Ring Video Doorbell F90 Error Code Fix

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What This Error Means

F90 means Wi‑Fi setup failed.

The Ring Video Doorbell powers up but can’t finish joining your Wi‑Fi network during setup, so it never comes fully online.

  • Setup in the Ring app stops with F90 when connecting to Wi‑Fi.
  • The doorbell might flash blue, then time out.
  • You never get a live view or notifications once setup fails.

Official Fix

Do what Ring support and the app expect you to do, step by step. Don’t skip around.

  • 1. Make sure the doorbell actually has power
    • If battery model: fully charge the battery on USB until the LED is solid.
    • If hardwired: confirm the transformer is 16–24 VAC and the breaker is on.
    • Press the setup button once. You should hear the spoken prompt and see the light pattern. No lights/sound = power issue first, Wi‑Fi second.
  • 2. Stand right next to the doorbell with your phone
    • Do setup within 1–2 meters of the doorbell.
    • Stay there until the entire setup is done. Don’t walk away with the phone.
  • 3. Clean up the phone’s connection
    • Turn off VPN, ad‑blocker apps, and custom DNS for now.
    • On iPhone: disable Private Wi‑Fi Address and Private Relay while setting up.
    • Toggle Airplane Mode on, then back off, then reconnect to your home Wi‑Fi.
  • 4. Confirm you’re using the right Wi‑Fi and password
    • Use the 2.4 GHz band, not 5 GHz, if your router splits them.
    • Connect your phone to the same 2.4 GHz network name (SSID) you’ll use in the app.
    • Type the Wi‑Fi password slowly. Wrong password is a very common F90 cause.
  • 5. Follow the Ring app’s exact order
    • In the Ring app, remove any old/broken instance of this doorbell.
    • Tap Set Up a Device and select the correct model.
    • When the app says so, press and hold the setup button until the light pattern changes.
    • Join the temporary “Ring-…” network when your phone prompts. If you skip this, F90 shows up.
    • Once it kicks you back to the app, pick your home Wi‑Fi, enter the password, and wait. Don’t switch apps; let it sit.
  • 6. Power‑cycle both ends
    • Unplug your router for 30 seconds, plug back in, wait 3–5 minutes.
    • Pull the Ring battery for 15 seconds (or kill power at breaker for wired), then power it back up.
    • Try setup again after everything is fully booted.
  • 7. Check Wi‑Fi signal strength at the door
    • On your phone, stand where the doorbell is and run a speed test.
    • If Wi‑Fi is dropping or very weak, move the router closer or use a Wi‑Fi extender / Ring Chime Pro.
    • Retry setup once the signal is solid.

The Technician’s Trick

When the normal setup keeps throwing F90, this is how a field tech cuts through the nonsense.

  • 1. Hard reset the Ring doorbell
    • Hold the setup button down for 15–20 seconds (some models up to 30).
    • Release, wait for the light to stop going crazy and settle.
    • This wipes the old Wi‑Fi config that can keep causing F90 even after you “retry”.
  • 2. Prove if the problem is the doorbell or your router
    • Grab a second phone and turn on a simple mobile hotspot: short name, no special symbols, basic password.
    • Run Ring setup and connect the doorbell to that hotspot instead of your home Wi‑Fi.
    • If it connects fine to the hotspot, the doorbell is OK. Your router settings are the real issue.
  • 3. Tame the router so Ring will talk to it
    • On the router, temporarily disable band steering / “Smart Connect” so 2.4 GHz is its own network.
    • Turn off WPA3‑only or “Enhanced Security” modes. Use WPA2 or WPA2/WPA3 mixed for setup.
    • Keep the Wi‑Fi name simple: letters and numbers only, no emojis or weird symbols.
    • Save, reboot the router, then redo the Ring setup to this cleaned‑up 2.4 GHz network.
  • 4. Lock the win in, then tighten security later
    • Once the doorbell is online and stable, you can slowly turn features back on (band steering, newer security modes) one at a time.
    • If F90 comes back after a change, you found the setting that Ring doesn’t like.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Doorbell is under ~5–6 years old, powers on normally, and only fails during Wi‑Fi setup with F90.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Device is older, Wi‑Fi is marginal at the door, and you’d need extra gear (extender, new transformer) to make it behave.
  • ❌ Replace: No lights/sound even with good power, visible water damage, or multiple resets and clean Wi‑Fi still give you F90 every time.

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