Transferring a Ring Doorbell means removing it from your account and letting the new owner set it up on theirs

When you sell your home, move out of a rental, or give away a Ring doorbell, you need to remove it from your Ring account before the new owner can use it. Ring doorbells are tied to the account that set them up, so the new owner cannot straightforward plug it in and start using it — they will see an error message or be unable to connect to it until you have removed it from your account first.

The process takes about five minutes and involves signing into your Ring app, finding the device, and removing it. After that, the new owner can add it to their own Ring account as if it were brand new. You do not need to contact Ring support or do anything on their end — the whole transfer happens through the mobile app.

Key Takeaways

  • You must remove the doorbell from your Ring account before the new owner can set it up on theirs, using the Ring mobile app.
  • Removing a device from your account does not erase its settings or require a factory reset unless you want to clear your video history.
  • After you remove it, the new owner should reset the doorbell to factory settings before adding it to their account, to may support a clean connection.
  • If you forget to remove it before handing it over, the new owner can still remove it themselves from the Ring app if they have the device password.

Steps to Remove the Doorbell from Your Ring Account

Open the Ring mobile app on your phone and sign in with your account. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner, then select Devices. You will see a list of all Ring devices connected to your account — find the doorbell you are transferring and tap on it.

Once you have opened the device page, scroll down and look for a button labeled Remove Device or Delete Device. Tap it. Ring will ask you to confirm that you want to remove the device — this is your final note to back out. After you confirm, the doorbell will be removed from your account within a few seconds. You will no longer see it in your device list, and you will no longer receive notifications from it.

That is the entire process on your end. You do not need to unplug the doorbell, restart it, or do anything physical to it. The removal happens only in your account.

What the New Owner Needs to Do

Before the new owner sets up the doorbell on their account, they should perform a factory reset. This clears any lingering connection to your account and ensures the device starts fresh. To reset a Ring doorbell, hold down the reset button (usually on the back or bottom of the device) for 15 to 20 seconds until the light blinks orange, then release. The doorbell will restart.

After the reset is complete, the new owner should open the Ring app on their phone, sign in to their own Ring account, and tap the plus icon or Set Up Device button. They will select Doorbells, choose the model they have, and follow the on-screen steps to connect it to their Wi-Fi network. The app will walk them through entering their Wi-Fi password and naming the device. Once connected, they will be able to see video and receive notifications on their account.

Removing Video History Before Transfer

By default, removing a device from your Ring account does not delete the video recordings stored on Ring's servers. If you want to erase your video history before handing over the doorbell, you can do that from the app. Open the device page, scroll down, and look for Video Settings or Storage. You may see an option to delete all video or clear your history — the exact wording varies by Ring model and app version.

Keep in mind that once you remove the device from your account, you will no longer be able to view or delete that video history. If privacy is a concern, delete the video before you remove the device. After removal, the new owner will not see your old recordings — they will only see video captured after they add the doorbell to their account.

What Happens If You Forget to Remove It First

If you hand over the doorbell without removing it from your account, the new owner will see a message saying the device is already in use or cannot be added. They will not be able to set it up until it is removed from your account. At that point, you have two options: remove it yourself by signing into your Ring app, or give the new owner your device password so they can remove it themselves.

If you give them the password, they can go to the Ring app, tap Forgot Password on the login screen, and use your device password to access the device settings and remove it. This is not ideal because it requires sharing your password, but it works if you are no longer in contact with the previous owner or do not have access to your account.

Transferring Ring Protect Subscriptions

Ring Protect is an optional paid subscription that stores video in the cloud and adds features like person detection and video playback history. If you have an active Ring Protect subscription on your account, it stays with your account — it does not transfer to the new owner. When you remove the device, the new owner will lose access to those features unless they purchase their own Ring Protect subscription.

You can cancel your Ring Protect subscription at any time through the Ring app under Account Settings and Subscriptions. If you want to keep the subscription active for your other Ring devices, you do not need to do anything — removing one device does not affect your subscription or your other devices.

Transferring Ring Doorbells with Existing Wired Connections

If the doorbell is wired directly into your home's electrical system (as opposed to battery-powered), the new owner will need to know how to reconnect it after the factory reset. Wired Ring doorbells connect to your home's existing doorbell wiring, which is usually located in a breaker box or near the front door. The new owner should not need to do anything special — once they reset the device and add it to their account, it will work the same way it did for you.

If the wiring is damaged or the new owner is not comfortable working with electrical connections, they may want to hire an electrician to check the wiring before they set up the doorbell. This is not a Ring issue — it is a home electrical issue. Ring support cannot help with wiring problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to factory reset the doorbell before I remove it from my account?

No. You can remove it from your account without resetting it. However, the new owner should reset it after you remove it and before they add it to their account. This ensures a clean connection and clears any cached data from your setup.

Will the new owner see my old video recordings?

No. Once you remove the device from your account, the new owner will only see video recorded after they add it to their account. Your old recordings stay in your account history and are not visible to them, even if they have the device in their home.

What if I remove the doorbell but then want to add it back to my account?

You can add it back at any time by opening the Ring app, tapping the plus icon, and following the setup steps again. The doorbell does not need to be reset — it will reconnect to your account as long as it still has power and is in range of your Wi-Fi network.

Can the new owner remove the doorbell from my account themselves?

Only if you give them your device password. They can use that password to access the device settings in the Ring app and remove it. If you do not give them the password, only you can remove it from your account by signing into your Ring app.

Do I lose my Ring account when I remove a device?

No. Removing a device does not affect your Ring account or any other Ring devices you own. Your account stays active, and you can add new devices or manage existing ones as usual.