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Alexa Not Working with Ring Doorbell: How to Fix It

You purchased a Ring doorbell specifically for its integration with Alexa. You expected seamless announcements when someone rings the doorbell, the ability to view your doorbell camera on Echo Show, and voice control over Ring features.

Instead, Alexa claims she can’t find your Ring doorbell, announcements never play, live view won’t work, or the two devices seem completely unaware of each other despite both working independently. This integration failure is particularly frustrating because Amazon owns Ring, making the incompatibility seem impossible.

Yet countless users experience problems connecting these supposedly compatible devices, with issues stemming from account linking problems, skill configuration errors, network conflicts, and device permission settings that aren’t immediately obvious.

Understanding Ring and Alexa Integration

Ring doorbells and Alexa devices integrate through the Ring Skill in the Alexa app. This isn’t a direct device-to-device connection, but rather both devices communicating through Amazon’s cloud services. Your Ring doorbell detects motion or button press, sends this information to Ring’s servers, which communicate with Alexa’s servers, which then send commands to your Echo devices to make announcements or display video.

This cloud-based architecture means both devices need working internet connections, proper account linking, correct skill configuration, and appropriate permissions. A failure at any point in this chain prevents integration from working. Unlike simple smart bulbs that connect directly to your Echo, Ring integration depends on multiple services synchronizing correctly.

What Ring-Alexa integration should do:

  • Announce doorbell button presses on Echo devices
  • Announce motion detection if configured
  • Display doorbell video on Echo Show when someone rings
  • Allow voice commands like “Alexa, show me the front door”
  • Provide two-way audio through Echo Show
  • Enable Do Not Disturb to silence doorbell announcements

When integration works properly, these features operate seamlessly. When it fails, you might get no announcements, video that won’t display, or Alexa claiming she doesn’t know what device you’re talking about.

Verify Ring Skill Is Properly Installed and Linked

The Ring Skill connects your Ring account to your Alexa account. Without proper skill installation and linking, integration cannot work.

Check if Ring Skill is installed:

  • Open Alexa app on smartphone
  • Tap More (bottom right menu)
  • Select Skills & Games
  • Tap Your Skills (top right)
  • Look for “Ring” in your skills list
  • If Ring doesn’t appear, the skill isn’t installed

Install Ring Skill:

  • In Alexa app, tap More > Skills & Games
  • Search for “Ring”
  • Select the official Ring skill (by Ring.com)
  • Tap “Enable to Use”
  • Sign in with your Ring account credentials
  • Grant permissions when prompted
  • Wait for linking to complete

Verify account linking:

  • After enabling skill, check linking status
  • Go to More > Skills & Games > Your Skills
  • Tap Ring skill
  • Should show “Account successfully linked”
  • If shows “Link Account,” tap it and link accounts
  • Must use same Ring account that controls your doorbell

Re-link accounts if necessary:

  • Sometimes linking becomes corrupted
  • In Ring skill settings, tap “Disable Skill”
  • Confirm disabling
  • Wait 30 seconds
  • Re-enable the Ring skill
  • Link accounts again fresh
  • This often resolves integration issues

Verify Devices Are on Same Amazon Account

Ring devices and Echo devices must be registered to the same Amazon account for integration to work.

Check Ring account:

  • Open Ring app
  • Tap menu (three lines)
  • Tap Account
  • Note the email address shown
  • This is the account controlling your Ring devices

Check Alexa account:

  • Open Alexa app
  • Tap More > Settings
  • Account information shows at top
  • Note the email address
  • This is the account controlling your Echo devices

If accounts don’t match:

  • Integration won’t work between different accounts
  • You must use the same Amazon account for both
  • Either transfer Ring devices to different account
  • Or transfer Echo devices to match Ring account
  • Cannot link Ring on one account to Alexa on another

Transfer Ring devices to different account:

  • In Ring app, go to device settings
  • Tap “Remove Device”
  • This unregisters device from current account
  • Set up device again on the correct account
  • Requires physical access to doorbell

Note about household accounts:

  • Amazon Household allows sharing devices between accounts
  • Ring devices can be shared this way
  • But primary account must still enable Ring skill
  • Integration works through primary account’s settings

Enable Doorbell Announcements

Even with proper skill installation, announcements must be explicitly enabled.

Enable announcements in Alexa app:

  • Open Alexa app
  • Tap Devices (bottom menu)
  • Tap Cameras
  • Find your Ring doorbell in the list
  • Tap the doorbell device
  • Scroll to “Doorbell Press Announcements”
  • Toggle this ON
  • Select which Echo devices should announce
  • Choose specific devices or “All Devices”

Enable announcements in Ring app:

  • Open Ring app
  • Tap the three lines (menu)
  • Select Devices
  • Tap your doorbell
  • Tap “Alexa” or “Smart Alerts”
  • Enable “Announce on Alexa devices”
  • Configure announcement preferences

Announcement settings to check:

  • Announcement type (chime, tone, or voice announcement)
  • Which Alexa devices receive announcements
  • Motion announcements (separate from doorbell press)
  • Quiet time settings that might silence announcements

Test announcements:

  • After enabling, press your Ring doorbell button
  • Wait 5-10 seconds
  • Echo devices should announce “Someone is at the front door”
  • If no announcement, continue troubleshooting

Discover Devices in Alexa App

After installing Ring skill, Alexa must discover your Ring devices.

Run device discovery:

  • Open Alexa app
  • Tap Devices
  • Tap the + icon (top right)
  • Select “Add Device”
  • Choose “Camera”
  • Select “Ring”
  • Tap “Discover Devices”
  • Wait while Alexa searches (30-60 seconds)
  • Your Ring doorbell should appear in discovered devices

If doorbell doesn’t appear:

  • Ensure Ring doorbell is online in Ring app
  • Verify Ring skill is properly linked
  • Check both devices on same Amazon account
  • Try disabling and re-enabling Ring skill
  • Run discovery again

After discovery:

  • Doorbell should appear in Alexa app under Devices > Cameras
  • Tap the device to configure settings
  • Enable announcements, choose Echo devices for notifications
  • Set up routines or voice commands if desired

Check Ring Doorbell Online Status

If your Ring doorbell is offline or has connectivity issues, integration with Alexa cannot work.

Verify doorbell is online:

  • Open Ring app
  • Look at your doorbell device
  • Should show green “Online” status
  • If shows “Offline,” doorbell isn’t connected to internet

Troubleshoot Ring offline issues:

  • Check your home Wi-Fi is working
  • Move closer to router if doorbell is at edge of range
  • Verify doorbell has adequate power (battery charged or wired properly)
  • Check Ring Health in Ring app for signal strength and connectivity details
  • Doorbell needs at least RSSI -60 or better for reliable operation

Restart Ring doorbell:

  • Remove doorbell from mounting bracket
  • If battery powered, remove battery for 10 seconds, reinsert
  • If wired, turn off power at breaker for 30 seconds, turn back on
  • Wait for doorbell to reconnect (1-2 minutes)
  • Verify online status in Ring app

Check Ring service status:

  • Visit status.ring.com or search “Ring status”
  • Verify Ring’s cloud services are operational
  • Service outages prevent Alexa integration
  • If outage exists, wait for Ring to resolve

Verify Echo Devices Are Online and Working

Your Echo devices must be functioning properly for Ring announcements to work.

Check Echo online status:

  • Open Alexa app
  • Tap Devices > Echo & Alexa
  • Each Echo should show “Online”
  • If any show “Offline,” those won’t receive Ring announcements

Test Echo responsiveness:

  • Say “Alexa, what time is it?”
  • Each Echo should respond normally
  • If Echo doesn’t respond, troubleshoot Echo connectivity separately
  • Ring announcements won’t work on non-responsive Echos

Check Echo volume:

  • Ring announcements play at current volume level
  • If volume is muted or very low, you won’t hear announcements
  • Say “Alexa, set volume to 5”
  • Test with medium volume level

Check Do Not Disturb:

  • Do Not Disturb silences announcements
  • Say “Alexa, turn off Do Not Disturb”
  • Or check in Alexa app: Devices > Echo & Alexa > Your Device > Do Not Disturb
  • Ensure DND is disabled on devices that should announce

Enable Live View on Echo Show

If you have Echo Show, Ring integration should display video when doorbell rings.

Enable video auto-display:

  • Open Alexa app
  • Tap Devices > Cameras
  • Select your Ring doorbell
  • Find “Home Monitoring” section
  • Enable “Announce cameras automatically”
  • Select which Echo Show devices should display video

Manual live view:

  • Say “Alexa, show me [doorbell name]”
  • Example: “Alexa, show me the front door”
  • Echo Show should display doorbell video
  • If Alexa says she can’t find that device, name might be wrong

Check device name:

  • In Ring app, note exact name of doorbell
  • Use this exact name in voice commands
  • Change name if easier: Ring app > Device > Device Settings > General Settings > Name

Grant camera permissions:

  • Some Echo Show models require explicit camera permission
  • Alexa app > Devices > Echo & Alexa > Your Echo Show
  • Check that camera access is enabled
  • Allow Alexa to access camera feeds

Test live view:

  • Say “Alexa, show the front door”
  • Video should appear within 3-5 seconds
  • First connection may take longer as stream establishes
  • Subsequent connections are faster

Update Both Ring and Alexa Apps

Outdated apps cause compatibility issues between Ring and Alexa.

Update Ring app:

iPhone:

  • Open App Store
  • Tap profile icon (top right)
  • Find Ring in updates list
  • Tap Update if available

Android:

  • Open Google Play Store
  • Search for Ring app
  • Tap Update if available

Update Alexa app:

  • Follow same process for Alexa app
  • Check both App Store (iPhone) or Play Store (Android)
  • Install any available updates

Update Ring doorbell firmware:

  • Ring doorbells update automatically
  • Check current firmware: Ring app > Device > Device Settings > General Settings > Device Info
  • Compare to latest version on Ring’s website
  • If outdated, doorbell should update automatically when idle
  • Can take 24 hours for updates to push to all devices

After updates:

  • Restart both apps (force close and reopen)
  • May need to disable and re-enable Ring skill
  • Test integration again

Network and Wi-Fi Issues

Both Ring and Echo devices need stable Wi-Fi, and certain network configurations prevent proper integration.

Check both devices are on same Wi-Fi network:

  • Ring doorbells and Echo must be on same network for optimal integration
  • If you have multiple Wi-Fi networks (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz with different names), this matters
  • Check Ring app for doorbell’s network
  • Check Alexa app for Echo’s network
  • Move devices to same network if different

Router compatibility issues:

  • Some router security settings block device-to-device communication
  • Check for AP Isolation or Client Isolation settings in router
  • Disable these features if enabled
  • They prevent devices from discovering each other

UPnP settings:

  • Universal Plug and Play helps devices communicate
  • Enable UPnP in router settings if disabled
  • Usually in Advanced or Network settings
  • Improves Ring-Alexa communication

Firewall restrictions:

  • Overly aggressive router firewalls block Ring or Alexa services
  • Temporarily set firewall to minimal to test
  • If integration works with reduced firewall, adjust settings to allow Ring and Alexa traffic

Check bandwidth:

  • Video doorbell requires adequate bandwidth
  • If internet is slow or congested, video may fail
  • Run speed test: need at least 2 Mbps upload speed for Ring
  • Echo Show needs 5+ Mbps download for video display

Restart router:

  • Unplug router power
  • Wait 30 seconds
  • Plug back in
  • Wait 2-3 minutes for full restart
  • Test integration after network stabilizes

Two-Way Talk Issues Through Echo Show

If video works but you can’t hear or speak through Echo Show, separate settings control audio.

Enable two-way audio:

  • During live view on Echo Show
  • Tap the microphone icon on screen
  • This enables two-way talk
  • Speak toward Echo Show, person at door hears you
  • You hear person at door through Echo Show speaker

Check Echo Show microphone:

  • Ensure microphone isn’t muted (red indicator)
  • Press microphone button to unmute if needed
  • Microphone must be active for two-way talk

Check Echo Show volume:

  • You won’t hear doorbell visitor if volume is too low
  • Adjust volume during live view
  • Or say “Alexa, volume 5” before viewing

Audio delay:

  • Two-way audio has inherent delay (1-3 seconds typical)
  • This is normal due to internet latency
  • Pause between speaking to allow for delay
  • Not a malfunction, just physics of internet communication

Motion Detection Announcements

Motion announcements are separate from doorbell press announcements and require additional configuration.

Enable motion announcements:

  • Alexa app > Devices > Cameras > Your Ring doorbell
  • Find “Motion Announcements” or “Motion Detection”
  • Toggle ON
  • Select which Echo devices announce motion
  • Choose notification style (tone, chime, or voice)

Adjust in Ring app:

  • Ring app > Device > Motion Settings
  • Verify motion detection is enabled
  • Check motion zones are configured
  • Adjust sensitivity if getting too many or too few alerts

Warning about motion announcements:

  • Can be excessive if high traffic area
  • You may get announcements every few minutes
  • Consider using only doorbell press announcements
  • Or configure motion zones to ignore sidewalks/street

Motion announcement delay:

  • Motion announcements typically have 10-30 second delay
  • This is normal processing time
  • Not as immediate as doorbell press announcements

Create Alexa Routines for Advanced Integration

Routines provide more control over how Ring and Alexa interact.

Create doorbell routine:

  • Alexa app > More > Routines
  • Tap + icon (create new routine)
  • When this happens: Select Smart Home
  • Choose your Ring doorbell
  • Select “Doorbell Press Detected”
  • Add action: Announce message or play specific sound
  • Choose which devices perform the action
  • Save routine

Example routine actions:

  • Turn on porch lights when doorbell rings
  • Announce custom message: “Someone’s at the door!”
  • Display video on specific Echo Show
  • Send notification to phone
  • Pause music when doorbell rings

Motion detection routine:

  • Similar process but choose “Motion Detected” trigger
  • Can create smart alerts for specific times
  • Example: Only announce motion between 10 PM and 6 AM

Multiple routines:

  • Create different routines for different scenarios
  • Daytime doorbell routine (simple announcement)
  • Nighttime doorbell routine (announcement plus lights)
  • Routines override default announcement behavior

Remove and Re-Add Ring Device

If integration remains broken, removing and re-adding the Ring device to Alexa often resolves stubborn issues.

Remove Ring from Alexa:

  • Alexa app > Devices > Cameras
  • Tap your Ring doorbell
  • Scroll down and tap “Remove Device”
  • Confirm removal
  • This doesn’t affect Ring app or doorbell itself
  • Only removes from Alexa integration

Disable Ring skill:

  • More > Skills & Games > Your Skills
  • Find Ring skill
  • Tap “Disable Skill”
  • Confirm disabling
  • Wait 1-2 minutes

Re-enable Ring skill:

  • Skills & Games > Search “Ring”
  • Enable Ring skill
  • Link accounts again
  • Grant all permissions

Discover devices:

  • Devices > + icon > Add Device > Camera > Ring
  • Discover devices
  • Ring doorbell should reappear
  • Reconfigure announcement settings

This process:

  • Clears corrupted linking data
  • Reestablishes fresh connection between services
  • Often fixes mysterious integration failures

Alexa Voice Commands for Ring

If integration works but voice commands fail, you might be using wrong phrasing.

Supported voice commands:

  • “Alexa, show me [doorbell name]” – Display live view
  • “Alexa, show the front door” – If doorbell named “Front Door”
  • “Alexa, talk to the front door” – Two-way audio via Echo Show
  • “Alexa, stop” – End video display
  • “Alexa, what’s at the front door?” – Check for motion/events

Commands that DON’T work:

  • “Alexa, open the Ring doorbell” – Not recognized
  • “Alexa, check Ring” – Too vague
  • “Alexa, answer the doorbell” – Not supported phrasing

Troubleshooting voice command issues:

  • Use exact device name from Alexa app
  • Simplify device name if it’s complicated
  • Change “Ring Video Doorbell” to “Front Door” for easier commands
  • Alexa app > Devices > Cameras > Device > Edit Name

Test with Echo Show:

  • Voice commands work best with Echo Show devices
  • Echo speakers can announce but can’t display video
  • “Show me” commands require Echo Show or Fire TV

Ring Protect Subscription Considerations

Some integration features require Ring Protect subscription.

Free features (no subscription needed):

  • Live view through Alexa
  • Doorbell press announcements
  • Motion detection announcements
  • Two-way talk

Ring Protect features:

  • Video history (reviewing past events)
  • Person detection
  • Some advanced motion zones
  • These features enhance Ring functionality but aren’t required for Alexa integration

If announcements work but video doesn’t:

  • Subscription isn’t the issue
  • Video display should work without subscription
  • Problem is likely network, permissions, or device configuration

Multiple Ring Devices with Alexa

If you have multiple Ring devices (doorbell, cameras, etc.), each needs individual configuration.

Discover all Ring devices:

  • Each Ring camera/doorbell must be discovered separately
  • After enabling Ring skill, run device discovery
  • All Ring devices on your account should appear

Configure each device individually:

  • Alexa app > Devices > Cameras
  • Each Ring device has separate settings
  • Enable announcements per device
  • Choose which Echos announce for which Ring device

Naming strategy:

  • Give distinctive names: “Front Doorbell,” “Back Camera,” “Garage Camera”
  • Makes voice commands easier
  • Prevents confusion when multiple devices trigger

Announcement management:

  • Can route different Ring devices to different Echos
  • Front doorbell announces on living room Echo
  • Back camera announces on bedroom Echo
  • Prevents announcement overload on one device

Battery-Powered vs Wired Ring Doorbells

Integration features may vary based on doorbell power source.

Battery-powered Ring doorbells:

  • Work fully with Alexa when battery charged
  • Low battery can cause connectivity issues
  • Check battery level in Ring app regularly
  • Charge battery before drops below 20%
  • Dead battery means no integration (doorbell is offline)

Wired Ring doorbells:

  • More reliable for continuous integration
  • No battery concerns
  • Constant power enables faster response
  • Advanced features work better (pre-roll, snapshot capture)

Hardwired with battery backup:

  • Best of both worlds
  • Wired power for reliability
  • Battery for backup during power outages
  • Optimal for Alexa integration

If battery-powered doorbell has issues:

  • Verify battery isn’t low
  • Cold weather reduces battery performance
  • Consider wired installation or solar charger for better reliability

Check Alexa Communication Settings

Alexa’s communication features must be properly configured for some Ring integration functions.

Enable Alexa communication:

  • Alexa app > More > Communication
  • Follow setup prompts if not yet configured
  • Verify phone number and permissions
  • Required for some announcement features

Check notification settings:

  • Phone settings > Alexa app > Notifications
  • Enable notifications
  • Without notification permission, some alerts won’t work
  • Both Ring app and Alexa app need notification access

Do Not Disturb conflicts:

  • Phone’s Do Not Disturb can silence Alexa notifications
  • Check phone’s DND settings
  • Allow Alexa notifications even during DND if desired

Troubleshoot Echo Show Specific Issues

Echo Show devices have unique requirements for Ring video display.

Echo Show camera permission:

  • Alexa app > Devices > Echo & Alexa > Your Echo Show > Communications
  • Ensure camera access is granted
  • Without this, video features fail

Echo Show software update:

  • Swipe down from top of Echo Show screen
  • Tap Settings > Device Options > Check for Software Updates
  • Install any available updates
  • Outdated Echo Show software causes Ring compatibility issues

Echo Show positioning:

  • During video calls/display, person can see you through Echo Show camera
  • Not relevant for functionality but worth knowing
  • Cover camera if privacy concerns

Display timeout:

  • Ring video auto-displays when doorbell rings
  • Usually shows for 30-60 seconds
  • Configure timeout: Alexa app > Device settings > Camera auto-display duration

When Ring Works But Alexa Doesn’t

If Ring app shows everything working fine but Alexa integration fails, the issue is specifically with the skill or account linking.

Verify in Ring app first:

  • Open Ring app
  • Test doorbell button press
  • Check motion detection works
  • View live video
  • If Ring app works perfectly, doorbell hardware is fine

Focus on Alexa-specific troubleshooting:

  • Problem is Ring skill, account linking, or Alexa configuration
  • Not doorbell hardware or Ring service
  • Review skill installation and account linking steps above
  • Check Amazon account consistency

Check Ring’s Alexa settings:

  • Ring app may have separate Alexa integration section
  • Ring app > Menu > Control Center > Alexa
  • Or check device settings for Alexa integration toggles
  • Ensure integration is enabled on Ring’s side

Contact Support Options

If you’ve exhausted troubleshooting, both Ring and Amazon offer support.

Ring Support:

  • Visit support.ring.com
  • Chat or phone support available
  • Ring support can verify account status
  • Check if doorbell is properly configured for Alexa
  • Verify no service issues affecting your device

Amazon Alexa Support:

  • Visit amazon.com/alexahelp
  • Support for Echo devices and Alexa services
  • Can verify account linking status
  • Check if devices are properly registered

What to tell support:

  • “Ring doorbell works in Ring app but won’t integrate with Alexa”
  • Mention troubleshooting already attempted
  • Provide device models (Ring doorbell model, Echo models)
  • Note any error messages you’ve seen
  • Whether integration ever worked or failed from the start

Community forums:

  • Ring Community and Amazon Alexa forums have active users
  • Search for similar issues
  • Many users share solutions that worked for them
  • Post your specific problem if no existing solutions fit

Ring and Alexa integration failures are frustrating precisely because these Amazon-owned products should work seamlessly together. The integration depends on proper Ring Skill installation, correct account linking, explicit announcement permissions, device discovery, and compatible network configuration. Most integration problems stem from one or more of these foundational elements not being properly configured rather than actual incompatibility between devices. By systematically verifying skill installation, ensuring both devices use the same Amazon account, enabling announcements explicitly, running device discovery, and confirming both Ring and Echo have stable internet connections, you can identify and fix the specific point of failure. Once properly configured, Ring-Alexa integration provides genuine convenience – answering your door without leaving your couch, monitoring your front door through voice commands, and receiving instant notifications of visitors on your Echo devices throughout your home.