Your Ring Smart Doorbell is a great asset to your home. Ring doorbell screens who is at the door, and even includes a security camera activated when the motion sensors are triggered. While these devices can add some extra security to your home, so, do you need to be worried about someone stealing the device itself? How can you prevent your Smart Ring doorbell from being stolen?
There are many methods to keep your Smart Ring doorbell safe, such as installing a protective case. These things are fairly cheap and add a ton of protection. You can also use additional security cameras to monitor your Ring and deter criminals. It’s good to closely monitor notifications coming from your Ring doorbell, just in case.
Your Smart Ring device might not seem like something that would get stolen, but the reality is that almost anything you have is at risk of theft. While the Smart Ring doorbell might not get a ton on the stolen market, that number still isn’t zero. So you’ll want to make sure you protect your investment. Let’s take a look at how you can accomplish that, just read on!
What if my Ring Doorbell gets Stolen?
After your Ring device is stolen, Ring has a theft procedure and policy in place to help you get a free replacement Ring device as soon as possible. The steps you should follow are explained in the remainder of this article.
- Contact the police immediately first to report the theft. You should report the theft to the police before doing anything else with your stolen Ring device. Until an officer arrives to take your report, follow their guidance on what you should do. They may tell you to stay away from your home in case the Ring is stolen as part of a larger break-in.
- Picture the damage but do not touch the scene until the police arrive. You should take care removing or touching any damaged components that remain behind, as well as disturbing the ground in the location. You risk disturbing potential evidence, such as finger or shoeprints, by doing so.
- As soon as possible, request a copy of the theft report. The ring will not be able to give you a free replacement device unless you have a police report.
- Report the theft to Ring using the online theft form below once you’ve received a police report.
The ring would gladly send a free replacement within 14 business days after the police report is verified.
Important information about the Ring theft replacement policy:
- Ring provides a courtesy replacement service for stolen Ring units. The ring has the right to refuse service at any moment for any cause, including suspected fraud, malfeasance, or other causes.
- Device theft notifications must be received within 15 days of the date of the theft. The ring has sole discretion over whether or not to honor the stolen item replacement policy after 15 days of a Ring device being stolen.
- Replacement devices are provided on a “like for like” basis under this policy. The replacement device will be similar to the stolen device in regards to the make and model.
Can a stolen ring doorbell be used?
Is it possible to use a stolen Ring Doorbell? The Ring Doorbell would be reusable if it were stolen by a thief. However, if the Ring Doorbell lost its previous Wi-Fi connection, all of your information and recorded video footage will be lost.
So, sure, a thief may use your Ring Doorbell again. So, Don’t worry, Ring has policies in place that will assist its customers in these situations, which you will learn about.
Can Someone Access a Stolen Ring Doorbell?
Only a doorbell connected to a Ring Doorbell will work. Some thieves may try to sell it for parts, while others will try to use it for personal benefit. It is impossible to recover your Ring Doorbell after it has been stolen.
Ring’s products do not have tracking devices that would allow this. So there’s no need for you to go looking for your missing doorbell and risk putting yourself in harm.
The camera will no longer function after your Ring Doorbell has been removed from your home. This is due to a power failure and a lost Wi-Fi connection. You don’t have to worry5 about a criminal using your Ring Doorbell to gain access to your information since they’d need your Ring account information.
How do you keep a Smart Ring Doorbell from being stolen?
While there are workarounds, you should have peace of mind knowing that a thief will have a more difficult time removing your Ring Doorbell. Some Ring Doorbell users say that it just takes a thief 15 seconds to remove the doorbell completely.
The following are some tips to protect your Ring Doorbell from being stolen:
- Install an anti-theft grid box around your Ring Doorbell
- Update the system for newer security features
- Install a security camera with a light near your Ring Doorbell
- Use the Ring Neighbors app to keep a record of criminal activity in your area.
Can thieves block Ring Doorbell?
Yes, your Smart Ring Doorbell can be disabled by a thief. It is not intruder-proof, and a thief may disable your Ring Doorbell and prevent it from recording data and sending it to you via its server in specific ways.
The issue here is that the Ring Doorbell lacks local storage and therefore is unable to keep data. Due to the lack of local storage, the device immediately uploads data to the Ring app’s servers after recording. Radio waves with frequencies of 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz are commonly used in Wi-Fi signals. The Wi-Fi signal can be successfully interrupted if the thief creates enough radio ‘noise’ on the mentioned frequency bands.
As a result, if this signal is interrupted, the Ring Doorbell will fail to transfer the video captured to its servers, and you will be left without any footage of the thief responsible for this incident.
