How to Transfer a Ring Camera to a New Owner

The short answer

Transferring a Ring camera to a new owner is a two-sided handover. The current owner removes the camera from their Ring account. The camera may also need a reset so it drops the old Wi-Fi settings. The new owner then adds it to their own Ring account as if it were a new device. Only the hardware changes hands. The previous owner's recordings, subscription plan and shared-user list stay with the previous owner's account.

The menu names below follow the general layout of the Ring app. No version-specific or model-specific documentation was supplied for this guide, so labels may differ in your version. If they do, follow the wording on your screen.

Which side are you on?

• Seller or current owner (for example, selling the camera or leaving it behind in a home you sold): follow the current-owner steps first.
• Buyer or new homeowner: you can only finish setup after the camera has been released from the previous account. If the previous owner did not release it, see the section on cameras still registered to someone else.

Before you start (current owner)

• Save any recordings you want to keep. After the camera is removed, you may no longer be able to reach its event history.
• Check whether a Ring subscription plan covers this camera, and decide whether to cancel or change it. Plans are tied to your account, not to the device.
• Remove any shared users who have access to this camera or location.
• If a reset will be needed, make sure you or the new owner will have physical access to the camera.

Steps for the current owner

• 1. Open the Ring app and sign in to the account that owns the camera.
• 2. Select the camera from your device list.
• 3. Open Device Settings, then General Settings.
• 4. Choose the option to remove the device and confirm when the app warns you about what will be lost.
• 5. If you are leaving the whole property, check whether you also want to remove other devices or the location itself.

How to tell it worked: the camera no longer appears in your device list, and you stop getting motion or ring alerts from it. If it is still listed after you reopen the app, the removal did not finish. Repeat the steps.

Resetting the camera

The essential step is removing the camera from the old account. A factory reset is a separate step. It clears the Wi-Fi network and other settings stored on the device itself, so the new owner can put it into setup mode. Most Ring cameras have a setup or reset button, but where it is and how long to hold it depend on the model. No model-specific instructions were supplied here, so check the manual or Ring's support material for your exact model.

How to tell it worked: the camera enters setup mode, usually shown by a light pattern described in the documentation for that model. The new owner's app should then be able to find it during setup.

Steps for the new owner

• 1. Install the Ring app, then create your own account or sign in to it. Do not use the previous owner's login.
• 2. Choose the option to set up a device and select the matching camera type.
• 3. Follow the prompts. The app may ask you to scan a code printed on the device or its packaging, or to put the camera into setup mode.
• 4. Connect the camera to your own Wi-Fi network when asked.
• 5. Name the camera and assign it to your location.
• 6. Review the motion settings, privacy zones (areas the camera ignores or masks) and the audio recording setting, so the camera captures only what you intend.

Checking the result, and what each check proves

• The camera appears in your device list: this proves the account transfer worked. It says nothing about whether video streams.
• Live view opens and shows a clear picture: this proves the camera is connected and sending video. It does not prove that events are being recorded.
• Walking in front of the camera triggers an alert and a new event in your history: this proves motion detection and notifications work. Whether past events are saved and can be played back may depend on having a subscription plan, so check your plan details in the app.
• If the camera has two-way talk, you hear audio in live view: this proves the microphone is picking up sound. Whether speech is clear enough to understand is a separate check, so test it with someone speaking at the camera.

If the camera is still registered to someone else

During setup, the app may say the device belongs to another account. The simplest fix is to ask the previous owner to remove it from their account using the steps above. If you cannot reach them, contact Ring customer support through the app or Ring's official support channels. Be ready to show that you own the device or the property, such as purchase or home-sale paperwork. No contact details or required document list were supplied for this guide, so confirm the exact requirements with Ring.

Privacy for both owners

• The new owner cannot see the previous owner's recordings. That history stays with the old account or is deleted when the device is removed.
• The previous owner loses live view and alerts once the camera is removed, so the old owner can no longer watch the new owner's home.
• New owners should check that no unexpected shared users or linked accounts remain on their location after setup.

Cameras on managed or business accounts

If the camera was set up on an account run by a landlord, property manager or employer, only that account owner or administrator can remove it. Ask them to release the device before you try to set it up yourself. Their own policies may also limit whether the hardware can be transferred at all.