I’ve been using Home Assistant for about 1.5 years now, and I must say, it’s been an incredible experience! I’ve managed to integrate a variety of devices into my smart home setup, from smart lights to motorized blinds. However, I’ve recently set my sights on integrating my Ring cameras, and I must admit, it’s been quite the adventure!
Currently, I have 11 Ring cameras of various models and ages linked to my Alarmo system. Initially, the integration seemed straightforward, especially with the older models. However, after adding some newer cameras to the mix, I encountered an unexpected issue: the motion sensor entities were failing to load correctly for all cameras. This was a bit puzzling, as most of the entities were present, but the crucial motion sensor (binary_sensor.xxx_motion) required to trigger Alarmo was missing.
After some research, I discovered that there had been a change in the Ring Integration documentation. It appears that the binary sensors have been withdrawn, and only the events are now provided. While this might be a policy decision, I can’t help but feel that this complicates things unnecessarily. Without these binary sensors, setting up a seamless integration with Alarmo requires a workaround involving multiple steps, such as creating toggle helpers, writing automations, and using template binary sensors. While this works, it feels overly complicated for such a fundamental feature.
I’m reaching out to the community to see if anyone has encountered similar issues or has found a more streamlined solution. It would be fantastic if the binary sensors could be reinstated, as this would make Ring devices much more compatible with other Home Assistant integrations and alarm systems like Alarmo. I’m hopeful that by sharing my experience, we can find a way to simplify this process and ensure that all Ring cameras can be fully integrated into our smart home setups.
Thank you in advance for any insights or suggestions you might have! Let’s keep the conversation going and see if we can find a solution that benefits everyone.