How To Fix a Ring Floodlight That Keeps Flashing

Home security devices can help you feel safer in your home, and there are many systems with a variety of options for securing your home.

Among the standout companies in home security is Ring which is known for its doorbell cameras.

However, they also offer many other products to help you create a “ring” of protection around your home, and one of these products is the Ring Floodlight.

If your Ring Floodlight keeps flashing—not necessarily strobing, but going on and off too frequently—some fixes include:

1. Replacing the batteries.
2. Adjusting the light’s sensitivity controls.
3. Checking the firmware.
4. Checking the hardware.

If the issue with your flashing Ring Floodlight can’t be fixed using these fixes, your unit may need repair.

Luckily, the fixes referenced above are relatively minor and can be handled quickly without you having to call in an electrician or home security expert.

1. Replacing the Batteries

The first indicator of low batteries in your Ring Floodlight usually isn’t that the unit quits turning on at all.

You’ll most likely get some warning, and one of these warnings includes the lights turning on and off when they otherwise shouldn’t.

Just like your smoke detector chirps at you when its battery gets low, your lights may trigger when the battery is low.

The difference is that the smoke detector was designed to chirp as a warning.

In the case of the Ring Floodlight, the flashing is more of a side effect of a dying battery. 

If you’re having this issue, charge the battery, and you’ll most likely resolve the problem.

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. Push the white button on the battery compartment to open it.
2. Push the release tab and pull out the battery.
3. Charge it through its micro-USB port until the charging light is solid green (not flashing).
4. Re-insert the battery and wait a few moments for the unit to boot back up.

If, after following these steps, you still have flashing floodlights, move on to another possible solution.

2. Adjusting the Light’s Sensitivity Controls 

Especially in a kid- and pet-heavy neighborhood, your Ring Floodlight’s sensor will react to a lot of things.

Then there are the pests roaming around yards at night when people tend not to bother them.

If your sensitivity controls are too high, the sensor may be detecting a cat, possum, or something similar and sending the signal to trigger the lights.

High enough sensitivity can also cause heavy winds through nearby branches to trigger the sensor.

Since most of us have Ring Floodlights for the purpose of seeing people approaching the house, you can lower your sensor’s sensitivity level enough that a dog strolling through your lawn won’t activate the floods but still be sensitive enough to pick out an approaching person and then turn on the lights.

If your sensitivity is too high or too low, your lights will be essentially useless.

You can find your Goldilox zone through the Devices tab in the Ring app. To get there, you should:

1. Open your Ring app on your smartphone.
2. Tap “Devices,” then choose the device giving you problems—in this case, the one flashing off and on.
3. Tap “Motion Settings,” then “Motion Zones.”
4. Follow the app’s prompts as it guides you through lowering sensor sensitivity (you can raise sensitivity in this same place if you need to).

3. Checking the Firmware 

Ring occasionally sends updates to the firmware running your security system, and if yours hasn’t updated, that could be a source of a malfunction.

In the Device Settings tab in the Ring app, you’ll see a prompt if a firmware update needs installing.

You may also have a problem with the Grouping feature of the Ring system. You’ll need a Ring Smart Lighting from Amazon to use this feature.

This device pairs with your existing Ring lights so that you’re notified immediately when they detect any motion.

You can also use it to customize the settings on your Ring lights.

Connecting it to your Ring doorbells and lights allows you to create an extensive, interconnected home security system.

If you already have this device and have groups set up, a flashing problem could be rooted there.

Through the Ring app’s Grouping tab, you can see the groups of lights your home uses and even get some information on how each light in the group is functioning.

Using the Ring app, try removing the offending light from the group.

If the flashing stops, you’ve found the problem.

You can then try adding it back to the groups after waiting a few minutes.

If the flashing starts up again, consider getting that light checked out by a professional.

4. Checking the Hardware

Before you go to too much trouble with checking wiring and connections and such, try resetting the unit.

Do you know how the IT guy at the office usually starts with restarting your computer? This is along the same lines. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Ensure your Ring Floodlight is connected to a power source.
2. Press and hold the reset button on the side of the unit. Note that, depending on the model, it may be in a different spot.
3. Wait for the unit to reset.
4. Reconfigure it to your settings, as the reset reverted the unit to factory settings.

Failing a reset, you may have an issue with power.

If your unit isn’t battery-powered, you’ll need to ensure your Ring Floodlight wiring runs uninterrupted to the power source and that the wires are all in good condition.

Conclusion 

If you have a Ring Floodlight and anyone approaches your home at night, they’ll be bathed in light and caught on camera, making it a good theft deterrent.

However, system problems can render it ineffective, so you need to address any issues immediately.

If your light keeps flashing, here are some questions to ask:

• Do the batteries need charging?
• Are the sensitivity controls set too high?
• Does the firmware need updating? Does the unit need a factory reset?
• Is there a hardware problem?