Getting Too Many Motion Alerts From Your Ring Device?
A Ring camera is a powerful tool for home security, but it can quickly become tiresome if your phone is constantly buzzing with notifications for every passing car or swaying tree branch. If your Ring device's motion detection is too sensitive, you're not just getting annoyed; you might also start ignoring genuinely important alerts.
This comprehensive guide will show you how to take control of your Ring camera's settings to ensure you receive only the notifications that matter.
## Common Reasons for Overly Sensitive Motion Detection
Understanding the cause is the first step to finding the solution. Here are the most common reasons your Ring camera might be sending you too many false alerts:
- High Sensitivity: The motion sensitivity slider in your settings might be set too high, causing the camera to pick up on very minor movements.
- Poorly Drawn Motion Zones: Your motion zones may be too large or cover areas of constant activity, such as a public pavement or a busy road.
- Environmental Factors: Moving shadows, sunlight changes, foliage blowing in the wind, and car headlights are all common triggers for motion sensors.
- Reflective Surfaces: Glare from windows or even standing water can sometimes be misinterpreted as motion by the camera's sensor.
- Lack of Person Detection: If Person Detection is not enabled, the camera will alert you to any motion, including pets, vehicles, and other non-critical events.
## How to Fine-Tune Your Ring Motion Settings
Let's adjust your settings within the Ring app to reduce unwanted notifications.
### 1. Adjust the Motion Sensitivity Slider
This is the quickest and easiest adjustment you can make.
- Open the Ring app on your smartphone or tablet.
- Tap the three lines on the top left to open the menu.
- Select "Devices" and choose the camera you wish to adjust.
- Tap on "Motion Settings".
- You will see the "Motion Sensitivity Slider". By default, it may be near the maximum.
- Slide it to the left to decrease sensitivity. We recommend making small adjustments first, then testing the results over a day before reducing it further.
### 2. Refine Your Motion Zones
This is arguably the most powerful tool for eliminating false alerts. You need to tell your camera exactly where to look for motion.
- In the "Motion Settings" menu, tap on "Motion Zones".
- You will see your camera's live view with one or more coloured boxes overlaid. These are your current zones.
- Tap and drag the points of the boxes to redraw the zones. The goal is to cover only the areas you care about, such as your walkway, garden, or porch.
- Crucially, exclude high-traffic areas. Angle the zones to cut out public pavements, roads, and your neighbour's property. You can create multiple, distinct zones for different areas.
- Tap "Save" when you are finished.
### 3. Enable Person Detection (Smart Alerts)
If you have a Ring Protect subscription, this feature is a game-changer.
- Go to "Motion Settings" and tap on "Smart Alerts".
- Here, you can choose to be notified for "Persons" or "Other Motion".
- For the most effective filtering, set your standard alerts to notify you for "Persons" only. This instructs the camera's AI to analyse the motion and only send a push notification if it identifies the shape of a person.
### 4. Use Motion Schedules
A Motion Schedule allows you to disable motion alerts automatically during times you know there will be a lot of harmless activity.
- From the device dashboard, go to "Motion Settings" and select "Motion Schedules".
- Tap "Add Schedule" to create a rule.
- You can set a time period (e.g., from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM on weekdays) during which motion alerts will be turned off. This is perfect for when the family is leaving for the day or the postman is due.
## Additional Troubleshooting Tips
If you've followed the steps above and are still having issues, consider the following:
- Check Camera Positioning: Ensure your camera is installed at the recommended height and angle. Angling it down slightly can help focus on your property and reduce triggers from distant traffic.
- Clean the Lens: A smudge, cobweb, or piece of dirt on the lens can interfere with the sensor. Wipe it gently with a microfibre cloth.
- Check Your Wi-Fi Connection: A poor connection can sometimes cause performance issues. In the Ring app, check the "Device Health" section to ensure the RSSI signal strength is good.
By customising these settings to suit your specific environment, you can dramatically reduce the number of false alerts and make your Ring security system a much more effective and pleasant tool to use.