Android and iOS devices are both compatible with the Ring app. But, does Ring work with Google Home? Many users of Google Home and Ring devices have asked this question in the past. The good news for them is yes, Google Home does work with Ring devices. You can pair the two devices to control some features of your Ring device via the Google Home voice assistant.
However, there’s a catch. Ring is a home security company owned by Amazon. Google Home, is, of course, owned by Google (i.e., Alphabet). Since the two devices are manufactured by different companies, they’re not 100% compatible. In other words, all of Ring’s features can’t be accessed by your Google Home device.
For instance, it’s not possible to use Google Nest Hub to view videos recorded by your Ring device. Similarly, Chromecast devices don’t allow the broadcast of any content from Ring devices on TVs or other screens. Thankfully, apart from these restrictions, there are still various ways to use Ring and Google Home together.
For instance, with voice commands on Google Home, you can check your Ring device’s health/battery status. You can also toggle motion alerts and find out when was the last time you had visitors. In this article, I’ll discuss every possible way you can use your Ring with Google Home.
Is Ring Compatible with Google Home?
Is Ring compatible with Google Home? As stated before, yes but not 100%. Before I discuss what, you can and cannot do with your Ring and Google Home devices, let’s first discuss all the things you’ll need to connect Ring to Google Home:
- A Ring doorbell
- An active Ring account
- The Ring app (iOS or Android)
- A Google Home device
- An active Google account
- The Google Home app (iOS or Android)
- The Google Assistant app (iOS or Android)
Once you have all of these items/tools, you can add Ring to Google Home and control both devices simultaneously.
Does Ring Doorbell Work with Google Home?
The Ring doorbell, just like all other Ring devices, is manufactured by Amazon. So, they’re not 100% compatible with Google products like Google Home or Nest. But they’re compatible in limited ways. I’ll teach you how to pair your Ring and Google Home devices and use a few add-ons to make the most of this limited compatibility.
How to Connect Ring to Google Home?
To add Ring doorbell to Google Home, you first need to make sure that you have all the necessary items/apps ready, as mentioned above. Once you have everything ready, there are two ways to add Ring to Google Home:
In the first scenario, let’s say you already have the Ring app downloaded and Google Home set up on your iOS/Android device.
- Open the Google Home app
- Click the “+” shaped icon
- Select “Set Up New Device”
- Select the Ring device you wish to link
- Allow Google to control your device (simply follow the instructions that come on the screen)
- Select Allow
- Select “Done”
Here’s a video guide that explains the same process in detail:
Now, let’s move on to the second scenario. Here, you’ll need to use either a PC or a laptop, so make sure you have one of those two handy. You also need to download Google Home for Android or iPhone. Also, download Google Assistant for iPhone. Android users will have Google pre-installed on their devices. Lastly, you’ll need the Ring app downloaded on your device.
Here’s how you can connect Ring to Google Home:
- On your PC or laptop, open the Ring services web page via Google Assistant (just follow the link I’ve added)
- On the top-right corner of your screen, find and select the option that says, “Send to Device”
- Select the device (your iPhone or Android) you wish to link to Ring
- On your iPhone or Android device, you’ll receive a notification asking you to link your Ring and Google accounts
- Click on the notification
- Enter your Ring ID and password
Congratulations! You’ve been successful in pairing Ring with Google Home. Now, let’s learn what you can do with the two paired devices.
How to Use Ring Doorbell with Google Home?
Once you’ve connected Ring with Google Home, you can perform various functions through both devices. For example, you can communicate with your Ring device via your Google Home. If you say: “Hey Google, access Ring,” Google Home will instantly link you to Ring. Now, you can ask Ring whatever you want to do. Here are some commands you should try sending:
- Turn motion alerts OFF
- Turn motion alerts ON
- Turn ring alerts ON
- Turn ring alerts OFF
- Start recording video
- Stop recording video
You can even ask your Ring device questions via Google Home. Just say, “Hey Google, ask Ring” and finish the request by asking questions like:
- What’s the current status of the doorbell?
- When was the last time my doorbell rang?
- Is my doorbell healthy?
If you aim to connect multiple Ring Doorbells to your Google Home, you’ll need to give each doorbell a unique name. To do that, take the following steps:
- On the Google Home app, go to Home Settings
- Enter a unique name for your doorbell
- Click “Save”
Can you Pair Ring and Google Home to Operate Ring Lights?
Yes, but with limited functionalities. For instance, you can adjust your Ring Lights’ settings via the Google Home App via voice commands. To connect Ring Lights and Google Home:
- Go to the Google Home “Home Screen”
- Click on the “+” icon
- Select the option titled “Setup new device”
- Add your “Ring Lights” to the screen
Conclusion
In this era of “The Internet of Things” we expect smooth interoperability between all smart devices. But, for two devices to pair and operate well together, they need to be 100% compatible. Although Ring and Google devices and apps aren’t 100% compatible, I’ve tried to break down the small barriers of incompatibility through this article.
If you want a video doorbell system that’s 100% compatible with your Google Home, I suggest you try using Nest Hello: Google’s very own video doorbell system. But, if you already own a Ring device, use this article to make the most of the limited compatibility it has with your Google Home app!
Credits: Thanks for the photo to Canva.
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