The Ring Floodlight and Ring Spotlight are two of Ring’s best outside cameras, especially for dark areas and taking care of those aggravating nooks and crannies. They each have their special features, which make them unique, including bright, penetrating light. But how long do they stay on, and can you control it?

At their default settings, the Ring Floodlight and Spotlight stay on for thirty seconds, starting from when they were triggered. However, both devices feature optional settings, so you can go into the Ring app and change how the spotlight feature works at any time.

Both the Ring Spotlight and Floodlight come with wired versions—the Ring Floodlight Cam is wired only—so the light won’t be a significant drain on either device. The Spotlight battery version, however, deserves a closer look.

How Long Do Ring Floodlight and Spotlight Stay On?

By default, the Ring Floodlight and Spotlight will stay on for thirty seconds, though this can be changed within their respective settings in the Ring app.

How to Change the Ring Floodlight Settings

To change the light settings on the Ring Floodlight Camera, open the Ring app (Android or iOS) and tap the Menu symbol—three lines at the top of the Home Screen.

  • Select Devices.Select the Ring Floodlight Camera.When you’re presented with a series of tiles, tap Device Schedules.Select Light Schedules.Now you can adjust the light schedules to your preference.

(Source: Ring)

The Ring Floodlight Camera also has other features that affect the lights, and you can adjust them within the same tile menu.

  • Motion Detection: The Floodlight Cam has a field-of-view 270 degrees wide. With the motion controls, you can adjust the “motion zones” so that any motions within that arc will activate the floodlights.Manual Control: There is also a manual on/off toggle—blue is on, and white is off—you can use it to turn on your floodlights for as long as you want them on or vice versa. The manual control disregards any schedules or motion zones you’ve set and must be turned off for your settings to take effect again.

How to Change the Ring Spotlight Settings

To change the light settings on the Ring Spotlight Camera (Wired or Battery), open the Ring app and select the Menu symbol again. Then:

  • Tap the Devices tab.Select the Ring Spotlight Camera.Select Device Settings.Choose the Light Settings tile to adjust the settings to your preference.

Within the Light Settings tab, you’ll see the Light Brightness setting. Light Brightness allows you to control the level of brightness on the Ring Spotlight Cam whenever it is activated.

For the battery-powered Spotlight Cam, strangely enough, there is no Light Brightness setting. The battery-powered version provides 700 lumens at 4k temperature.

Within the Motion Controls tile, you can set the range of your motion controls within the three 90-degree field-of-view arcs that the Spotlight Cam offers.

Can You Set Ring Floodlight/Spotlight Lights to Stay On?

You can set both the Floodlight and the Spotlight Cams to stay on in a couple of ways. Keep in mind that though this setting is retained in the Ring Spotlight Camera (Battery), it will significantly shorten your battery’s life cycle by leaving the light on.

  • Ring Floodlight Camera: In the Tiles Menu, you can select Light Schedules and create a schedule for when you want the lights to come on and when you want them to turn off. Also, within the Tile Menu, you can use the Manual Control feature to turn the lights on yourself and turn them back off at your discretion.Ring Spotlight Camera: There are also Manual Control and Light Schedules menus to choose from. The settings are pretty much the same, allowing you to manually turn the lights on or off or set a schedule for when they come on and turn off.

The Ring Spotlight Camera (Battery) version is generally rated to last up to one year under standard, everyday usage. The batteries are rechargeable but if you plan on using the manual control often or want to set long-term schedules, consider purchasing additional Ring Spotlight Cam batteries.

As a separate option, you can also purchase the Ring Solar Panel, which comes in white or black depending on the color of your Ring Spotlight Cam.

With the Ring Solar Panel, it only takes a few hours per day to recharge the battery. If you’re keeping the Spotlight on for extended periods, it may take more than a few hours to charge, or it will at least lengthen the time it takes for the battery to drain.

Final Thoughts

Both the Ring Spotlight Camera and the Ring Floodlight Camera share features that allow you to keep the lights on for extended periods. By default, they’re set for thirty seconds, but often enough, Ring customers may need to use them for longer periods.

If you’re looking for a lot of light at certain times and brightness is a factor, the Ring Floodlight provides far more lumens than the Spotlight. At 2,000 lumens per light, it’s more than enough to brighten a wide stretch of area. No matter your lighting needs, Ring has the options you’re looking for.