I check my email several times a day, but the same can’t be said for my mailbox. Unlike my inbox, I rarely (if ever) receive messages that I actually look forward to opening. Instead, it’s usually just invoices and advertisements that would be much better placed in my spam folder.
As a result, unopened mail tends to accumulate in my mailbox. In fact, the situation got so bad a few years ago that the post office stopped delivering mail to my house. That’s when I knew I had to do something different, which is why I I installed a smart sensor in my mailbox.
Maybe it was the weather or a reckless driver, but one day I went out and found my mailbox had fallen over. After looking at things more closely, I realized it was time to get a brand new mailbox with real mail. It took a bit of work but I managed to get my new mailbox set up. However, my old mailbox sensor was damaged and I had to buy a new one to replace it.
If you have trouble remembering to check the mail yourself or just want to know when the mail was delivered, here’s how I gave my mailbox the ultimate upgrade and added it to my account. Smart home.
Another type of motion sensor
If you already own a smart home, you probably know motion sensors and know everything about how you can use them to Turn on the light or trigger other actions. The Ring Mailbox Sensor works in much the same way, but it’s specifically designed to be placed inside your mailbox.
Back when I got my first Ring mailbox sensor, you had to have a Ring Bridge ($49, Amazon) to make it work. Now, thanks to Amazon Sidewalk, which works just like Apple’s Find My network, you no longer need it. However, if you don’t feel comfortable connecting your devices to Amazon’s low-bandwidth wireless network, you can use a Ring Bridge or Ring Alarm Pro Base Station to add the box sensor Ring letters to your home network.
The Ring Mailbox sensor is powered by three AAA batteries and pairs with your smartphone via the Ring app. Depending on how often your mail is delivered, its batteries should last up to a year before you need to replace them. If you are setting up a brand new Ring Mailbox Sensor, it may take a few minutes because several updates need to be installed before you can install it.
The second time is the charm
As I mentioned earlier, the Ring Mailbox Sensor comes with an antenna to help its signal reach other Amazon Sidewalk-enabled devices or your Ring Bridge. Installation is optional if you have a plastic mailbox instead of a metal one but I chose to install it anyway.
Installing your Ring mailbox sensor begins by drilling a hole in the back of your mailbox for its antenna. Luckily, Ring includes a large drill bit for this in case you don’t have one on hand. Keep in mind, however, that if you plan to use the antenna, you will want to drill a hole and run the cable through before attaching your Ring Mailbox Sensor to the back of your mailbox.
The reason is that the antenna plugs into the back of the sensor and is not easily accessible once you attach it using tape. You also want to leave a little space on each side so you can easily detach the sensor when you need to change its batteries.
The antenna cable is about a foot long so you have enough room to position it on either side of your mailbox. As I live in a cul-de-sac, I decided to place the antenna on the left side of my mailbox where it would be clearly visible. The antenna itself is black plastic, but Ring gives you a sticker to put on it, which looks nice but might also help deter porch pirates.
You’ve got mail
With my replacement Ring Mailbox Sensor installed on my new mailbox, it was time to add it to my smart home. If you don’t have a smart home or don’t want to start one, don’t worry because you get alerts from the Ring app whenever the sensor detects motion. However, the Ring Mailbox Sensor is actually what got me started with the best Alexa speakers before finally moving on to Echo Show 15.
Growing up with AOL in the 90s, my first thought was “You have mail” and here’s how I set it up.
If you have an Alexa-enabled smart speaker or one of Amazon’s best smart displays, you can easily integrate the Ring Mailbox Sensor into your smart home. From recording a security camera when your mail arrives to turning on your porch lights, there’s a lot you can do with this little motion sensor. Growing up with AOL in the 90s, my first thought was “You have mail” and here’s how I set it up.
Once your Ring Mailbox Sensor is added to the Alexa app, tap More in the lower right corner. Then press the Plus icon to create a new routine and select your Ring Mailbox Sensor after pressing Add an event under WHEN. From there you need to choose the Detected option. Below Alexa willyou must then select Alexa says and enter a phrase such as “You have mail.” Finally, you need to choose which smart speaker or smart display Alexa will speak to. To finish your routine, simply tap To safeguard basically.
With a routine like this in place, every time someone opens your mailbox, you’ll hear “You’ve got mail” on your favorite smart speaker or smart display. However, you can also ask Alexa to transmit this line from your phone if you want.
Make Mail Fun Again
Now, adding a smart sensor to your mailbox probably won’t change the type of mail delivered to your home, but with the right Alexa routine, it might just make receiving junk mail a little more exciting, especially if you are a fan of the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan film. Even if it doesn’t, at least letters won’t pile up in your mailbox when you forget to check your mail.
I swear by the Ring Mailbox Sensor and think it’s one of the best smart home devices You can receive. Not only is it inexpensive, but it is also quite easy to install and use. Likewise, it allows you to turn a mundane task into something a little more interesting. Now that you don’t need to buy a $50 bridge separately to make this work, the Ring Mailbox sensor is almost a no-brainer if you’re a smart home enthusiast like me.