I have 11 Ring cameras of various models and ages linked to Home Assistant. This was working normally with some older cameras, but recently, after adding some new cameras, and updating the software (ı do not know which was the cause) the motion sensors stopped appearing in HA.
All old and new cameras are apparently successfully integrated using the HA Ring Integration and most of the entities are present, but the crucial motion sensor (binary_sensor.xxx_motion) is now missing. This is the main one I want, to trigger Alarmo
On the devices page all entities except the motion sensor can be seen:
It’s because the Ring Integration has for some reason removed the binary sensor for motion. Don’t know why!
Instructions
A. Lobby the authors of the integration to put back the binary sensor for motion. They closed my feature request on Github, but if you keep re-opening it and making enough noise maybe they will listen!
B. In the meantime, Here is a very tedious workaround
For each camera you have:
Define an input_boolean e.g. back_gate_motion_detected in my example below
Write an automation that is triggered by an event from the camera of type ‘motion’; in the automation turn on the input_boolean for say 5 seconds then turn it off again (because there is no event for motion stopping). you could use the unpublished blueprint below
Write a boolean_sensor template sensor that converts the input_boolean into a boolean_sensor; see my example below
Here is a blueprint for the automation
### ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
###
### CONVERT MOTION EVENT TO INPUT_BOOLEAN HELPER
### ------- ------ ----- -- ------------- ------
###
### Fudge to get around a Ring integration policy change that is incompatible wth Alarmo!
### - Alarmo needs a binary_sensor for motion, but Ring only produces an event
###
### To use this blueprint
### 1. Define an input_boolean helper named e.g. 'XXX Motion Detected' (input_boolean.xxx_motion_detected)
### 2. Define an automation using this template with the required event and the helper as parameters
### 3. Define a binary_sensor template sensor that copies the state of the helper ...
### - binary_sensor:
### - name: XXX motion
### unique_id: xxx_motion
### icon: mdi:motion-sensor
### device_class: motion
### state: >
### {{ states('input_boolean.xxx_motion_detected') }}
### 4. Include the binary sensor in Alarmo
###
### 08-Jan-25 | Andy Symons | First version
###
### ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
blueprint:
name: Motion event to input boolean
description: Detects a motion event and turns on a boolean helper for 5 seconds, then off again
domain: automation
input:
motion_event:
name: Motion Event
description: Motion event to trigger this automation
selector:
entity:
filter:
domain: event
device_class: motion
multiple: false
helper_input_boolean:
name: Motion helper
description: Input boolean helper to be operated by this automation
selector:
entity:
filter:
domain: input_boolean
multiple: false
mode: single
max_exceeded: silent
triggers:
- trigger: state
entity_id: !input motion_event
conditions: []
actions:
- action: input_boolean.turn_on
target:
entity_id: !input helper_input_boolean
data: {}
- delay:
hours: 0
minutes: 1
seconds: 0
- action: input_boolean.turn_off
target:
entity_id: !input helper_input_boolean
data: {}
- delay:
hours: 0
minutes: 1
seconds: 0
And here is an example template sensor
- binary_sensor:
- name: Back Gate camera motion
unique_id: back_gate_motion
icon: mdi:motion-sensor
device_class: motion
state: >
{{ states('input_boolean.back_gate_motion_detected') }}
Hey thanks for providing this, I used your blueprint and followed the instructions but still can’t get this to work (not sure if I’m having the same exact issue as others above), after uploading the blueprint I’m not seeing the entity I would like to select as an available option, it’s only showing the motion entity for my other 3 ring cameras and not the new one I have - stickup cam pro. All other ring cameras show a motion entity that I can use but for whatever reason this stickup cam pro does not. Will the blueprint still work for that? I’m trying to use the motion entity to trigger my Rachio valve but without a motion entity to select from this camera I am SOL.
Not sure if it’s related but it also shows up as ‘unknown stickup cam’ unlike my other devices. I’ve tried removing and reintegrating everything and did not have any succcess.
While most of my cameras now have motion event entities (which I literally just today finally got to start actually firing), one of my Ring Doorbell cams does not even have a motion event entity, and that one shows as “Unknown Doorbell” in the Ring integration in HA… so I suspect you’re right, that your camera showing as an “unknown stick-up cam” is why it’s not showing any motion event entity.
Like I said, ever since that move from binary sensor to events mentioned above, I had not been able to get this working at ALL for either of my two Home Assistant installations/homes, until today, which is incredibly frustrating. None of the motion events were ever firing. The troubleshooting step that seemed to work was the third one at Ring - Home Assistant (cycling the motion detection on all of the cameras). It’s a shame this new event functionality took so much work and time to finally get working again. In my one HA house (my mom’s house), I had both her front and back yard lights completely motion-driven, using the Ring motion binary sensors, and they haven’t worked ever since this change (many months ago).
Now the only thing I can’t figure out is, are these motion events going to trigger for every motion my Ring cameras detect, or only the ones I have notifications turned on for (like Person/Package/Vehicle Detected)? Does anyone know?
