Smart home security company Ring has revamped its indoor camera to include a manual privacy shade that disables all audio and video recording. This is the first Ring home security camera to come with a physical shutter system. Previously, you had to use the app to stop recording audio and video, disconnect the camera, or buy a separate $10 privacy suite with a cover that only disables video, not audio.
The new Ring Indoor Cam is available for pre-order today for $59.99, and ships May 24, 2023. It has all the same hardware specs as its predecessor – a wired cam with motion-activated recording, two-way talk, built-in siren, 1080p HD video, And color night vision. The only other difference with the new model is the redesigned stand that makes it easier to adjust the camera’s view.
The new camera is a good option for anyone who was considering a Ring Cam but was put off by the company’s recent decision to put Home & Away modes behind a paywall. This feature allows you to turn off the camera in the Ring app with a single tap on the home screen. To disable it in the application without paying the Ring subscription fee (from $ 4 per month), you must go to the device settings. This takes several clicks and is not convenient to do every time you leave or arrive home.
If you don’t pay for a Ring Protect Plan, the camera won’t record motion anyway — you have to subscribe to record any video. But having a way to know the camera isn’t on when you’re home is an essential feature of many security cameras.
Indoor security cameras from Simplisafe, Arlo, and GE Cync offer physical shutters, some of which can be controlled remotely. The downside to any completely physical person is if you want to check into your house when you leave, and you leave it, there is no way to remotely detect it. The upside is that no one else can unlock it remotely either.
If you already have a Ring Indoor Cam, the Privacy Kit Cover option includes a power cord with a switch that turns the camera off completely and is a little easier than unplugging it.
The Indoor Cam also works with a new SOS feature that Ring started rolling out last week. SOS for Cameras adds an emergency button in the app for any compatible Ring cameras you have. This allows you to request an emergency dispatch directly from a live view or from the app dashboard.
You need a Ring Protect Pro subscription for this feature, which starts at $20 per month. This plan includes professional home monitoring for the Ring home security system, Ring Alarm, but you don’t have to have a Ring Alarm to use this feature, just a Ring camera. If you already have Ring Alarm and subscribe to Protect Pro, you’ll see this feature on your cameras as well.
SOS for cameras is like the option Arlo security cameras have to call 911 directly through the app — say when you see someone break into your house on your security cam while you’re away. The main benefit of these plans, besides speed, over calling 911 yourself is that you’ll be directed to emergency services at your home address, not wherever you’re calling from.