After reports of bad actors gaining access to people’s doorbells and security cameras, you might be interested in beefing up your account security. The easiest way to do this is to change your password and set up two-factor authentication. Here’s how.
Change your Ring account password
If you’re worried that your password has been stolen, used elsewhere, or hasn’t changed in quite some time, the first thing you should do is change your login information. We recommend that you download a password manager and use it to generate a random and secure password for your account.
When you’re ready to change your Ring account password, you can do so on the company’s website or mobile app on Android, iPhone, or iPad.
RELATED:Why you should use a password manager and how to get started
Change your password online
Start by going to the Ring site. From there, click on the «Login» button in the top right corner.
Next, sign in to your account.
Hover over your name in the top right corner and then select the «Account» option.
Click the «Change» link in the «Password» section.
Enter the current password for your Ring account, and then enter your new password. Once the new password has been entered in both fields, you can click the «Change Password» button.
If you entered the correct old password and the new password meets Ring’s minimum criteria, your account password will be changed.
Change your password on the mobile app
If you are primarily accessing the Ring camera from your smartphone or tablet, you can change your account password on the company’s mobile app. The screenshots below were taken on an iPhone, but the steps are identical on Android and iPad.
Start by opening the Ring app on your mobile device.
On the toolbar, click the hamburger icon in the top left corner to open the overflow menu.
Select the «Account» option found in the middle of the list.
Click on the «Change» button to the right of the «Password» list.
Enter your current and new password, and then click the Update Password button to change your password.
Turn on two-factor authentication on your Ring account
Whether you have changed your Ring account password or not, you must enable two-factor authentication. The extra security is enough to keep most of the bad actors out of your account.
The only prerequisite for enabling two-factor authentication is that you have a phone number associated with your Ring account. It should already be there, but the installation process goes through adding a phone number if it’s not already there.
Enable two-factor authentication online
Start by opening your web browser and going to the Ring website. Once the page has loaded, click the «Login» button in the top right corner.
From there, log into your account.
Hover over your name in the top right corner and then select the «Account» option.
You will now see your name, phone number, and email associated with your account. If the number has been updated, you can proceed to the next step. If it’s not, click the «Update» link, enter the correct phone number, and click the «Save Changes» button.
Two-factor authentication settings can be found in the Advanced Security section. Click the «Enable» link to enable this feature.
The Ring site will now provide you with a little information about what two-factor authentication is and how it works. Click the blue «Enable Two-Factor» button at the bottom of the page to continue.
Confirm that you are the account owner by re-entering your email address and password. Click the «Continue» button to continue.
Enter the phone number you want to use for two-factor authentication. Unfortunately, Ring does not offer an application-based form of authentication. You can only vouch for the code via SMS.
Once you’ve double-checked that the number you entered is correct, click the blue «Continue» button at the bottom of the page.
After a couple of seconds, you will receive a text message from Ring. Enter the six-digit verification code into your web browser and click the Verify button.
This is it! You have successfully enabled two-factor authentication on your Ring account.
Click the «Back to Settings» button to exit the setup process.
If for any reason you want to disable two-factor authentication, repeating the above steps will disable the extra security.
Enable two-factor authentication in the mobile app
Just like changing your password, it’s very easy to enable two-factor authentication on the Ring mobile app. As we mentioned above, the screenshots below were taken on an iPhone, but the steps are identical on Android and iPad.
Start by opening the Ring app on your mobile device.
From the home screen, tap on the hamburger icon in the top left corner to open the overflow menu.
Select the «Account» option found in the middle of the list.
You can find the two-factor authentication options under the «Enhanced Security» heading. Click «Off» to start the installation process.
The Ring app will now explain what two-factor authentication is and how it will affect your account. Click the «Continue» button to continue.
Now you need to authenticate yourself. Enter your email address and password, and then click the «Continue» button.
Now enter the phone number you want to use for two-factor authentication and then click the Continue button.
After a few seconds, a six-digit code will be sent to you via SMS. Copy this code, enter it into the Ring app and click the Verify button.
That’s all! You have now enabled two-factor authentication on your Ring account. You can now select the Continue button to return to the app settings menu.
Repeat the above steps if you want to disable two-factor authentication and lose extra security.
CONNECTED:What is two-factor authentication and why do I need it?
