What the light on your video doorbell means: Ring, Nest, Blink, Arlo and eufy
75 light states on 5 makers’ video doorbells, each from the maker’s own help site. A spinning blue ring on a Ring means someone pressed the button, but spinning white means it is in setup mode; a white light flashing only on the right side means it could not join your Wi-Fi. Blinking red on a Blink button means it is ready to set up, while solid red on a eufy wired doorbell means low voltage. So pick the maker, the colour, how it moves, and which light it is.
Find it by what you see
75 light states.
- Ring White light spinning in a circleThe doorbell is in setup mode.
- Ring Blue light moving upwardDuring setup, the doorbell is connecting to your Wi-Fi network.
- Ring Four corner blue lights flashingSetup finished successfully.
- Ring White light flashing on the right sideSetup failed: the doorbell could not connect to your home Wi-Fi network.
- Ring White light flashing on topSetup failed because of a problem with the Wi-Fi password.
- Ring White light flashing on the left sideSetup failed after the doorbell joined your Wi-Fi: it could not reach Ring’s servers or the internet.
- Ring White circle flashing repeatedlyThe doorbell is updating its firmware (its own software).
- Ring Blue light spinning clockwiseSomeone pressed the doorbell button.
- Ring Solid blue circleThe doorbell is in an active call with its speaker on: someone is talking through it from the Ring app.
- Ring Upper right quarter of the blue circle flashingThe doorbell is charging and is between 0 and 25% full.
- Ring Right half of the blue circle flashingThe doorbell is charging and is between 25 and 50% full.
- Ring Most of the blue circle flashingThe doorbell is charging and is between 50 and 75% full.
- Ring Whole blue circle flashing while on chargeThe doorbell is fully charged.
- Ring Blue circle flashing slowlyOn battery-powered doorbells (except the Door View Cam) it means a factory reset is under way.
- Ring Blue flashing, then white circling clockwiseA factory reset is under way.
- Ring White light slowly filling the circle, then flashingThe doorbell is powering up.
- Ring Solid white circleThe doorbell is idle: nothing is happening and nothing is wrong.
- Ring Lights offThe doorbell is idle.
- Ring Red light flashing at the bottomThe doorbell is not getting enough power.
- Nest Doorbell Status light solid greenEverything is working normally: the doorbell is on, connected to Wi-Fi and processing what it sees.
- Nest Doorbell Status light pulsing greenSomeone is using the doorbell live: watching its video stream, talking and listening through it, or using quick actions.
- Nest Doorbell Status light offGoogle lists several causes: the doorbell is idle (not detecting, streaming or recording); it was turned off by hand, by a schedule or when your home switched to Home; it is offline; it failed to update its software; or, on the battery model, the battery is dead or it is getting no power.
- Nest Doorbell Light ring pulsing whiteThe doorbell sensed motion, such as a visitor coming into view.
- Nest Doorbell Light ring spinningA visitor pressed the button and the doorbell is waiting for someone to answer.
- Nest Doorbell Status light pulsing whiteOne of three things: the doorbell is starting up (it also plays a tone), it is downloading a software update, or, on the battery model plugged into its USB cable, it is charging.
- Nest Doorbell Status light pulsing blueThe doorbell is ready to connect to the app and Wi-Fi.
- Nest Doorbell Status light blinking whiteThe doorbell connected successfully.
- Nest Doorbell Status light blinks yellow 10 timesThe doorbell failed to connect during setup.
- Nest Doorbell Status light solid whiteOn the battery model plugged into its USB charging cable, it is fully charged.
- Nest Doorbell Status light slowly blinking yellowOn the battery model there is a problem with the battery, and the doorbell may not work.
- Nest Doorbell Status light blinks yellow 4 timesThe countdown to a factory reset, while the restart or reset button is held down.
- Nest Doorbell Status light solid yellowThe factory reset has started.
- Nest Doorbell Light ring blinking yellowThe doorbell is connected to power but does not get enough electric current to work normally.
- Nest Doorbell Status light off, light ring dim or offThe camera is off.
- Nest Doorbell Light ring pulsing blueThe doorbell is ready and waiting for you in the app during setup.
- Nest Doorbell Light ring spinning blueTwo meanings.
- Nest Doorbell Light ring pulses green onceThe doorbell connected to the app and is ready to use.
- Nest Doorbell Light ring blinks yellow 5 timesDuring first-time setup, the doorbell could not connect to the Nest service or finish setup.
- Nest Doorbell Red lights above the button at nightNight Vision is on.
- Blink Button light blinking redThe doorbell is in pairing mode and ready to be set up.
- Blink Button light solid redSetup did not succeed.
- Blink Button light blinking greenThe doorbell is powering up.
- Blink Solid green button with the status light blinking blueThe doorbell is in pairing mode and ready to be discovered during setup.
- Blink Solid blue lightThe doorbell is recording motion or someone is watching its live view.
- Blink Button light blinking whiteSomeone pressed the doorbell.
- Blink Button light blinking blueSomeone pressed the doorbell.
- Blink No lightSetup finished: the doorbell is online and connected to Wi-Fi.
- Arlo Slow blinking blueThe doorbell is pairing to a Wi-Fi network.
- Arlo Fast blinking blueThe doorbell has paired with the Wi-Fi network and is connected.
- Arlo Blinking or flashing amberOn the 2nd Generation: the doorbell is out of range, a connection error happened while pairing, or the battery is at 15% or less.
- Arlo Alternating blue and amberA firmware update is in progress.
- Arlo Slow breathing whiteThe doorbell detected motion.
- Arlo Solid whiteAfter setup: the doorbell is connected to a call.
- Arlo Fading whiteThe call from the doorbell has ended.
- Arlo A single white flashThe battery is correctly inserted.
- Arlo Flashing whiteOn the Wire-Free: the doorbell is ready to connect to your Wi-Fi router.
- Arlo Rapid flashing whiteThe Arlo Secure App found the doorbell after you scanned the QR code.
- Arlo Solid amberThe doorbell is not getting enough power.
- Arlo Alternating amber and whiteThe temperature or the voltage is too low for the doorbell to run.
- Arlo LED off during setupOn the Wire-Free: the battery is not in the doorbell, or it is not charged.
- eufy Blinking blue (battery doorbell)The doorbell has powered on.
- eufy Solid blue for 3 seconds (battery doorbell)Setup worked: the doorbell connected to the HomeBase or Wi-Fi (or the chime paired).
- eufy Solid blue (battery doorbell, light enabled)Someone is watching the live view or talking through the doorbell from the eufy app.
- eufy Solid orange (battery doorbell)The doorbell is charging through its Micro-USB cable.
- eufy Breathing blueOn a battery doorbell: it detected a person (in Human Only mode) or any motion (in All Motion mode), or someone is pressing the button.
- eufy Running blue (wired doorbell)Someone pushed the doorbell button.
- eufy Solid yellow (wired doorbell)The system is starting up.
- eufy Breathing yellow (wired doorbell)The doorbell is pairing.
- eufy Solid red (wired doorbell)Low voltage.
- eufy Breathing red (wired doorbell)The reset worked.
- eufy No lightOn a battery doorbell: set up and working normally with nothing triggering it, or updating its firmware.
- eufy HomeBase 2 blinking redThe HomeBase is ready to be set up.
- eufy HomeBase 2 solid redThe HomeBase could not connect to the network.
- eufy HomeBase 2 blinking blueThe HomeBase is connected to the network but has not been set up yet.
- eufy HomeBase 2 blinking red and blue in turnThe HomeBase is updating its firmware.
No light matches all of those. Try “Any” on one choice: makers word the same light differently (amber on one is orange on another, breathing on one is pulsing on another, running on one is spinning on another).
Only part of the ring: Ring uses one side, the top, the bottom or a quarter of its circle to say different things, so “Only part of the ring” narrows to those. Where a maker names the movement but not the colour, its light matches any colour you pick.
The same colour, different meanings
Colours that at least three makers use, each for its own thing (up to two lights per maker; every light is in the list above). This is why a colour alone cannot be looked up.
| Colour | What it means, by maker |
|---|---|
| Blue |
|
| Red |
|
| White |
|
By maker
- Ring Video Doorbell19 light states
- White light spinning in a circle
- Blue light moving upward
- Four corner blue lights flashing
- White light flashing on the right side
- White light flashing on top
- White light flashing on the left side
- White circle flashing repeatedly
- Blue light spinning clockwise
- Solid blue circle
- Upper right quarter of the blue circle flashing
- Right half of the blue circle flashing
- Most of the blue circle flashing
- Whole blue circle flashing while on charge
- Blue circle flashing slowly
- Blue flashing, then white circling clockwise
- White light slowly filling the circle, then flashing
- Solid white circle
- Lights off
- Red light flashing at the bottom
- Google Nest Doorbell20 light states
- Status light solid green
- Status light pulsing green
- Status light off
- Light ring pulsing white
- Light ring spinning
- Status light pulsing white
- Status light pulsing blue
- Status light blinking white
- Status light blinks yellow 10 times
- Status light solid white
- Status light slowly blinking yellow
- Status light blinks yellow 4 times
- Status light solid yellow
- Light ring blinking yellow
- Status light off, light ring dim or off
- Light ring pulsing blue
- Light ring spinning blue
- Light ring pulses green once
- Light ring blinks yellow 5 times
- Red lights above the button at night
- Blink Video Doorbell8 light states
- Arlo Video Doorbell13 light states
- eufy Video Doorbell15 light states
- Blinking blue (battery doorbell)
- Solid blue for 3 seconds (battery doorbell)
- Solid blue (battery doorbell, light enabled)
- Solid orange (battery doorbell)
- Breathing blue
- Running blue (wired doorbell)
- Solid yellow (wired doorbell)
- Breathing yellow (wired doorbell)
- Solid red (wired doorbell)
- Breathing red (wired doorbell)
- No light
- HomeBase 2 blinking red
- HomeBase 2 solid red
- HomeBase 2 blinking blue
- HomeBase 2 blinking red and blue in turn
What these pages cannot do
- They cannot see your doorbell. The light says what the doorbell thinks; the maker’s app shows its real connection, battery and power readings.
- They cannot tell generations apart by colour. Google’s original Nest Doorbell (wired) signals on its light ring, the newer ones on a small status light, and blinking yellow means a power problem on one and a failed reset countdown on another.
- They give no wiring advice. 9 of these lights are about wiring or power; on those pages only the maker’s own instruction is repeated, including where it says to use a qualified or certified electrician.
- When the maker blames Wi-Fi or the network, the router is a different device: see router and broadband hub lights.
Left out, and why
A maker gets pages when its own help site documents at least 5 doorbell light states and we could read them. All five makers above did. These related pages were not used:
- Ring Chime and Chime Pro lights — Ring documents its plug-in chimes on a separate page (HTTP 200). They are a different device from the doorbell, so they are linked here rather than repeated. ring.com Checked 2026-09-29.
- Blink Sync Module lights — Blink documents the Sync Module on its own page (HTTP 200); it is a hub shared with Blink cameras, not part of the doorbell, so it is linked, not repeated. support.blinkforhome.com Checked 2026-09-29.
- Arlo’s www.arlo.com copy of the LED article — The copy of Arlo’s LED article on www.arlo.com refused our fetch (HTTP 403). The same article (000063458) on Arlo’s own knowledge base, kb.arlo.com, answered and is the source used. www.arlo.com Checked 2026-09-29.
Sources
Each maker’s own help pages only, read on the date shown.
Ring Video Doorbell
- Ring Help: Understanding doorbell light patterns — All Ring video doorbells, with named exceptions (Door View Cam, Video Doorbell Elite, Wired Doorbell Plus and Pro, battery-powered models). ring.com Checked 2026-09-29.
- Ring Help: Troubleshooting power for hardwired doorbells — Hardwired Ring doorbells, including Wired Doorbell Plus and Wired Doorbell Pro. ring.com Checked 2026-09-29.
Google Nest Doorbell
- Google Home and Nest Help: Nest camera and doorbell lights and sounds — Nest Doorbell (battery), Nest Doorbell (wired, 3rd gen), Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen) and Nest Doorbell (wired), a section per model. support.google.com Checked 2026-09-29.
- Google Home and Nest Help: Blinking yellow light on Nest Doorbell wired — Nest Doorbell (wired), Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen) and Nest Doorbell (wired, 3rd gen). support.google.com Checked 2026-09-29.
Blink Video Doorbell
- Blink Support: Understanding the LEDs on your Video Doorbell — Wired Doorbell 2K+, Video Doorbell (2nd Gen), Battery Doorbell 2K+ and Video Doorbell (1st Gen), a chart per model. support.blinkforhome.com Checked 2026-09-29.
Arlo Video Doorbell
- Arlo Support: What do the different LED behaviors on my Arlo Video Doorbell mean? — Arlo Video Doorbell 2K/HD (2nd Generation), Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free and Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wired (article for AVD4001, AVD3001, AVD2001, AVD1001). kb.arlo.com Checked 2026-09-29.
eufy Video Doorbell
- eufy Support: Learn About the LED Indicator Light Status on eufy Battery Doorbells — eufy battery doorbells and the HomeBase 2 and Wi-Fi Doorbell Chime they pair with. service.eufy.com Checked 2026-09-29.
- eufy Support: Learn About the LED Rules on eufy Wired Doorbell — eufy wired doorbells and their indoor chime. service.eufy.com Checked 2026-09-29.