How Long Does Ring Doorbell Store Video Without a Subscription in the UK?
Curious how long your Ring Doorbell saves video without a subscription in the UK? Discover exactly what happens to your footage, tips, and expert advice.
Ring Video History Explained – How Long Does Your Footage Stay?
If you own a Ring doorbell or camera, you’ve probably wondered how long the video actually sticks around. The short answer: it depends on your subscription, the device, and how you set it up. Below we break down the basics, show you how to check your own footage, and give quick tips to keep your data private.
What’s Stored and for How Long?
Ring offers three main plans – Basic (no cloud), Protect Basic, and Protect Plus. With no subscription, you only get live view and a 24‑hour snapshot history. That means you can see a still image of the last motion event, but no video playback.
Protect Basic gives you 60‑day video storage for one device. Protect Plus expands that to 60 days for all your Ring devices and adds extra features like professional monitoring. If you upgrade, Ring keeps each clip for up to 60 days unless you delete it earlier.
Older Ring models (like the original Ring Video Doorbell) may still store a limited amount of video on the internal memory, but the file size is tiny and it’s overwritten quickly. Modern devices rely almost entirely on cloud storage, so the plan you pay for determines the retention period.
How to Access Your Ring Video History
Open the Ring app, tap the device thumbnail, and select “History.” You’ll see a timeline of motion events and doorbell rings. Tap any entry to play the clip, view a snapshot, or download the file. You can also filter by date, event type, or saved clips.
Want to export a video? Press the share icon while the clip is playing. The file will save to your phone’s gallery, and you can email it or move it to a computer. Remember, exporting a clip doesn’t affect its cloud storage duration.
If you’re concerned about privacy, you can set “Auto‑Delete” under Settings → Video → Auto‑Delete. Choose a shorter window – 7, 30, or 60 days – and Ring will automatically purge videos older than that, even if you have a Protect plan.
Now that you know the basics, here are three quick actions to make your Ring video history work for you:
- Check your plan: Open the app’s “Account” section to see which Protect tier you have and how many devices are covered.
- Set motion zones wisely: Fewer false alerts mean fewer unnecessary clips, saving storage and keeping the timeline tidy.
- Enable Auto‑Delete: Pick a retention period that matches your privacy comfort level.
Bottom line: Ring’s video history isn’t endless, but with the right plan and a few settings tweaks, you’ll have the footage you need without clutter. Got more questions? The Ring help centre has detailed articles, or you can reach out to our Birmingham Security Command Center team for personalized advice.
