Transfer ownership by removing the device from your account and letting the new owner add it to theirs

When you sell your home or move out, your Ring doorbell stays with the property. The new owner cannot use it until you remove it from your Ring account and they set it up on theirs. This takes about 10 minutes on your end and requires you to have the Ring app, know your account password, and have the device's MAC address or serial number handy.

The new owner will need their own Ring account (free to create) and the device's setup code, which is printed on the back of the doorbell or inside the battery compartment. You do not transfer the account itself — you delete the device from your account, and they add it fresh to theirs.

Key Takeaways

  • You must remove the doorbell from your Ring account before the new owner can set it up on theirs.
  • The new owner needs the setup code printed on the device itself, not a password or account credentials from you.
  • Removing the device takes five minutes in the Ring app under Devices and Settings.
  • After removal, the doorbell will reset to factory settings and the new owner can add it to their account immediately.
  • If you forget to remove it, the new owner can still set it up, but you will retain access to video and alerts until you remove it yourself.

Steps to remove the doorbell from your account

Open the Ring 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. Find your Ring doorbell in the list and tap it.

Scroll down to the bottom of the device settings page. You will see a Remove Device button. Tap it, and Ring will ask you to confirm. After you confirm, the doorbell is removed from your account immediately. You will no longer receive notifications or video from that device.

If you are using the web version of the Ring app instead of the mobile app, log in at ring.com, go to Devices, select your doorbell, scroll to the bottom, and click Remove Device. The process is the same.

What the new owner needs to do

The new owner should create a free Ring account if they do not already have one. They can do this on the Ring website or in the Ring app. They will need an email address and password.

Once they have an account, they open the Ring app, tap the plus icon to add a new device, and select the type of device (Ring Video Doorbell, Ring Doorbell Pro, etc.). The app will ask for the setup code, which is printed on a sticker on the back of the doorbell or inside the battery compartment. They scan the code with their phone camera or type it in manually.

The app will then walk them through connecting the doorbell to their Wi-Fi network. For wired doorbells, they may need to turn off the power at the breaker during installation. Once the Wi-Fi connection is complete, the doorbell is active on their account and they can start receiving video and alerts.

What happens if you forget to remove it first

If the new owner sets up the doorbell before you remove it from your account, both accounts will have access to the device temporarily. Ring will send you a notification that a new device has been added to your account. You will still be able to see video and receive alerts until you manually remove it.

This is not a security problem — the new owner is not accessing your account, and you are not accessing theirs. You are both connected to the same physical device. However, it means you will continue to receive notifications from a doorbell you no longer own, which is why removing it first is cleaner.

If this happens, simply remove the device from your account as described above. The new owner's access will not be affected.

Transferring the physical doorbell itself

If the doorbell is battery-powered (like the Ring Video Doorbell 4), you can simply hand it to the new owner. There is nothing to disconnect or reinstall. If it is wired into your home's electrical system (like the Ring Video Doorbell Pro or Ring Doorbell Pro 2), the new owner may need an electrician to disconnect it from the old wiring and reconnect it to theirs, depending on your home's setup.

Some wired doorbells can be moved to a different location in the same home by running new wire, which is a job for an electrician. If the new owner wants to keep it in the same location, no rewiring is needed — just the account transfer.

Check your purchase paperwork or the Ring website to see whether your model is battery-powered or wired. If you are unsure, the new owner can ask an electrician during the walkthrough.

Protecting your privacy after removal

Once you remove the doorbell from your account, you have no access to its video or alerts. Ring does not store video from the device on your account after removal — the new owner's account is the only one that will have access to recordings going forward.

If you are concerned about video recorded before the transfer, note that Ring stores video for 60 days by default (longer if you pay for a Ring Protect subscription). You can delete your own video history before you remove the device by opening the Ring app, selecting the doorbell, tapping Videos, and deleting individual recordings or all of them at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to tell Ring that I am moving or selling my home?

No. Ring does not require notification. You simply remove the device from your account, and that is the end of your relationship with that doorbell. The new owner sets it up on their own account independently.

What if I do not have the setup code?

The setup code is printed on a sticker on the back of the doorbell or inside the battery compartment. If the sticker is missing or unreadable, the new owner can contact Ring support with the device's serial number (also on the sticker or in the battery compartment) and Ring can provide the code. You do not need the code to remove the device from your account.

Can the new owner use my Wi-Fi password?

Yes. During setup, the new owner will connect the doorbell to their Wi-Fi network. They can use the same network you used or a different one. The doorbell works on any 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network.

Will the new owner see my video history?

No. When you remove the doorbell from your account, all your video history is deleted from that device. The new owner starts with a blank slate. Their account will only record video from the moment they set it up.

What if the new owner does not have a Ring account yet?

They can create one for free at ring.com or in the Ring app. It takes two minutes and requires only an email address and password. They do not need any information from you except the setup code on the device itself.