into the lens during cleaning.
- Step 2: Use a Dry Microfibre Cloth: Take a clean, dry microfibre cloth (the kind used for cleaning eyeglasses or camera lenses). Gently wipe the lens in a circular motion. Often, what appears to be a light scratch is just a smudge that a microfibre cloth can safely remove.
- Step 3: Use a Slightly Dampened Cloth: If the dry cloth didn't work, slightly dampen a section of a clean microfibre cloth with a tiny amount of clean water. Gently wipe the lens again, and immediately follow up by drying it with a dry part of the cloth to prevent water spots.
2. Assess the Damage After Cleaning
Once the lens is perfectly clean, carefully inspect it again.
- Is the mark still there? If so, run your fingernail gently over it.
- If you can't feel it: It's likely a micro-scratch on the coating. While annoying, it may only be visible in certain lighting.
- If you can feel the scratch: This indicates a deeper gouge in the lens material itself. Unfortunately, scratches of this nature cannot be repaired or polished out at home. Attempting to use polishing compounds will likely remove the lens's protective anti-glare coating and make the image quality much worse.
3. Your Options for a Damaged Lens
If you've confirmed you have a deep, unrepairable scratch, your options are limited.
- Check Your Warranty: If your device is still within its warranty period, contact Ring Support. While accidental damage is not typically covered, it's worth checking to see if they can offer any assistance.
- Consider Replacement: Unfortunately, for a deeply scratched lens, the only way to restore perfect image quality is to replace the entire Ring device. Ring does not offer a service to replace just the lens component.
Protecting your new device's lens with a silicone skin or placing it in a less exposed location can help prevent this issue from happening again in the future.