How to Reset Ring Doorbell: Power Cycle or Factory Reset

Quick answer: How to reset Ring doorbell comes down to two options. A power cycle is a restart that keeps your settings: remove the battery for 10 seconds, or switch a wired doorbell off at the breaker and back on. A factory reset erases the doorbell: hold the setup button for 20 seconds, then release, and set it up again in the Ring app.

Most people searching for this don’t actually need a factory reset. They need a restart, or they need to point the unit at a new Wi-Fi network, and neither of those wipes anything.

So before you hold any button, I’d figure out which problem you have, because guessing wrong means a lot of fiddling with faceplates and tiny screws on a cold porch, followed by a full setup you never needed in the first place.

Do You Really Need a Factory Reset?

Here’s the decision tree I’d use:

• Frozen, or acting strangely? Power cycle it. Nothing gets erased.
• Changed your router or Wi-Fi password? Don’t reset. Reconnect from Device Health in the app.
• Shows offline and won’t come back? Work through our guide to why is my Ring doorbell offline first. Ring treats wiping it as the last resort.
• Battery model won’t turn on at all? Charge it, then try the front-button method described below.
• Selling it, giving it away or moving out? Remove it from your account, then wipe it.
• Still broken after a restart and a reconnect? Factory reset and start fresh.

Why You’d Reset a Ring Doorbell

1. It’s unresponsive, or the app can’t reach it.
2. Setup failed partway through.
3. It’s stuck offline after other fixes.
4. It’s changing hands, and the next owner needs a clean slate.

How to Power Cycle It (Keeps Settings)

This is the restart. Nothing gets lost. Ring’s instructions depend on the power source:

• Battery-operated: Pull the battery pack for 10 seconds, then reinsert it.
• Plug-in: Unplug for 10 seconds, then plug back in.
• Wired: Turn off the light switch or circuit breaker that feeds it, then turn it back on.

In practice, the breaker is the step people skip with hardwired units, because nobody wants to walk to the panel. Don’t skip it. Flipping that breaker is what actually cuts the power.

How to Reset Ring Doorbell to Factory Settings

Ring’s factory reset works the same way across its doorbells: hold the setup button for 20 seconds, then let go. Afterward, you might need to set the device up again in the app, according to Ring. My advice? Plan on it.

The hard part is finding the button.

Doorbell type	Where the setup button is
Internal battery	On the back of the device
Removable battery	Under the faceplate, on the front
Wired	Under the faceplate, on the right side

So on most models, the faceplate comes off first. Check your model’s manual if you’re not sure how yours detaches. With an internal-battery unit, the button sits on the back, so it has to come off its mount.

Steps

1. Identify your type in the table above.
2. Remove the faceplate, or lift the unit off its bracket, to reach the button.
3. Press and hold it for 20 seconds.
4. Release.
5. Open the Ring app and run setup as if it were brand new.

Counting out loud sounds silly. It works. Let go early and nothing resets.

When a Battery Model Won’t Power On

Ring has a separate fix for a battery doorbell that drained completely and won’t wake up:

1. Charge it with a USB wall charger plugged into an outlet for 30 minutes.
2. Still dead? Disconnect it from the charger and hold the front button for 30 seconds, which performs a factory reset.

Resetting Other Ring Devices

The same 20 second hold works on Ring’s cameras and Chimes too, per the same help article. Only the button’s location changes:

• Outdoor Cam (previously Stick Up Cam): inside the battery compartment.
• Other cameras: on top of the device.
• Most Chimes: on the right side.
• Older Chimes: a pinhole on the right side, so you’ll need a paperclip.

Handy before a move.

How to Remove a Ring Doorbell From Your Account

Wiping the hardware doesn’t take it off your Ring account. When it’s leaving your home, that account step matters just as much, and Ring says it’s what lets a new owner register the device on their own account.

In the app:

1. Open the menu, then Devices, and pick the doorbell.
2. Tap Device Settings, then General Settings.
3. Tap Remove Device.
4. Choose Delete Events to delete it, or Keep Events to deactivate it.

Per Ring, the two choices behave differently:

• Delete: your access to its Event History ends right away.
• Deactivate (Keep Events): you can still view and download recordings until they expire, and the next owner never sees your videos.

Two catches worth knowing. Only the account owner can remove hardware, while a Shared User can only drop their own access, and deleting a device doesn’t cancel the subscription attached to it, so cancel that separately if you won’t need it anymore. Easy to forget.

My take: handle the account first, then do the physical reset. When you do it in that order, you’re never left with a wiped unit still sitting on your account, waiting for a step you might forget once it’s boxed up and handed over.

After a Factory Reset

Run setup again in the app. Then I’d look over your motion settings, Modes and zones before trusting it with deliveries.

Setup not going through? Ring’s offline guide says to watch the doorbell’s light patterns and listen for audio cues during setup, since those tell you where it’s stuck. A few fixes from Ring’s help articles are worth trying before a second reset:

1. Run a speed test at the doorbell’s spot, not just beside the router, with any VPN off. Ring asks for at least 1 Mbps upload.
2. Try a 2.4 GHz network instead of 5 GHz.
3. Unplug the router and modem for 30 seconds, then retry.
4. Test with a guest network, or a lower router firewall setting.

My hunch? When setup keeps failing, I think the network is the likelier culprit. Resetting a third time won’t change your Wi-Fi. If it misses visitors afterward, see Ring doorbell not detecting motion.

Unresponsive even after all that? Contact Ring support. And for a hardwired unit with power problems, honestly, I’d call a licensed electrician rather than poke at the doorbell wiring or its transformer yourself.

More camera fixes are in our smart home and security section.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Do You Hold the Reset Button on a Ring Doorbell?

Twenty seconds on the setup button. A drained battery unit that won’t start uses a different method: 30 seconds on the front button, off the charger.

Where Is the Reset Button on a Ring Doorbell?

It varies. Internal-battery models have it on the back; removable-battery models hide it under the faceplate at the front; wired versions put it under the faceplate on the right.

Does Resetting a Ring Doorbell Remove It From My Account?

No. Use Device Settings > General Settings > Remove Device in the app, ideally before you sell or give it away.

Will a Factory Reset Delete My Ring Recordings?

Recordings are handled by the account step, not the button. Choosing Delete Events ends your access to the history; Keep Events leaves clips viewable until they expire.

Do I Need to Reset My Ring Doorbell After Changing Wi-Fi?

No. Go to Device Health and tap Reconnect or Change Network instead.

Last updated: November 10, 2026. Sources: Ring: factory reset and power cycle, Ring: deactivating or deleting a device, Ring: fixing offline devices and Ring: wifi recommendations.