Ring Video Doorbell F87 Fix (Error Code Guide)

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What This Error Means

On Ring Video Doorbells, the F87 message is a generic failure code that usually pops up during setup or an update. Translation: F87 = the doorbell couldn’t finish connecting to Wi‑Fi / Ring’s servers or complete its firmware update.

What’s actually happening: the doorbell powers up, tries to grab enough power, join your Wi‑Fi, phone home to Ring, maybe pull an update, and that chain breaks somewhere. The app throws F87, and the doorbell never fully comes online.

Official Fix

Do it the way Ring support will walk you through on the phone. Go in this order; don’t skip power or Wi‑Fi checks.

  • 1. Make sure the doorbell is really powered.
    • Hardwired models (Pro / Pro 2 / Wired): Check your existing chime. If it doesn’t ring at all anymore, your transformer/chime circuit may be dead or too weak.
    • Transformer spec should be 16–24 VAC, 30 VA or higher. If the label says less than that, F87 can be a low‑voltage side effect.
    • Battery models: Pop the battery out, charge it via USB until the light is solid green, then snap it back in firmly until it clicks. A half‑dead battery will cause flaky setup and random F87‑type errors.
    • If the light ring never turns on at all, fix power first. The code is just noise until the unit actually boots.
  • 2. Watch the front light.
    • Spinning white: in setup mode. Good.
    • Flashing oddly or dark: hold the setup button (orange/side button) for 15–20 seconds until it resets, then wait a full minute.
  • 3. Clean up the Wi‑Fi side.
    • Reboot the router: unplug it for 30 seconds, plug back in, wait 3–5 minutes until Wi‑Fi is solid again.
    • Stand at the door with your phone on the same network you plan to use. If your phone’s Wi‑Fi bars are weak there, the doorbell will struggle even more.
    • Use 2.4 GHz, not 5 GHz, if your router splits them. Many Ring models connect more reliably on 2.4 GHz at the door.
    • Make sure the Wi‑Fi password is correct and not insanely long or full of exotic symbols.
  • 4. Do a proper factory reset on the doorbell.
    • Kill power (breaker off or battery out) for 30 seconds, then restore.
    • Hold the setup/orange button for 20–30 seconds until the light does a full reset pattern.
    • Wait another full minute for it to boot back up into setup mode (spinning white).
  • 5. Re‑add it in the Ring app from scratch.
    • Open the Ring app > tap the doorbell (if it shows) > Device Settings > Remove Device.
    • Then tap Set Up a Device > Doorbells, scan the QR code on the doorbell or box, and follow the prompts.
    • Stay close to your router during this step. Let it sit online 5–10 minutes so any firmware update can finish.
  • 6. If F87 keeps coming back, call Ring support.
    • At that point you’ve done the script: power, Wi‑Fi, reset, re‑add.
    • Have a photo of the transformer label, a screenshot of the F87 message, and your Wi‑Fi speed test ready. That’s exactly what they’ll ask for before talking warranty/replacement.

The Technician’s Trick

When the usual reset dance doesn’t kill F87, here’s how a field tech isolates the real problem fast.

  • 1. Bench‑test the doorbell on a clean power source.
    • Shut off the breaker to the doorbell circuit. Pull the doorbell off the wall.
    • Hardwired units: Use a plug‑in 24 VAC doorbell transformer. Clip its two low‑voltage leads straight to the doorbell terminals. No chime, no long wire run, just transformer → doorbell.
    • Battery units: Just use the fully charged battery and bring the doorbell inside near the router.
    • Set the doorbell on a table next to your Wi‑Fi router. Hold the setup button 20–30 seconds to factory reset.
    • Run setup again in the Ring app while you’re right there by the router.
    • If it sets up fine on the bench with no F87, the doorbell itself is usually okay. Your problem is the wiring, transformer, or Wi‑Fi signal out at the door.
  • 2. Hotspot test to blame (or clear) your router.
    • Turn on a 2.4 GHz hotspot on a second phone.
    • Put the doorbell next to that phone, factory reset, and try setup using the hotspot instead of your home Wi‑Fi.
    • If it works on the hotspot but not on your router, F87 is basically your router/security settings complaining, not the doorbell hardware. Time to adjust router settings or add a simple extender just for the doorbell.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Doorbell lights up, connects on the bench, and only fails at the door; or you clearly have weak Wi‑Fi or an undersized transformer. A new transformer or extender is cheap compared to a new Ring.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Doorbell is a few years old, out of warranty, and needs both electrical work (new transformer/wiring) and Wi‑Fi upgrades to behave. Worth it only if you’re already invested in the Ring ecosystem.
  • ❌ Replace: No lights even on a known‑good power source, unit overheats, fills with water, or support confirms F87 with internal hardware fault. Don’t sink money into it; put the cash toward a current‑gen model.

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