$500,000In Prizes

How does the Challenge work?

The Challenge has two phases.

Pitch your idea. Register and submit a proposal for an original Ring Appstore app. Ring judges review every eligible proposal and select up to 1,000 Finalists.

Build, launch, and grow. Finalists get a free Ring camera and sensor kit, then build their app, publish it on the Ring Appstore, and bring in real users and paying subscribers.

When the Challenge closes, four winners share $500,000 in prizes and present their apps at Demo Day at Ring headquarters. Key dates are listed in the Milestones section of this page.

Who can enter?

The Challenge is open to college and university students. At the time you enter, you must:

Be 18 or older.

Be a legal resident of one of the 50 United States or Washington, D.C.

Be authorized to work in the United States.

Be enrolled full-time or part-time in an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree program.

Employees of Ring and its affiliates, their family members, and people living in their households are not eligible.

Can I enter as a team?

Yes. Teams can have up to three people, and every member must meet the eligibility requirements. Submit one registration for the whole team. If your team wins, the cash prize is split evenly among all members.

How many times can I enter?

Once. Each person can be part of only one entry, whether solo or on a team. Duplicate or multiple entries are disqualified.

Does it cost anything to enter?

Entering is free. No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win. Ring will provide Finalists with Ring subscription access at no charge throughout the competition for building and testing their apps. Other app development costs remain the Finalist's responsibility.

Is there a limit on how many entries you accept?

Yes. Registration closes at the entry deadline or once we receive 1,500 eligible entries, whichever comes first. If you have an idea, don't wait to submit it.

What do I submit to enter?

A proposal that describes your app idea: what it does, who it is for, and how it uses Ring and Amazon technology. You will also provide your name, phone number, address, email, and school. You don't need to have written any code yet.

How are Finalists selected?

A panel of Ring judges scores each proposal on three criteria:

Most Innovative App (50%). How original the idea is, how creatively it uses Ring and Amazon technology, and how well its design and functionality are thought through.

Technical Feasibility and Ring Integration (30%). Whether the app can realistically be built within the development timeline and meaningfully integrates with Ring devices, APIs, or other Ring technologies.

Consumer Value and Usefulness (20%). How much the app would matter to the people who use it.

Up to 1,000 of the highest-scoring proposals advance as Finalists. Finalists will be selected by December 14, 2026.

Are there apps I can't build?

Your idea must be original. It can't copy, replicate, or substantially duplicate an app that is already featured or available on the Ring Appstore.

Apps also can't track or identify people without their consent, target children, or work around Ring's security, privacy, or billing rules. Entries can't include harmful, infringing, unlawful, or otherwise objectionable content.

For the full list of restrictions, see:

• Ring Appstore Permitted Content Policy: what apps can and can't do
• Ring Appstore Program Requirements: the technical, data, and billing rules
• Ring Appstore Schedule: the terms you agree to when you publish

Ring decides whether an entry meets these requirements.

What happens if I'm selected as a Finalist?

We'll contact you to confirm your spot. You'll need to sign and return an acceptance form within three days to move forward, so keep an eye on your email. Once confirmed, you'll receive a Ring camera and sensor kit and everything you need to start building.

What skill level do I need? Do I need to know Ring's APIs already?

No prior Ring experience is needed. If you have some programming experience and a basic understanding of REST APIs, you're ready. Ring's APIs are standard REST, so you can build in any language that can make HTTP requests. Finalists get development guidelines, full API documentation on the Ring Developer Portal, and a sandbox with simulated devices for testing.

Can I use AI tools?

Yes. You can use AI to help write your proposal and to build your app. To code with an AI assistant, connect it to the Ring Appstore MCP server and generate code right in your IDE.

What does my app need to do to stay in the running?

Pass Ring Appstore certification and be live on the Ring Appstore by March 1, 2027 at 11:59 PM ET.

Stay available to customers through the end of the Challenge. You can take your app down briefly for maintenance, but it must be live when the Challenge closes.

Follow the Ring Appstore Schedule and Program Requirements, which you agree to when you enter.

How long does certification take?

Certification review typically takes one to two weeks, and longer if your app needs changes and a resubmission. Because many Finalists will submit near the deadline, we recommend submitting your app by February 15, 2027. Your app must pass certification by March 1, 2027, to compete.

Can I charge for my app?

Yes. You set your own pricing, and Ring Appstore developers can earn money through customer subscriptions. Free trials don't count toward revenue for the Grand Prize, so if you're competing for it, keep any free trial short.

Am I allowed to promote my app?

Yes, and we encourage it. Getting real people to use and pay for your app is part of the Challenge. Promote it to your campus, your community, and anyone who would benefit. Just play fair (see "Are there rules about how I get users or revenue?" below).

Who publishes and manages my app?

You do. You build, publish, and manage your app under your own Ring Appstore developer account. Ring provides the platform, APIs, and developer support.

How do the prizes work?

There are four prizes totaling $500,000. Two are decided by objective numbers (revenue and users), and two are decided by a panel of Ring judges. Every eligible app is automatically considered for all four, so you don't choose a category.

Each app can win only one prize. If your app comes out on top in more than one category, you receive the highest-value prize, and the runner-up in the other category wins that one.

Which users and subscribers count toward my totals?

To keep the revenue and user prizes fair, we only count Ring customers who are:

Real and active. Unique, verifiable, active Ring users.

Established. Their Ring account was at least two months old when they downloaded or subscribed to your app.

Not connected to you. Accounts belonging to you, your teammates, your immediate family, or anyone in your household don't count.

Still paying. Purchases that are refunded, charged back, or cancelled within two weeks after the Challenge closes don't count.

If two apps tie for the Grand Prize or Most Popular App, the app with more paying accounts wins.

Are there rules about how I get users or revenue?

Yes. You can't artificially inflate your numbers. That means no bots, no fake accounts, no paying or reimbursing people to install or subscribe, and no giveaways or pricing tricks timed to the measurement date. Ring may audit revenue and user data and will disqualify any entry found gaming the Challenge.

How are winners chosen and notified?

The Grand Prize and Most Popular App are decided by verified revenue and user data. Most Impactful Aging App and Most Inventive App are decided by a panel of Ring judges. Ring verifies all results before they're final.

Potential winners are contacted by phone and then email, and must sign and return their prize paperwork within three business days. If you don't respond in time, the prize may go to an alternate winner.

What do I need to provide to claim a prize?

Every winner, including each member of a winning team, must verify their identity, age, U.S. residency, and enrollment. Ring may ask for a school (.edu) email address, a transcript, and permission to confirm enrollment with your school. Winners must also complete a background check.

What is Demo Day, and do I have to attend?

Demo Day is an in-person event at Ring headquarters in Hawthorne, California, where winners present their apps to Ring leadership and receive their prizes. Attendance is required: each winner, or at least one member of a winning team, must attend. Winners who don't attend forfeit their prize.

Ring covers round-trip economy airfare from the major airport nearest your home, two nights in a hotel, and a $250 Uber gift card for local transportation. If you live within 100 miles of Hawthorne, Ring provides ground transportation instead of airfare. Guests can't come along, and other costs, such as meals and baggage fees, are your responsibility.

How are prizes paid?

By check, in the name of the winner or winning team. Team prizes are split evenly among all members. Prizes can't be transferred, exchanged, or substituted.

Will I owe taxes on a prize?

Yes. Winners are responsible for all taxes on their prizes. Ring reports winnings over $2,000 to the IRS, and you'll receive a Form 1099.

Where can I find the full Official Rules?

The complete terms, including eligibility, dates, prize details, and legal disclosures, are in the Official Rules linked on this page. If anything in this FAQ differs from the Official Rules, the Official Rules govern.

Read the Official Rules