Siren rectangle in app

Hi,

When I open the settings for one of our cameras in the Ring App (iOS), there is the normal picture of the camera and the selections for “Record Motion” and “Motion Alerts”. At the bottom are the various settings categories. But, in the middle of the screen is a red rectangle with “SIREN” in red. This is new. What is this?

Thanks!

Hey @dss0427. There was always an option to siren your camera from this section of the Ring app, but the “Live View” button was there as well. The Live View would show up in blue in this section, but it seems that for the configuration that you have for Modes, you have Live View disabled, which then in return will disable you from turning on Live View from this section of the Ring app. Hope this helps clear it up for you!

Live view is set in the Video Settings. But, we can’t seem to get live view to work anymore. Plus, if I try to turn off live view it says that Live View needs to be enabled to use features such as remote siren activation. I think remote siren activation is working but there is no live view.

If I click on the blank image, I get “Disarmed Mode disable Live View for <name>”. “To enable Live View for this device, switch Modes or change your Mode Settings”.

So, that is where it is. “<name> in Disarmed Mode”. It had motion detection and live view turned off.

This app really needs some help. The settings are very confusing. If I enable devices in Home or Away, does that mean they will trigger an alarm? It does not make it clear. And it talks about ‘linked’ devices, which is even more confusing.

Is there an online user’s manual that explains everything? Some of these features have been added in the last year or so and they are very confusing and I don’t see a good way to get help. Hopefully someone improves that app.

Hey @dss0427. Yep, you’re right! So since you have the device set to not have Live View or motion recordings enabled in disarm mode, and you are disarmed, it will continue to behave this way. If you go into the main menu of the Ring app > Settings > Modes > you will see there are options there for your alarm sensors/devices, and then any Doorbells/Cams you have. I recommend to turn all Live Views on in disarm mode if you actively look at the Live View when you have your system disarmed, or when you are home. This is our new addition to Modes, which you can learn all about here.

To clear up any additional questions, the cams/doorbells are now linked to the Alarm if you have a Ring Alarm set up. Therefore, if you put yourself into Home mode, it will behave however you have the cams/doorbells set to behave in Home mode (Live View on or off and Motion Recordings on or off). Linked Devices can make it a bit more confusing, but Linked Devices is for how your devices should behave with one another. For example, if you have the Ring Alarm, you can have it set for Linked Devices where if your Alarm goes off, or goes into an entry delay, it start recording at your cameras/doorbell, whether it detected motion or not.

Think of Linked Devices as a more enhanced security feature, so if something is happening, everything is capturing video, and then think of Modes as more enhanced privacy. For the enhanced privacy for example, if you have your system Disarmed, you also may not want your Indoor Cam (if you have it) recording you walking around your home, so you can have it where the Live View cannot be accessed, and no recordings are being made. Nobody needs videos of themselves walking around their home, lol! Since I’ve linked you an article to Modes, here is also an article for Linked Devices. I encourage you to play around with the settings until you find the combination that works for you! :slight_smile: