How To Turn Off Sidewalk On Ring In 5 Easy Steps
The sidewalk feature on the Ring app is a great way to keep an eye on foot traffic around your home.
But if you’re not using it, or if you find it’s more of a nuisance than a help, you can easily turn it off.
How To Turn Off Sidewalk On Ring
To turn off the Sidewalk setting on your Ring device, tap the three lines in the top left corner to open the menu. Open the “Control Center.” and then tap the slider button on “Sidewalk”. When you see the message pop up on your screen, tap “Turn Off Sidewalk” to confirm.
Read on to find out how to turn off sidewalk on Ring with just a few taps.
Why Ring Sidewalk Is a Nuisance
Before we provide the steps on how to turn off sidewalk on Ring, let’s talk about why one would want to turn it off or be disappointed with this feature.
When using the sidewalk feature, you have to keep the app open and running in the background, which can impact your phone’s battery life.
Sidewalk alerts can also be frequent and disruptive, especially if you live in a high-traffic area.
Lastly, the feature doesn’t work with all Ring devices.
If you don’t have a compatible device, you may not be able to take full advantage of it.
The sidewalk feature creates problems for customers.
Being a nuisance is only the beginning.
The more the device becomes a nuisance, the less likely users will pay attention to it.
This can result in customers missing a notification that could have otherwise kept their family safe.
How Does the Sidewalk Feature Work?
The Sidewalk feature works by sending data through two wireless networks: the Bluetooth Low Energy network and the 900 megahertz network.
The data gets sent to the cloud, where other sidewalk-enabled devices can use it.
Those two wireless networks work together to analyze data from motion sensors on the Ring device and detect when a person is walking in front of the Ring.
The Bluetooth Low Energy network captures data for devices within a couple of hundred feet away.
Meanwhile, the 900 megahertz network captures data up to half a mile away.
Devices Compatible With Ring Sidewalk
The sidewalk feature is a great way to keep a close eye on your home, but it doesn’t work with all Ring devices.
As of 2022, only the following Ring devices are compatible with sidewalk:
- Amazon Echo
- Amazon Echo Dot
- Amazon Echo Show
- Ring Video Doorbell Pro
- Ring Doorbell 3 Plus
- Ring Floodlight Cam
- Ring Spotlight Cam Mount
- Ring Spotlight Cam Wired
Privacy Concerns
Since the sidewalk feature sends data to cloud servers, some people may be concerned about their privacy and security, and for good reason.
For one, there are many hackers out there who would love to get their hands on your personal information.
Secondly, the government could potentially request access to the data for surveillance purposes.
The primary purpose of having the Ring device is to protect yourself and your home from criminals.
If your sidewalk data is compromised, you may be putting yourself at risk for a break-in or other crimes.
So before you turn off the sidewalk feature, it’s essential to consider these privacy and security concerns.
While these are valid concerns, Ring has security measures to help protect your data.
In fact, Ring uses advanced encryption methods to keep your information private and secure.
All data is encrypted, and each device has its own unique encryption key.
In addition, the information gets stored on servers that don’t connect to the internet.
The sidewalk feature on Ring devices uses multiple layers of encryption to ensure that your data is safe.
Therefore, the sidewalk devices can’t see any personal data that is on the device it’s connected to.
If you still have privacy concerns, you can give yourself peace of mind by turning off the sidewalk feature on your Ring device.
How To Turn Off The Sidewalk Feature
Here’s how to disable the feature in a few easy steps:
- To turn off the feature you need to open the Ring app on your phone.
- On the app, tap the three lines in the top left corner to open the menu.
- Scroll down and tap on “Control Center.”
- Tap the slider button on “Sidewalk”. You will see the following message pop up on your screen: “If you turn off Sidewalk, your connected devices will no longer be able to use it.”
- Tap “Turn Off Sidewalk” to confirm.
Now the feature is disabled, and your other devices will no longer be able to use it.
If you ever want to re-enable the sidewalk feature, follow the steps above and tap the “Turn On Sidewalk” button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about turning off the sidewalk feature on Ring.
Do I have to turn off the sidewalk feature on all Ring devices?
No, you can turn off the sidewalk feature on individual Ring devices.
If you want to keep it enabled for some Ring devices but disable it for others, that’s totally possible.
Just make sure to do so before installing any new Ring devices or reinstalling and updating your existing ones.
Can I opt out of Amazon Sidewalk completely?
You can opt out of Amazon Sidewalk altogether by using the steps listed above.
There is no extra charge to use it, so you don’t have to worry about opting out to save money.
However, disabling it may mean missing out on some useful benefits that come with the sidewalk feature.
So if you’re interested in using the sidewalk feature but want to keep your data more private and secure, turning off the feature on individual Ring devices is probably your best bet.
Keep it active on one central device.
Does Ring Sidewalk work when the wifi is down?
It’s not entirely clear whether or not Ring Sidewalk works when the Wifi is down.
Some users have reported that their Ring devices could still record footage and send alerts, even when the Wifi was down.
However, other users report that their devices stop working entirely without warning.
As such, the best way to know for sure is to test it out for yourself.
According to Ring, you will need Ring power packs to keep Alarm Pro online.
These power packs don’t come with your Ring Alarm purchase.
Ring power packs are backup battery packs that can be purchased online to keep your Ring device working for up to 8 hours when the power goes out.
Purchase multiple packs to increase the amount of time your devices will stay operational.
Do I have to pay for Ring Sidewalk?
No, the sidewalk feature is free and comes included with all Ring devices.
However, you will need a subscription plan to access advanced features like live view, video recording, and sharing videos with friends or family.
Does Ring monitor the sidewalk feature?
Ring does monitor the sidewalk feature.
In fact, the Ring devices are used to capture the video and send over notifications and alerts as they happen.
Amazon provides a better network to aid the Ring devices in capturing more movement from a further distance.
Wrapping Up
In general, most customers find the sidewalk feature valuable and helpful.
However, it’s normal to feel that this feature is more of a nuisance than anything else.
If you want a longer-lasting battery or better privacy protection, you may choose to disable this feature.
If you’re wondering how to turn off sidewalk on Ring, follow these simple steps.
Remember that you can always turn this feature back on again if you change your mind.