Feature Update: Customizable Motion Zones for Battery Devices

Ring is dedicated to bringing you the best experience with your devices through awesome new feature updates. This is why we are excited to bring the setting of Customizable Motion Zones to your battery powered devices*! This updated motion settings option will allow you to draw up to three unique motion zones. Learn more about how it works below. Note: When you update to Customizable Motion Zones you will not be able to use your previous Adjustable Motions Zones anymore.

How is This Different from My Current Motion Zone Setting Options?

Your current Adjustable Motion Zones options are preset. Now, with Customizable Motion Zones you are able to draw up to three customized motion zones to alert you when motion passes through them. Similar to your current Adjustable Motion Zones you will still be able to fine-tune the sensitivity of your overall motion detection with an adjustable sensitivity slider.

How do Customizable Motion Zones Work?

Your Ring Video Doorbells and Security Cams detect approaching visitors with advanced motion detection technology. This means that your device does an initial scan of the motion zones you draw and remembers this view. Then it continues to monitor the zones looking for valid motion to occur inside your custom zones.

How the Motion Sensitivity Slider Works

Depending on the area and zones your device covers, you may receive a large number of motion alerts that are not visitors. If you are receiving more alerts than you prefer, adjusting your motion sensitivity slider will likely help. By sliding it toward Min, your device will lower the sensitivity and detect only larger human-sized changes in the zone. When it is slid farther toward Max your device may pick up motion from an animal or a car driving by.

Tips for Drawing Motion Zones to have the Best Coverage

You are able to draw up to three motion zones with your device. The way you draw these motion zones can affect the number of alerts you receive. Consider the tips below when drawing your custom motion zones. Note: Motion zones can not be extended to the full area of your Live View when creating these zones. This is because the area your camera covers is slightly larger than the area your motion sensors cover.

  • Shape - keep them symmetrical and logical. For example, if you have a walkway, driveway and mailbox you would like to cover, it is better to draw a zone over each area instead of using one zone to cover the entire area. This will give you more precise coverage.
  • Size - Try to avoid making the zones too small or thin, it will be hard for your device to catch motion changes in such a small area. This can lead to missed alerts.
  • Coverage - It is best to avoid overlapping the zones that you draw, but rather have them be close together if you are trying to cover close areas.

Where to Update Your Settings in the Ring Mobile App

  • Open the main menu in your Ring mobile app in the top left hand corner.
  • Tap Devices and select the Doorbell or Cam you want to update.
  • Tap the Motion Settings tile.
  • Select Motion Zones and begin creating your zones.
  • Once your zones and sensitivity are your liking, hit save and you’re all set!

* Battery Powered Video Doorbells and Security Cams- Video Doorbell (2nd Generation), Video Doorbell 2, Video Doorbell 3, Video Doorbell 3 Plus, Peephole Cam/Doorview Cam, Stick Up Cam Battery (3rd Generation), Stick Up Cam Solar (3rd Generation), Spotlight Cam Battery, and Spotlight Cam Solar.

We are excited to bring this feature update to your Ring app! Please reply below to let us know how you like the update.

14 Likes

So this update is not valid for the stick up cam 2nd Gen?

My Customizable Motion Zones are in RED. Is that correct?

Is there not a general rule with the slider - i.e., min/mid/max distance equivalent?

I like this very significant upgrade. I’m okay that this new feature eliminates about 1/5th of the upper (background) portion of Live View within the selectable range since it provides a more definitive reference perspective when field-adjusting what the camera sees – less guesswork in seeking the optimum “sweet spot”. Of course, User may need to compromise some in what they are able to see in Live View when developing their customizable motion zones.

3 Likes

Hello all, new Ring Doorbell 1 Gen 2 (2020) user here. Can anybody tell me if it is currently possible to set different sensitivities and/or alert settings for individual custom zones, and if so, how to do this?

In my case, I have a front porch and steps zone that I want to record and receive every motion alert for, but I also have a front yard and driveway zone that I would only like to record motion for without push notifications.

I want my vehicles to be monitored and recorded silently but I don’t want a push notification every time a car passes on the street just behind it, inevitably captured because I’m on a small hill relative to the driveway.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

5 Likes

It would be great if I actually recieved the update. My Ring 2nd gen (2020) for my back door came with it out of the box at over half the cost. Without it my front door motion sensor on my Doorbell 3 Plus, goes off about (50), not exaggerating I counted, times a day. Everything is set at the bare minimum sensitivity. My battery is dropping much faster as well. This update being released on the lesser expensive devices first is just poor planning. Making me regret paying the premium when a unit that is 60% less is outperforming it.

1 Like

Some observations:

  1. There appears to be a slight discrepancy in the 10-12-2020 “Release Note” description. It says - “When you update to Customizable Motion Zones you will not be able to use your previous Adjustable Motion Zones anymore.” I might not be interpreting this as intended, but the app actually allows you to toggle the new Customizable Motion Zone feature On/Off (Motion Settings>Advanced Motion Detection). Toggling “off” appears to revert back to the original Adjustable Motion Zone setting which, in my application, is no longer useful since I now have my camera angle adjusted/optimized to correspond with my Customized Motion Detection setting. But this “toggle” appears to afford User the opportunity to revert back to the original Adjustable Motion zone alternative if they so choose.

  2. Under the new Customizable feature, headlights of passing cars outside of my customized zone frequently triggers motion alerts when objects inside of my customized zone are illuminated. This is something that wasn’t a problem for me with the original Adjustable Motion Zone feature. Fortunately, Motion Schedule affords pausing of such “nuisance” motion alerts at night.

All things considered, I still prefer the new Customizable feature upgrade over the original Adjustable Motion Zone feature.

1 Like

When I go to draw the customizeable zones, like was said above, I lose about 1/5 of the screen to draw on. I would like to include that space in my zone. How do I do that?

4 Likes

I just got my ring device, so this may be a silly question but how do I stop getting a notification everytime I personally enter or exit the house?

Additional comments/observations:

  1. Re: My earlier comment – “…headlights of passing cars outside of my customized zone frequently triggers motion alerts when objects inside of my customized zone are illuminated…” – this was likely caused by a lot of light refraction on a rainy night (heavy droplets and wet ground/objects). Last night, no rain – no problem.

  2. My cam is facing a roadway where morning sun casts shadows of passing vehicles into my Customizable Motion zone. This triggers motion alerts. In the afternoons, with shadows cast in the opposite direction (outside of Customizable Motion zone), this is not an issue – for me, quite understandable not a cause for concern.

1 Like

New to Ring as of yesterday. I have a Ring Pro Doorbell wired in. I set up my motion zones to only pick up movement on my front porch, driveway and parking spaces. My motion sensor is on low. Yet I keep getting alerts every few seconds. There are no shadows, nothing I can see moving in the motion zones. There are leaves falling but I also have my motion set to people only. Any help you can give me would be great. It is driving my crazy. Thanks!

When I want the history it asked What plan. Plus I need instructions on how to talk through it. It won’t show History. Can’t Live View.

Hi

my battery is getting low every 2-3 weeks I bought your wired kit including the piece that reduce the current and it does not work. help

Ring protection plan is the most frustrating thing! I cannot for the life of me get signed up for the protection plan! Also, when I put a camera in full screen, I cannot get out of it. I have to just go back to the rinv app and start over. Does anybody know what I’m doing wrong.

I am trying to purchase a plan and cannot seem to get past a crazy cycle of signing into my account!!! How do I get past logging in repeatedly???

When having more than 1 motion zone, Can you activate/deactivate specific motion zones based on motion schedule? If not, are there plans of making this available?

2 Likes

I am NOT receiving any motion notices, at all. I’ve charged the device and set it up a few times. I want the regular set up to receive alerts of whoever comes to my front door.

My new WIRED stick up cam has these zones. So far I hate them. I’m still trying though. This is mt second cam in addition to my doorbell. Had no trouble at all setting them up.

Simple installation about two garage doors facing the street. If I get ti to not alert on ars driving by then it won’t alert hardly at all.

Havn’t had much luck with people only either.

I couldn’t wait to get this cam up and running but so far not pleased.

1 Like

I’ve noticed in the last couple of weeks that my Ring Doorbell 2 is not switching to night vision and so the images during night hours are essentially useless. Has anyone else had this issue? Any idea on a fix?