Ring Alarm Kit — Security Basics Guide
Ring Alarm Kit Security Basics guide covering professional monitoring, arming modes, sensor placement, and false alarm prevention.
Full text manual (for reference)
Ring Alarm Kit — Security Basics guide covering professional monitoring, arming modes, sensor placement, and false alarm prevention.
What Is Professional Monitoring?
Professional security monitoring watches your home and alerts authorities in an emergency. To enable it, subscribe to Ring Protect Plus at ring.com/protect-plans. Professional monitoring works via two systems together:
- The Alarm System — the Ring Alarm Base Station continuously watches all sensors. If a sensor reports a problem while the system is armed, the Base Station siren sounds and an alarm signal is sent to the central monitoring station.
- The Central Monitoring Station — a team that watches over homes with Ring Alarm systems. When the Base Station sends an alarm signal, a support agent calls you to check in; if there's an emergency, they can dispatch authorities.
Sensor states: Contact Sensors are open or closed; Motion Detectors are detecting motion or not. A sensor that would set off the alarm if armed is "faulted" (shown in red); one that's all clear is "cleared" (shown in blue).
Permits (Ring Protect Plus subscribers)
Depending on where you live, you may need a permit for professional monitoring. Requirements fall into three categories:
- You obtain the permit — Ring emails you the agency contacts, application link, and alarm ordinance if required.
- Ring obtains the permit — Ring submits the first application for you and emails you about costs and details needed.
- Permit not required — Ring emails you to confirm no action is needed.
Once you have your permit, add the permit number and expiration date to your account: open the Ring app side menu → Location Settings → Monitoring → Permits → select the permit type → enter number and expiration date → Save. Until you do this, emergency responders may not be dispatched during an emergency.
Practice Mode (Ring Protect Plus subscribers)
When you sign up for professional monitoring, you're placed in a 7-day Practice Mode. The system works normally, but emergency responders are not dispatched — giving you time to confirm everything works before it goes fully active. During Practice Mode, test:
- Do sensors become faulted at the right times?
- Can the sensors talk to the Base Station (are they in range)?
- Does the Base Station sound its alarm when a sensor becomes faulted (e.g. a door opens while Away/Home armed)?
Also obtain your alarm permits (and add them to your account) before the practice period ends.
Security Modes & Arming/Disarming via Keypad
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Away | All sensors in your home are monitored. Useful when going out. |
| Home | Exterior/perimeter sensors monitored; interior sensors are not. Useful when home but want to be alerted to a break-in attempt. |
| Disarmed | No sensors monitored. Useful when home and moving freely. |
To arm via Keypad: enter your access code, then press the Away or Home Mode button. To disarm: enter your access code, then press Disarmed. You can also arm/disarm from the Ring app by tapping the mode.
Sensor Bypass
When switching to an armed mode, the system checks for faulted sensors — you can't arm until you clear or bypass them. Bypassing lets you arm with a sensor in an insecure state (e.g. a window cracked open for a breeze); that sensor just won't be monitored while bypassed. Bypass a faulted sensor via the Ring app or by pressing the bypass button on the Keypad. Bypassing weakens your security temporarily, but can be useful in some situations.
Entry/Exit Delay
Exit Delay: a countdown (30 seconds to 2 minutes) after arming Away or Home that lets you leave before the system fully arms — chirps sound during the countdown.
Entry Delay: a countdown (30 seconds to 2 minutes) that lets you enter and disarm while in Away Mode before the alarm sounds — chirps warn you to disarm quickly.
Including Sensors in Modes
By default, Away monitors all sensors and Home monitors only exterior/perimeter sensors — but this is customizable. To choose which sensors are monitored in a mode: open the menu → Location Settings → Modes → select the mode → under "Monitored In This Mode" tap Sensors → tap a sensor to toggle monitored/not monitored.
Entry Delay Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Set Delay | Follows the delay time specified for the current mode. |
| No Delay | No entry delay time — if the sensor is faulted, the alarm sounds immediately. |
| Auto Delay (Motion Detectors only) | If the Motion Detector is the first sensor faulted, the alarm sounds immediately. If another sensor faults first, that sensor's own Entry Delay setting governs. |
Perimeter sensors (Contact Sensors) default to Set Delay, but can be set to No Delay. Motion Detectors default to Auto Delay, but can be set to Set Delay or No Delay. To change: Device List → tap the sensor → Location Settings → select the mode → confirm sensor is included → choose the delay.
Where to Place Your Devices
Ring Base Station
Communicates with all Ring Alarm devices and the central monitoring station. Works best in a central location in the home so it can communicate easily with all devices and be heard clearly. To install: find an outlet in a central location and plug in the Base Station. Add a Ring Range Extender if the Base Station struggles to reach a distant device.
Ring Range Extender
Expands the Ring Alarm network and strengthens communication for devices far from the Base Station. Install by plugging it into an outlet between the Base Station and the distant device.
Ring Contact Sensor
Installs on any door or window. Sensor and magnet must be perfectly aligned and no more than 1/4" apart when closed — orientation doesn't matter. To install: remove the brackets from the sensor and magnet, mount the brackets with the included tape or screws, then snap the sensor and magnet onto their brackets.
Ring Motion Detector
Installs flat on a wall or in a corner, ideally around 7 feet above the floor, with an unobstructed view of a high-traffic area an intruder would cross. Avoid pointing it at heat sources (stoves, fireplaces) or windows with direct sun. To install: remove the bracket, mount it with tape or screws, then snap the sensor onto the bracket.
Common household items that can trigger false motion alarms in Away Mode: unsupervised pets, balloons, curtains/banners/plants caught in a draft, and stacked items that could fall.
Ring Keypad
Mounts flush on a wall or props up on a table via the reversible bracket — usually placed near a door or in a hallway. Wall install: slide off the bracket, mount it with the included wall anchors (pre-drilling holes if needed), then slide the Keypad back on. Table install: slide off the bracket, flip it over, and slide it back onto the Keypad.
Preventing False Alarms
A false alarm occurs when the system triggers with no real emergency. On a self-monitored system this is just annoying; on a professionally monitored system it can trigger an unnecessary dispatch. Tips to reduce false alarms:
- Make sure everyone using the system is trained and has a disarm passcode, including anyone with a house key.
- Give household members/visitors personal access codes so you can track who's using the system.
- Disarm before replacing batteries in Contact Sensors or Motion Detectors.
- Make sure doors and windows close tightly — adjust hinges/strike plates so doors move no more than 1/4 inch when pushed.
When Something Goes Wrong (Ring Protect Plus subscribers)
- The central monitoring station calls you. If they can't reach you, they call your emergency contact.
- They ask for your verbal security password. Providing the wrong password causes them to dispatch authorities.
- They ask if everything is OK or if you want emergency responders dispatched.
- Emergency responders arrive, confirm you and your family are OK, and check the premises before leaving.
Emergency Contacts & Verbal Password (Ring Protect Plus subscribers)
If you're unreachable during an alarm, the monitoring station calls your designated emergency contact — a trusted family member, friend, or neighbor. They must be willing to: answer and provide the verbal passcode; be available to reach your home within 60 minutes if requested by Police/Fire; have a key or means of granting access; and know how to operate/disarm the system if directed.
The verbal security password is a single word affirming you're authorized to make security decisions for your home. Everyone authorized to use the alarm should know it — Ring requires it to cancel an alarm.
Add the monitoring center to your contacts: 833-209-2159.
Panic Mode
Press and hold the bypass ("★") and "X" buttons on the Keypad simultaneously to trigger panic mode. On a self-monitored system, the alarm sounds at the Base Station and Keypad. On a professionally monitored system, it sends a signal to the monitoring station, sounding the alarm and dispatching police.
Users & Roles
| Role | Access |
|---|---|
| Owner | Full control: all devices, all camera/doorbell video, notifications, managing Shared Users, and all system settings. |
| Shared User | Access without full control: can control/view cameras and doorbells they've been granted, receive and control notifications, and use their personal access code on Keypads. |
Notifications
Ring Alarm can notify you when a device goes offline, an alarm sounds, and other events. To adjust: open the side menu → Settings → Alerts → toggle notification types on/off.
FAQs
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| My door/window trim makes the Contact Sensor hard to place — can I adjust it? | Yes. It can be mounted in any direction; sensor and magnet lines must be aligned and no more than 1/2" apart. Works even tilted on angled molding — verify after install. |
| How should I test during Practice Mode? | Arm/disarm via Keypad and the app, fault a sensor while armed, and let the alarm sound — no dispatch occurs during the 7-day practice period. |
| How long before the monitoring station calls after an alarm? | After the alarm has been active for 30 seconds (plus any entry delay). Disarming before 30 seconds elapses prevents a call/dispatch. |
| Does the monitoring station have access to my Ring cameras? | No — they only receive information about your Ring Alarm. |
| What happens during a power outage? | Ring Alarm has battery and cellular backup. The Base Station stays powered up to 24 hours and keeps monitoring sensors; cellular backup sends alarm signals if internet is down. |
Family Exit Plan
In an emergency, your first responsibility is your family's safety. A good family exit plan should cover:
- How to leave the home
- Where to meet once everyone has left
- How to contact each other if you're not home
- Who should be notified next
For more help, visit ring.com/help for videos, user manuals, and answers. Review warranty coverage at ring.com/warranty.