Ring Storage Full? How to Manage Your Video History

Is Your Ring Video History Full? Here's How to Manage It

Ring cameras provide excellent security and peace of mind by recording motion events around your home. However, these recordings are stored in the cloud and are subject to the limits of your Ring Protect subscription plan. Over time, you might worry about running out of space or find it difficult to locate important clips amongst months of footage.

While Ring's storage isn't a "hard drive" that gets "full" in the traditional sense, your videos are automatically deleted after a certain period (up to 180 days). This guide will teach you how to effectively manage your Ring video storage, ensuring you can save the clips that matter and delete the ones that don't.

Understanding Your Ring Storage Plan

Your ability to store and manage videos is tied directly to your Ring Protect subscription. Without a plan, your Ring device can only show you a live view and send notifications; it won't record or store any video.

• Video Storage Period: The key "limit" is time. Depending on your plan and location, Ring stores your videos for a specific number of days before they are permanently deleted. You can check and adjust this (within the allowed limits) in the Ring app.
• No Data Cap: You are not limited by the amount of data (e.g., gigabytes) you store, but rather by the age of the recordings. Your camera can record as many events as happen within the storage period. The oldest videos are the first to be deleted.

The "storage full" issue, therefore, is about making sure you don't lose important footage before it's automatically erased.

How to Check and Manage Your Ring Videos

The best way to manage your recordings is through the Ring app or the Ring website. The website often provides more powerful tools for managing videos in bulk.

1. Reviewing Your Video History

First, get familiar with your event history.

• In the Ring App: Open the app and tap on the "History" tab. You can scroll through a timeline of all your recorded events. You can filter by event type (Motion, Live View, etc.) and by device.
• On the Ring Website: Log in to your account at Ring.com. Go to the "History" tab for a more expansive view, which can be easier for managing many videos.

2. Downloading and Saving Important Clips

If a recording is important (e.g., it captures a security incident, a funny moment with your pet, or a delivery), you should save it permanently to your phone, tablet, or computer.

• From the App:
  1. Go to your "History".
  2. Tap on the video you want to save.
  3. Tap the "Share" icon (an arrow coming out of a box).
  4. Select the "Download" or "Save Video" option. The video will be saved to your device's photo gallery.
• From the Website:
  1. Log in and go to "History".
  2. Find the video and click on it.
  3. Click the "Download" option to save the file directly to your computer.

3. Deleting Unnecessary Videos

Clearing out unimportant videos (like a cat walking by or leaves blowing in the wind) makes it easier to find the clips you actually need.

• Deleting Individual Videos:
  1. From the history timeline, tap the three dots next to the video you want to delete.
  2. Select "Delete" and confirm.
• Bulk Deleting Videos: This is much faster on the website.
  1. Log in to Ring.com and go to "History".
  2. Use the filter options to select a date range or event type.
  3. Click the "Manage" button.
  4. Check the boxes next to the videos you want to delete, or use the "Select All" option.
  5. Click the "Delete" button to permanently remove the selected videos.

IMPORTANT: Once a video is deleted, it cannot be recovered. Be absolutely sure you want to remove a clip before you confirm the deletion.

Adjusting Your Video Storage Time

You can customise how long Ring keeps your videos before deleting them. A shorter duration means less clutter, while a longer one gives you more time to review past events.

1. Log in to your account on Ring.com.
2. Go to the Control Centre.
3. Under "Video Management", select Video Storage Time.
4. Choose the desired storage duration from the available options.

This setting applies to all devices at a single location. By regularly reviewing, downloading, and deleting your recordings, you can maintain a clean and useful video history, ensuring your Ring system works efficiently for you.