A Ring Video Doorbell owner applying settings to their Ring account in the Ring app.

Getting Started with Smart Video Search (Beta)

Ring Smart Video Search helps you quickly search through your event history using everyday language. Using AI, Smart Video Search can find specific activity or objects captured by your Ring cameras and doorbells, giving you a better sense of what’s going on around your home or business.

Note: The Smart Video Search (Beta) feature will be available for some eligible customers with Ring Protect Pro subscriptions starting on October 9, 2024. Smart Video Search will be available to all users with Ring Protect Pro on October 24, 2024 and included with Ring Home Premium Plans when they launch on November 5, 2024. More information on Ring Home Plans.

Setting up Smart Video Search

Follow the steps in the Ring app dashboard to turn on Smart Video Search.

Using this screen in the app, you can set up Smart Video Search.

From the list, select any device(s) you would like to enable the feature for (please note that Smart Video Search will not work with Ring Edge, Ring Alarm Pro, or Ring Car Cam). You can choose up to 25 devices at a time.

You can go to Device Settings to activate or deactivate Smart Video Search for individual devices at any time:

  1. Tap the
    three dots
    in the upper right corner of the Ring device's tile on your Dashboard.
  2. Tap the Settings option.
  3. Scroll down and tap
    Device Settings
    .
  4. Tap
    Video Settings
    .
  5. Toggle Smart Video Search
    on
    or
    off
    .

Please note that after activating Smart Video Search, any new Ring devices added to your account will need to be added individually using the steps above.

Using Smart Video Search

To use Smart Video Search, simply type what you're looking for in the new Search Bar found in your Event History1. You can search for specific and detailed activity like "red truck in my backyard" or "black dog playing" (up to 200 characters).

By default, Smart Video Search returns the most relevant videos. You can choose to see your most recent videos first by tapping on Search by Date in the upper right corner of the screen. Please note that the number of presented results for a given search query might be slightly different in each available sorting mode. For the best results, use precise keywords and descriptive language. You can refine your search by adjusting the query as needed.

If you’re searching for a query with reference to a specific timeframe, try to use commonly used date formats, such as ‘07/14’ or ‘July 14th’. If you receive an error, try changing the date format.

To access Smart Video Search after setting up:

  1. Open the Ring app.
  2. Tap
    menu (≡)
    on the top left.
  3. Tap
    History
    .
  4. Tap the Search bar at the top of the screen.
Use the search bar at the top of your Event History to use Smart Video Search after enabling.

Using Smart Video Search on Ring.com

You can also set up and use Smart Video Search by logging in to your account on Ring.com:

  1. From your Dashboard, go to
    History > Event History
    .
  2. Click on the
    Search
    icon.
    1. Event History view on Ring.com
  3. Select the devices you'd like to enable the feature for. You can choose up to 25 at a time. Please note that Smart Video Search is not compatible with Ring Edge, Ring Alarm Pro, or Ring Car Cam.
  4. You'll be asked if Ring can process your videos for your searches. If you'd like to proceed, click
    Allow
    .
    1. During setup, you will be prompted to Allow Ring to process your videos to enable the Smart Video Search feature.
  5. Click on the
    Search box
    to begin searching for videos.

You can manage individual devices through Device Settings, which you can access by clicking the gear icon on the camera tile on your Dashboard.

Why is Smart Video Search not working as expected on some of my devices?

If you are being presented with a No Results error screen, try making your search query more generic. Please note that searches containing any of the following may not return results:

  • Specific people or characteristics
  • Small or fast moving objects
  • Searches phrased as questions
  • Misspelled words
  • Profanity or discriminatory language
  • Vague or ambiguous descriptions

At this time, Smart Video Search only works for customers using English language in the Ring app or on the Ring.com website. Additionally:

  • ​For customers in Illinois & Texas: Smart Video Search is not available on Ring devices due to specific state legislation.

  • Smart Video Search is not available on Ring devices with on-device storage, such as Ring Alarm or Ring Car Cam.
  • Currently, Smart Video Search cannot be used by a Ring device’s Shared Users.
  • End-to-End Encryption (Ring Edge)
    must be disabled
    to use Smart Video Search.

Using Smart Video Search with 24/7 Recording

You can use Smart Video Search with any 24x7 enabled camera. Please note that you can only search through Motion Events.

We are committed to Responsible, Trusted AI

Ring leverages sophisticated input moderation techniques to prevent searches for offensive, inappropriate, or harmful content. At launch, searches related to animals, locations, packages, people, time, vehicles, and weather will yield results with the highest accuracy.

1Ring Subscription plan required to access feature
Smart Video Search is a beta feature that uses AI (artificial intelligence) to search and identify unique objects in your camera's recorded motion event history. When turned on in the Ring app, it may take some time for your recorded events to be fully searchable. The Smart Video Search (Beta) feature will be available for some eligible customers with Ring Protect Pro subscriptions starting on October 9, 2024. Smart Video Search will be available to all users with Ring Protect Pro on October 24, 2024 and included with Ring Home Premium Plans when they launch on November 5, 2024. Smart Video Search is not included with Ring Home Plan free trials. More information on Ring Home Plans.
Last updated 3 weeks ago