Motion Alerts Inconsistent

We have the motion zone on our Doorbell Pro configured to include our driveway. We have noticed that it alerts when we back out of our garage into the driveway (that is expected). However, there is no alert, it is not triggered, when we pull into the driveway. The only time it did so was at night, and I suspect it was because of the headlights triggering the motion detection.

However, we had a delivery driver pull into the driveway at night, which did not alert the system. The driver got out of the car and walked to the front door, which also did not alert the system. We only received an alert when the delivery person rang the doorbell.

This is not what we expected and not what we desired from the system. It should be alerting when someone pulls into our driveway, based on how we have the motion zones set.

Cars passing the house at night (headlights on) often (though not always) trigger the alerts as well.

Any suggestions?

4 Likes

Bumping, hoping for some help!

Can’t understand why backing out of the garage would trigger the motion sensor, but pulling into the driveway would not. Motion zone is covering the whole driveway. It’s almost more important for it to trigger when someone pulls into the driveway, than when we back out of the garage into the driveway.

Any help?

1 Like

Bumping because we have the exact same issue and it’s super frustrating. What good is catching cars passing by if we can’t get an alert for someone entering our driveway (other than us backing out)?!

1 Like

Hey neighbors! The best way to fine-tune motion detection is through trial and error. As each environment differs from the next and areas can change from day time to night time, it’s best to make adjustments to settings until motion is working as desired.

Many neighbors find use out of the sensitivity slider and the “people only” setting. This will assist if vehicle traffic is setting off motion too often. I recommend also using all 3 available zones to draw. Having multiple zones versus one big zone can emphasize movement across each zone. Keep in mind not to overlap any zones as this could affect detection as well. I hope this helps! :slight_smile:

I certainly understand trial and error. We’ve been doing exactly that. It still doesn’t address the situation where the motion is detected when we back out of the garage, but it’s not detected when we pull into the driveway. Both actions are within the zone.

Agreed. I don’t mind that it picks up vehicles passing - I personally want that - and I have all my zones enabled with the range bubble well exceeding where I want motion picked up in my driveway. The ring doesn’t seem to “see” any vehicle pulling into the driveway, regardless of how sensitive and how large a field I choose.

If you have People Only mode turned on it only detects people and not cars (unless people get out of cars)

You would think that would be the case, yes. However, that’s part of what I’m talking about in saying it’s inconsistent.

When we initially set up the system, it was on People Only mode. It did detect the car backing out of the garage, but not a car pulling into the driveway. Furthermore, when a car pulled into the driveway, and a person got out of the car, it did not detect her until she rang the doorbell. Inconsistent.

1 Like

Is people only mode available in the ring 2 doorbell? If so I cannot find it.

If you have a Ring Protect Plan, yes.

We are having the same issue. No alert is received when someone pulls into our driveway or walks up to our door. Only get an alert when someone rings the doorbell. Not what we were expecting when we purchased this. Frustrated! Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Exact same issue! My wife leaves for work it goes off. When she comes home nothing. She opens the garage doore and pulls in, no alerts. I can walk to the mailbox from the front door and the door bell cam will go off and spotlight cam driveway will as well. when you walk back up nothing. While I appreciate the updates and new technology… I don’t want to be the test monkey at the expense of my protection. These updates should work when rolled out. IMO I should note they did work prior to all of the updates so if the RING advisors could let us know how to manipulate the new settings that would be great. I have tried all kinds of different adjustments with no luck.

1 Like

Hey @KP6Five and @Babw. Have you tried playing around with your Motion Wizard settings? Sometimes you need to readjust these every so often to ensure the configuration is up to date and as it should be. In addition, do you have motion frequency set to frequent or standard? Sometimes on standard, if there was a recent motion event, the next motion event that may follow right after it may not happen since the device has been “snoozed” from a recent event triggering it on. I say to play around with the Motion Wizard settings, test our new motion verification (on or off) if you have it available, and turning your Motion Frequency to frequent!

Hi my Ring doorbell pro was working perfectly i had the zones set up to cover the area needed and put it on people only mode. It would pick up everything n the area selected for example people walking past or up to door and cars pulling up too plus when somebody opened front door etc. Since the app locked me out of my phone and tablet about 10 days ago motion detection barely works anymore. It misses most people coming to door so pointless as a security doorbell now.

4 Likes

I am having the same issues. I have the zone set to the end of my yard and I see alot of things where people are running thru it, etc. And it used to go off then I had this issue with it kicking me out of my account and now that I’m back in it only goes off half the time.

2 Likes

Same issues. I work off the battery and I was working fine for about 8 month then they updated the software and now it will detect a car a long way off down the street moving but nothing at the doorstep. I have all the settings set to minimum and it still triggers falsely.

Originally Ring swapped out my bell saying it was because my battery was playing up. Didnt make any difference initially but meanwhile they updated the software a week later and I was back to a few weeks. Last update took me right back to the start. I think they know there is an issue but they are unwilling as they want to keep rolling out the new functions and want to get people to install direct wired. The problems not as simple as that as the flaws are in the detection as you all mention.

Same issue here! I too find that my ring worked great before all of the updates. We’ve had stuff stolen from our patio and because of the inconsistency of the Ring 2 doorbell I have no clue who took my items.

I have never heard of “People Only” setting, or even come across it anywhere. Where is it? And did you change the motion slider. I thought it was just one big area, but now it’s broken into vehicles and people. The people on is way too small to be valuable. To make sure I don’t get the street, I have to pull it back too much, and then people sensor is already nearly at my steps. Not good.

Suddenly, some for me. Seems perhaps some change was made to software that compromised the system. I’m not happy.

I started this thread back in December of 2019. We’ve had this issue since we purchased our Ring Doorbell Pro (wired), so I don’t think it’s related to an update, unless that update took place prior to December 2019.

What we have ended up doing is putting it on People Only mode after dark. Doing that reduces the alerts from passing car headlights. If we don’t have it on People Only, nearly every passing car sets it off (that can be 20 or more times a night). Unfortunately, it also means it is not triggered unless someone actually enters the motion zone on foot. It will not alert when someone drives into the driveway. Sometimes it won"t even alert until they actually ring the doorbell.

I have noticed just recently that there seems to be a periodic delay in the alerts reaching our phones or our Echo devices. That is also a concern.