Band FAQ

Ring Alarm is a bare-bones home security arrangement that delivers protection at an affordable price. If you lot want to add together extras like cameras or security lighting, the up-forepart equipment cost gets steeper—but the $ten a month Ring Protect Plus monitoring fee is hard to vanquish.

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General questions

Does Ring work without Wi-Fi?

It depends on the Ring production.

  • Ring video doorbells nevertheless work equally normal doorbells if y'all hardwire them to your existing doorbell or accept a Ring Chime accompaniment. You can't scout video, get notifications, or talk to visitors without Wi-Fi.
  • Ring Warning security systems function normally as long as y'all have a Ring Protect Plus subscription, which comes with a cellular backup in case your Wi-Fi goes down.
  • Ring Smart Lights still activate when they detect move, just y'all can't control them or go push notifications without a Wi-Fi connection.
  • Ring security cameras practise not work without Wi-Fi.

Does Amazon own Ring?

Yes. Amazon acquired Ring in 2018 for $1 billion. Amazon has too purchased other smart device companies similar Blink and Eero.

Does Shaq own Ring?

Shaquille O'Neal isn't merely a famous basketball player—he was likewise an early investor in Ring. He often appears in commercials for Band products.

How long is Ring's warranty?

Ring products accept a one-year warranty. Active subscribers to Ring Protect Plus become a lifetime warranty on Ring devices.

Ring Protect subscription

Ring Spotlight Cam

Practice I demand a Ring Protect plan?

No, you can nonetheless use the following Ring features without a subscription:

  • Live video feeds
  • Camera motion detection notifications
  • Two-way talk between Ring cameras and the Ring mobile app

If you subscribe, y'all'll go more features:

  • Ability to shop, salvage, and share video recordings (Bones and Plus)
  • Photo snapshots throughout the day (Basic and Plus)
  • Professional monitoring for Ring Alarm (Plus)
  • Extended warranties on your Ring devices (Plus)
  • ten% discount on some products in Band's online store (Plus)

How much does Band Protect cost?

Ring Protect Basic costs $iii a month or $30 a year for one device. Ring Protect Plus costs $10 a month or $100 a yr but covers every Ring device in your house. If you lot accept cameras in multiple residences, you lot volition demand an additional Ring Protect subscription for each location.

Does Ring crave a contract?

No, yous can cancel your subscription anytime without fees.

How long does Band salvage videos?

Ring stores videos for 60 days earlier deleting them to make room for new recordings. Plan to download any videos yous want to salve earlier then.

Tin can the Ring doorbell record longer than 30 seconds?

Ring's battery-powered doorbells and cameras don't record videos over 30 seconds long, simply hardwired Ring cameras tin record up to 60 seconds of video.

How many Ring cameras can you accept?

Ring user accounts back up an unlimited number of Ring cameras with or without a subscription.

Can Ring record video locally?

No, Ring cameras can't salve footage direct to the device. Ring cameras send video straight to the deject storage server.

Band doorbells and security cameras

ring doorbell

How does the Ring doorbell work?

Nosotros've moved our FAQ on Ring's doorbells and cameras to a carve up page. Learn more in our commodity on how Ring doorbell works.

Band Alarm security arrangement

Ring Alarm

How does Band security work?

The security system sends an alert to your telephone whenever it detects activity. Arming the system determines which types of alerts you get. If y'all have a Ring Protect Plus programme with professional monitoring, the monitoring center calls the police after checking for false alarms.

Does Ring Alarm require professional person monitoring?

No, you can self-monitor your Band Alarm organisation without paying for a monthly subscription. With self-monitoring, it's upwards to you to telephone call the police during an emergency.

Does Ring monitoring call the constabulary?

Yes, Ring Protect Plus' professional person monitoring middle contacts the police if there'southward an warning.

What do I do if my Ring security system has a false warning?

Whatever fourth dimension the warning goes off, Ring's monitoring center calls y'all (and your emergency contacts) with an automated message to verify the alarm. Yous'll need to provide a verbal countersign to cancel the alert.

Ring recommends saving the monitoring station's phone number (+1-833-209-2159) in your contact list under "Band Alarm" and then you can respond more apace (have your emergency contacts do the aforementioned).

If no one cancels the false alert, the monitoring station contacts the police. Most police departments accuse a fine if y'all take a sure number of imitation alarms in a calendar yr.

Who monitors Ring security systems?

Ring operates its ain monitoring eye.

What is "home way" on Ring Alarm?

Home mode allows you to arm the alarm organisation while you lot're at domicile. To forbid false alarms, motion sensors inside your house won't trigger an alarm if you move around. But the alarm still goes off if someone opens a door or window. This style is useful at nighttime when the whole family unit's asleep at dwelling.

Practise I ain or lease a Ring security system?

You own the equipment.

Can I take my Ring Alarm with me when I move?

Yes. Because y'all ain the equipment, you don't have to ask permission to move it to a different house. You lot will need to change the address on your account if y'all accept professional monitoring. This tells the monitoring center where to ship help during an alarm.

Is Ring's service transferable?

Yes, Ring customer support can aid yous transfer devices to a unlike Ring account. There'southward no contract for service plans like Band Protect, then the new user can sign up for service whenever they're ready.

What sensors does Ring Warning have?

Ring Alarm supports the following sensors:

  • Contact sensors trigger an alarm when a infiltrator opens a door or window to enter your home.
  • Motion detectors trigger an alert when in that location'due south movement in your home while yous're away.
  • Overflowing and freeze sensors aid you preclude h2o damage in your abode.
  • Panic buttons trigger an immediate alert when you push them.
  • Fume and carbon monoxide listeners detect sounds of your fume and CO sensors going off. These indirectly detect hazards in tandem with your existing detectors.
  • Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms direct detect hazards in your home. This is a third-political party sensor that doesn't work with professional monitoring.

Can Ring Warning discover gas leaks, fume, and carbon monoxide?

Ring Alarm tin observe fume and carbon monoxide, every bit long every bit yous accept the correct sensors. Ring Warning doesn't detect gas leaks.

Does Ring Alarm sound a siren when at that place's an intruder?

Yes, there's a siren in the base station and keypad. You lot tin can also purchase additional keypads and standalone sirens for other parts of your habitation.

Does Ring Warning work if the ability goes out?

Yeah, Ring Alert's base station has a battery fill-in that lasts for 24 hours if the power goes out. If you have a Ring Protect subscription, the base station contacts the monitoring middle using AT&T'southward cellular network in example you lot lose your net connection during the same power outage.

Practise I demand a landline phone to utilise Ring Alarm?

No, Ring Alarm uses broadband net and cellular connections to communicate with the monitoring center.

Exercise I need an alert permit for my Ring Alarm?

It depends on where yous live. Many cities require an alarm let (including a small-scale annual fee), but you'll need to contact your local police department to see if you need a permit.

Is Band Alarm easy for children to use?

Probably. Most older children and teens shouldn't have problems putting in a pin code to disarm the system when they go home from school. It's up to y'all to decide if your child is mature plenty to use the control panel.

How do I get a Band sign for my yard or stickers for my windows?

Ring sells g signs and stickers separately from its security systems. All of Ring's doorbells and security cameras come with a sticker.

Can I get a discount on my homeowners insurance?

Yes, you can get an insurance discount past downloading an alarm certificate from your Ring business relationship settings as long as you lot have professional monitoring. You can send or print a re-create for your insurance agent.

Ring Smart Lights

Ring Smart Floodlight

Exercise Ring Smart Lights have a photographic camera?

No, Ring Smart Lighting products practise not have cameras. Some Ring security cameras have spotlights and floodlights, just these aren't part of the Ring Smart Lighting product line.

Why practice I need a Band Span?

Ring Smart Lighting products communicate directly with the Ring Bridge to function. Information technology's a bridge device that connects to your Wi-Fi network, assuasive you to control the lights with the Band mobile app.

How long do Ring smart lights concluding?

The batteries in a Ring smart light terminal about a year before you lot demand to change them.

Band smart lights use LEDs that yous can't supercede when they burn out, simply they should final for many years before you lot have to supersede the unit (Ring doesn't give an exact timeline).

Ring mobile apps

Ring App

What tin can I practise with the Ring app?

You can do the following tasks in the Ring app:

  • View video recordings
  • Apply two-way audio to speak to people near cameras
  • Adjust device settings
  • Fix up users
  • Sign up for a subscription

Can you set up a Ring doorbell on two phones?

Aye, you can share your Ring smart home with multiple users. Each additional user needs a carve up Ring business relationship with a unique email accost.

What is Neighbors by Ring?

Neighbors is a social network on an app where Ring users share videos, get alerts, and written report crimes to the police.

Do I need a Ring doorbell to utilize the Neighbors app?

No, you lot tin use the Neighbors app without buying Ring products, merely yous withal need a Ring account.

Video: Ring's Police Partnership Controversy

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Police force partnerships

Band has been alleged of controversial practices surrounding its partnerships with US law enforcement agencies on many occasions, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation's calls to Band to end police partnerships with over 1,300 agencies.

While it'due south made recent strides toward comeback, in the interest of awareness, we've highlighted a few concerns so you can make your own judgements nearly choosing and using Ring equipment.

Good news

In July 2021, Ring released its stop-to-stop encryption feature on wired cameras, including doorbell cameras. When users use this feature, Ring and Amazon cannot admission those video feeds (much less provide footage to constabulary).

Previously, on June 3, 2021, Ring announced that police and fire departments that would like to use Ring footage must make a public request in the Neighbors app. This step is intended to help increase transparency effectually how Ring footage is used.

This came subsequently Amazon's June 10, 2020 announcement that it was putting a one-year moratorium on police apply of its facial recognition platform: Rekognition.

Bad news

Neighbors by Ring

  • During 2020 protests surrounding police force deportment, CNET reported that many people were using the Ring Neighbors app to track police activity. On the flip side, the Neighbors app raises privacy concerns because citizen-shared information can funnel to law enforcement (including protestation videos that law might use to identify protesters).
  • Many police departments partner with Band to see posts on Neighbors and tin asking resident footage. Police enforcement officials cannot come across a video without approval from the resident whose camera recorded it. Users can choose to non to share videos and can deny video requests. This hasn't stopped Amazon from giving tips to police about how to obtain this footage by encouraging people to download the Neighbors app.
  • In 2018, Ring considered a characteristic that activated cameras automatically in the vicinity of a 911 phone call merely ultimately scrapped the idea.

Police and urban center promotion of Ring products

According to documents obtained by Motherboard in Baronial 2019, Band requires cities to subsidize and annunciate Band products as role of rebate and giveaway programs for Ring products. At the time of publishing, Motherboard reported at least 14 American cities with these programs simply estimated there were likely more using public funds for the aforementioned purpose.

Ring installation

Mounted ring doorbell

Is Ring installation free?

Yeah, but you have to install the equipment yourself. Band offers optional installation services through Amazon Home Services and OnTech Smart Services.

How long does it have to install Ring doorbells and security cameras?

Most battery-powered Ring doorbells and cameras have virtually five to x minutes to install with a screwdriver. You usually need to drill a few small holes for mounting. A hardwired installation takes around xv to twenty minutes.

How long does it accept to install the Ring Alarm security organisation?

Depending on the number of sensors yous take, it takes effectually thirty to hr to install a Ring Alarm security system.

Can I install a Ring Warning in my apartment?

Yes, but you should check with your property manager commencement to explain what you're doing and see if it's OK.

Smart home compatibility

Does Ring work with Z-Moving ridge devices?

Yep, Band Warning has a built-in Z-Wave radio, but tertiary-party devices exercise not work with Ring'due south professional monitoring service.

Ring Alarm should work with about Z-Wave devices. Yet, it's a good idea to check the company's lists of compatible devices and locks compatible with Ring Alarm earlier you purchase boosted Z-Wave equipment for your organisation.

Does Ring work with Alexa?

Yep, you can command Ring devices using Amazon Alexa's vocalization commands. Y'all can answer Ring doorbell notifications on any Amazon Repeat, and you can view video feeds on any Echo Bear witness device.

Does Ring work with Google Assistant?

Not currently. Band appears to take dropped Google Assistant* support as of late 2019. There was no official announcement, and then information technology's possible support will come back. But don't hold your jiff because Amazon and Google historically don't play well together.

Does Ring integrate with other smart home platforms and devices?

You can apply Ring with If This Then That (IFTTT), a task automation platform that lets you lot command devices from a diversity of smart home platforms and software services.

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John Carlsen

Written by

John Carlsen

John is a technology announcer specializing in smart home devices, security cameras, and home security systems. He has over nine years of experience researching, testing, and reviewing the latest tech—he was the Smart Habitation Editor for Meridian 10 Reviews and wrote for ASecureLife earlier joining SafeWise as a Staff Writer in 2020. John holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism accent from Utah Valley Academy. In his spare fourth dimension, he enjoys hiking, photography, cooking, and starting countless DIY projects he has however to complete.

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