Ring Video Doorbell and HomeKit: The Complete Workaround Guide
Ring doorbells don't support HomeKit natively, but you can get them working in Apple Home using HomeBridge. This guide covers setup, limitations, and alternatives.
The Ring + HomeKit Situation
Ring is owned by Amazon, and Amazon has its own competing smart home ecosystem (Alexa). As a result, Ring has deliberately chosen not to support Apple HomeKit. This applies to all Ring video doorbells, indoor cams, outdoor cams, and security systems. There has been no indication from Amazon or Ring that native HomeKit support is planned.
That said, Ring devices are some of the most popular smart home products on the market, and many HomeKit users have Ring doorbells from before they switched to Apple's ecosystem. The good news is that a very capable HomeBridge plugin — homebridge-ring — can bridge Ring devices into HomeKit with motion detection, live view support, and doorbell notifications.
Setting Up homebridge-ring
You'll need a running HomeBridge installation (see our HomeBridge Raspberry Pi guide). In the HomeBridge UI, go to Plugins and search for 'homebridge-ring'. Install it, then open the Config tab. The plugin requires Ring account credentials or, preferably, a Ring refresh token for more stable authentication.
To generate a refresh token without storing your password in plain text, run the Ring token generator: `npx -p ring-client-api ring-auth-cli`. This opens a browser where you log into Ring (including 2FA), then outputs a refresh token. Copy this token into the plugin's config under `ring_credentials.refresh_token`. This method is more secure and stable than using your email and password directly.
After configuration, restart HomeBridge. Your Ring doorbell, cameras, and sensors will appear in HomeKit. Motion zones configured in the Ring app are respected, and you'll get HomeKit notifications for motion and doorbell press events.
Live View and Camera Limitations
Live view from Ring cameras works in the Home app on iPhone and Mac, though there's typically a 5–10 second delay compared to the native Ring app. This is a limitation of how HomeBridge streams RTSP video through Apple's HomeKit Secure Video (HKSV) protocol, not a bug.
HomeKit Secure Video (HKSV) enables end-to-end encrypted recording of your camera footage to iCloud, which many users prefer over Ring's own cloud subscription. However, HKSV requires an iCloud+ plan: 50 GB supports one camera, 200 GB supports up to five cameras, and 2 TB supports unlimited cameras.
Limitations to Be Aware Of
HomeBridge-based Ring integration has a few known limitations: two-way audio is not supported in HomeKit (you can hear but not speak through the Ring via Home app), Ring's Ring Alarm system accessories are available but the professional monitoring integration is Ring-app-only, and Ring's in-app features like neighbor alerts and Ring Protect video history are still Ring-only.
The connection can also occasionally drop and require a HomeBridge restart, especially after Ring app updates that change the API. The homebridge-ring GitHub repository is actively maintained and typically pushes updates within days of Ring API changes.
A Better Alternative: eufy Video Doorbell
If you're considering a new video doorbell and HomeKit is important, the eufy Video Doorbell E340 offers native HomeKit support with no HomeBridge required. It has a dual-lens design (for a wider field of view and separate package detection), local storage via a HomeBase hub, and solid build quality.
eufy's local storage approach means your video footage is stored on the HomeBase device at home rather than in the cloud, which many privacy-focused users prefer. HomeKit Secure Video is supported for iCloud storage if you prefer that. eufy doorbells are also frequently less expensive than equivalent Ring models.