Ring doorbells are a great way to see who's at the front door, but they also make a tempting target for thieves. A stolen doorbell not only costs you money, it also leaves a blind spot on your property. The good news? You can make stealing your Ring a lot harder with a few cheap tweaks and smart habits.
First thing to check is how your Ring is attached. The stock screws are easy to remove, so swap them for tamper‑resistant screws (often called “security screws”). They need a special screwdriver, which means a casual thief will give up quickly. If you can, mount the doorbell a few inches higher than eye level – that puts it out of reach for most people with a ladder.
Use a mounting plate that covers the back of the unit. Some third‑party plates come with a lockable cover, so even if someone unscrews the unit, they still have to break the cover to get to the wiring.
Ring doorbells can run on battery or be hard‑wired. If you have a wired model, protect the power cable. Run the cable through a conduit that’s buried or hidden behind a wall, and seal any entry points with silicone. For battery models, keep spare batteries hidden away – a thief won’t find a quick power source and will move on.
Enable the built‑in tamper alert in the Ring app. This sends a push notification the moment the doorbell is moved or its battery is removed. An instant alert gives you a chance to call the police or check live video before the thief gets away.
Every extra camera makes a thief think twice. Install a small, hidden security camera that points at the doorbell. It can be a cheap Wi‑Fi bullet cam or a motion‑activated spotlight with a built‑in recorder. When motion is detected, the light flashes and the camera records – a loud visual cue that the area is being watched.
Consider a motion sensor or door contact sensor on the same wall as the Ring. When the sensor is tripped, it can trigger a loud alarm or send a higher‑priority alert to your phone.
Register the serial number of your Ring on the manufacturer’s website. If it’s stolen, you can report the number to the police and to Ring’s support team. Some home‑insurance policies cover smart‑home devices, so check your policy and add the doorbell’s value if needed.
Mark the unit with a discreet identifier – a tiny sticker with a code that only you know. This won’t stop a thief, but it makes it easier for law enforcement to prove ownership if the doorbell pops up on a resale site.
Check the mounting screws once a month – a loose screw is a red flag. Keep the Ring app updated so you always have the latest security patches. Finally, share the tamper‑alert setting with another trusted household member; two eyes are better than one.
With these simple steps you turn a low‑effort target into a high‑effort headache for anyone thinking about stealing your Ring. It’s all about making the doorbell harder to grab, quicker to notice, and easier to protect.
Worried about someone swiping your Ring doorbell? This article covers simple and effective ways to protect your device from theft. Discover smart installation tricks, useful add-ons, and tech features that put you back in control. Learn how to act fast if your Ring does go missing and know what the Ring Theft Protection policy actually does for you. Stay one step ahead of thieves and secure your home’s front line.