Can the Ring Doorbell Record to a Local Device Instead of the Cloud?

Evan Gower October 21, 2019

Ring Video Doorbell devices are a huge innovation in the world of front door surveillance systems. These devices allow you to see who’s at your front door (live feed) and communicate with them even if you’re nowhere near your home. All you need in order to be able to do this is an internet connection.

Can the Ring Doorbell Record to a Local Device Instead of the Cloud?

The Ring Doorbell devices also come equipped with motion sensors that can be set to detect movement in designated areas. By default, the Ring devices record about fifteen seconds of footage when the movement occurs. But can you store these videos locally?

How Ring Doorbell Devices Store the Footage

As soon as the motion sensor is triggered, you’ll get a notification on your mobile device. Once you tap the notification, you’ll be taken to the Ring app, showing what’s triggered the camera’s motion sensor. From here, you’ll be able to communicate with the person and get a 180-degree view of what’s happening.

However, as soon as the motion sensor is triggered, something else happens that you may not know about: a recording function is triggered and fifteen seconds of footage is recorded. This is excellent as court-admissible evidence, but also as footage that you’ll simply want to review.

The catch with this recorded footage, though, is that you have to be a part of one of Ring’s paid subscriptions. If you’ve simply bought the device, you can use it for free and have 24/7 live feed in the palm of your hand, but you won’t gain access to the videos. If you opt for a paid subscription, these videos will be stored on your own personal Cloud, accessible only by you.

The Issue

The problem here, however, is quite obvious – you get a fifteen-seconds’ worth of recorded material upon the motion sensor being triggered. What happens if, let’s say, a potential burglar walks into the motion-triggered area, stops for a while and does nothing, then continues to go about his business, breaking into your home, while the Ring Doorbell camera isn’t recording?

All you can do is watch the events taking place in horror and wait for the police to arrive. You won’t get any court-admissible evidence and, even though the burglar may experience the full legal consequences of a break-in, why would you waste a great opportunity to record them in the act, while you’re at it?

Can the Ring Doorbell Store Recorded Footage Locally?

Yes, it can. There’s a method of using a variety of scripts that can basically trick the Ring device into storing the recorded footage on your designated device, but this still means storing the fifteen-second, motion-triggered footage. It’s not as if you have a record function that can help you store the videos on a local device, at a tap of a button. Or do you?

As a matter of fact, whatever phone you own, there’s a feature that can help you store the live Ring footage on your device. Whether you own an iOS, Android, Google, or any other type of a more modern smartphone, it comes with a possibility of recording the screen. Most likely, this feature is on your phone by default, but if you can’t seem to find it, there are many apps available on your default app store that can help you record your screen.

So, what do you do? Well, you get a notification that your motion sensor is triggered, you look at the live camera footage, start the screen recording feature/app, and voila! You’ve caught the burglar in the act. Now, the screen-recorded footage might be a tad grainier than the actual live one, but it’s really the best you can do, considering Ring’s Cloud-storing options.

Is the Paid Subscription Worth it?

You may have found a workaround to avoid the paid subscription in order to gain access to your videos, but there’s one thing that you need to keep in mind: what if you don’t hear the notification? With a free subscription, you don’t get the fifteen-second motion sensor-triggered footage? All you get is a burgled home.

Recording to a Local Device

So, yes, you can find a way to record your Ring footage onto a local device. However, paying out for at least the basic Ring subscription is a good idea. Combine the screen recording with motion-triggered footage and you’ll be as safe as you can be with your favorite Ring Doorbell Device.

Do you have a paid subscription? Which one did you opt for? Do you think it’s worth it? Join in on the discussion in the comments section below and don’t refrain from sharing your own advice and tips.