Despite the success and reliability of the 3rd generation Ring Stick Up Cam, like any piece of sophisticated equipment, it may give you problems, including recognizing the Ring Solar Panel hookup, which is designed almost exclusively for the Stick Up Cam.

However, no problem is unsolvable, and there are some troubleshooting steps worth trying to get your Ring Stick Up Cam to charge in the sun. Below, we’ll cover a few issues you may encounter with your Ring Stick Up Cam/Solar Panel combo and how to fix them.

Why Does the Ring Stick Up Cam Not Recognize My Solar Panel?

Nothing can be more frustrating than a faulty electronic, especially if you just received your new solar panel and, like a kid with a new toy, are ready to hook it up and start using solar energy to power your security system.

We’ve all been there, and part of the drawback of sophisticated home security tech is that it is just that, sophisticated. It doesn’t always want to play nice, but it’s almost a certainty that it’s not broken as soon as you open the package.

There are a host of reasons your Ring Stick Up Cam doesn’t recognize your Ring Solar Panel:

  • The Ring Stick Up Cam needs to be resetThe Ring Solar Panel wasn’t installed correctlyYou’re reading the wrong messageThe Stick Up Cam needs to be updatedThe Stick Up Cam requires a full, factory reset

Ring Stick Up Cam Not Recognizing Solar Panel: Troubleshooting

The above reasons listed are some of the more common ones. As far as “reading the wrong message,” it’s worth mentioning that many customers are confused when they see the message, “add a solar panel,” when the solar panel has already been installed.

The thing is, that’s just an advert, albeit one that Ring should remove and display elsewhere, because it’s confusing to those who have just added their solar panel. It’s just Ring trying to get you to purchase a new solar panel, and it’s not an indication that yours isn’t working. With that said, the following are a few troubleshooting steps you can try if there is a technical issue involved.

Ensure the Ring Stick Up Cam is Installed Correctly

For the solar panel to work correctly, it must be installed correctly. If yours isn’t working, it’s worth retreating your steps back to the beginning to see if you installed anything the wrong way.

Since you’re troubleshooting, odds are that you’ve already chosen where you want to install the Ring Solar Panel, so there’s no sense in backtracking that far.

  • Replace the mounting plate once you’ve removed the weatherproofing plug.Remove the center weatherproof plug on the Ring Stick Up Cam.Plug the solar panel into the charging port.The snap ring barrel will pop in when it is connected properly.Give the solar panel a few hours in broad daylight to charge.

It’s a really simple installation process, but you want to ensure that the ring barrel plug is correctly inserted into the charging port on the Ring Stick Up Cam and gives the solar panel some time to charge.

Update the Ring Stick Up Cam

Updates are a pain if they’re not automated, and sometimes you can’t depend on automation either. You can force it to update by rebooting it. Make sure that the solar panel is connected when your reboot the Ring stick Up Cam:

  • Hold down the reset button on the Stick Up Cam for 20+ seconds.Wait a full minute for it to reboot.Once it reboots, wait for it to reconnect to the WiFi.It will automatically update once it reconnects.

Once it finishes updating, it should recognize the connected solar panel. You can also do a full reboot by removing the Stick Up Cam from your devices in the Ring app (Android or iOS) and reinstalling both the Ring Stick Up Cam and the Solar Panel.

Ensure the Devices Aren’t Affected by Moisture or Debris

This is a battery-powered device, after all, so there’s always a weather factor involved. If you’re installing the solar panel in the winter, you want to make sure that the batteries are properly charged first and charge them indoors if possible before installing the solar panel:

  • Check the solar panel for defects.Clear any dust, dirt, or debris from the solar panel.Make sure the camera has no signs of moisture or water in its connecting ports.Check that the plug is securely connected to the Ring Stick Up Cam.Make sure that the power port is completely clean.Give your solar panel time in the sun.

The Stick Up Cam may not connect immediately until the Ring Solar Panel has had some time to gather energy in direct sunlight.

Final Thoughts

Out of all of the smart camera installation procedures, the Ring Solar Panel is one of the easiest, making life easier on you in terms of troubleshooting any issues. If all else fails, feel free to contact Ring Support.

Since these devices are under warranty, anything that Ring Support can’t help you with means that you will most likely end up with a brand new Ring Solar Panel.