Having the ability to record video footage on your Ring camera is a feature that most find valuable; this is because it can help you maintain your property’s safety. However, what if you don’t want your Ring camera to record, either to save battery or protect your privacy? Are Ring cameras always recording 24/7?

Are Ring cameras always recording? No, Ring cameras only record when motion is detected. If you pay for the Protect Plan, you can enable snapshot images to be taken on Ring Cameras every 3 minutes to every hour between motion detected recordings.

Ring mentioned they had a “24/7 Recording Feature” coming out in “Early 2019,” but there have since been crickets. We recommend getting a Nest Hello or a Wyze Camera if you are set on wanting continuous recording. The Ring Protect Plan can monitor for you 24/7 but comes with some strings attached.

Do Ring Cameras Record Continuously?

Ring cameras on their own, fresh out of the box, do not record continuously. However, with the Ring Protect Plan, you can have your Ring Alarm system professionally monitored 24/7. The protection plan has a free 30-day trial if you wish to test it out first. There are also the Free (Yes, it works for free, but limited), Basic, and Plus protect plans offered by Ring.

Note: You need the Ring Alarm system to take advantage of Ring’s 24/7 professional monitoring. Additionally, both protection plans are only good for one address per subscription. If you have a business and a home you want to keep track of, you will need to purchase two subscription plans for those different locations.

Basic Ring Protect Plan

The Basic subscription is only good for one device at all times. So, if you want your Ring Doorbell to record and you purchase a Ring security camera later, you will then need to de-register your doorbell from the plan.

The Basic Ring Protect Plan covers:

  • Ring and motion alerts
  • Live View
  • Two-way talk
  • Lifetime theft protection
  • 60-day video history
  • Video saving and sharing
  • Snapshot Capture

Plus Ring Protect Plan

Now, the Plus subscription plan encompasses all of your Ring devices that belong to a single address. For example, if you have eight Ring security cameras and a doorbell at your home, this plan will cover them all. This plan includes all of the features that belong to the Basic plan plus three new ones:

  • 24/7 professional monitoring for Ring alarm
  • Extended warranties on all your Ring devices
  • 10% savings for your next Ring device

Benefits of Ring Protection Plans

Most people decide to opt for the Ring protection plan for several reasons:

  • The Ring Protect Plan allows your videos to be stored in the cloud for up to 60 days. After that time, your videos will be deleted from your cloud forever. It is recommended if you have video footage you would like to keep past 60 days, that you download them to your computer or smartphone.
  • Also, with the Ring Protect Plan, there is a new feature that allows you to Bulk Download all of your Ring recordings at one time.
  • The new feature, Timeline, lets you follow your Ring recordings more easily in the ring app. This feature lets you look through your Ring event history with a color-coded timeline that helps you to follow what has happened and when the event took place.

Now, if you choose not to subscribe to the Ring Protect Plan, your videos will only be saved for 24 hours before they are deleted. Should you not subscribe to the Ring Protect Plan after your 30-day trial, all of your recorded videos will be deleted, and any new events will not be saved.

Even though the Ring cameras cannot record continuously, they can record just long enough for you to understand if a situation is unfolding.

How Long Can Ring Cameras Record?

If an intruder steps onto your property, your Ring device may only record up to 60 seconds of footage, leaving you wondering what they may do next.

Ring Doorbells have a feature called Motion Stop. This feature essentially records footage for 20 to 60 seconds.

For 20 seconds of recorded footage, your doorbell is more than likely operated by battery. To receive 60 seconds of footage, your doorbell should be hardwired. Ring states that the 20 to 60 seconds of video recorded is meant to save your battery.

The Ring devices that run on battery include:

  • Video Doorbell
  • Video Doorbell 2
  • Stick Up Cam
  • Spotlight Cam Solar
  • Spotlight Cam Battery

The Ring devices that can be hardwired are:

  • Ring Pro
  • Ring Elite
  • Indoor Cam
  • Spotlight Cam Wired
  • Floodlight Cam

Now, the 20 to 60-second recording only applies if you do not answer the push notification that Ring sends to your home. If you can answer the notification and view them live, you can record for as long as ten minutes.

The drawback of answering a push notification is that it may be an inconvenient time for you to answer your phone, or you may be away from your phone altogether.

Final Thoughts

While Ring cameras like the Ring Doorbell are not equipped to record 24/7, they can be set up to start recording as soon as motion is detected. Users can change the sensitivity of the camera’s motion detection to alter how often the device records. However, this can quickly drain your camera’s battery, so it is often recommended that you choose a balanced setting to ensure your camera has enough battery to record when it needs to the most.