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Virtual Security Guard setup guide

What to know 

Virtual Security Guard1 is a Ring subscription service where trained security agents monitor your enrolled Ring cameras and respond to events detected by Ring's person detection feature. Setup requires a $99/month subscription per location, a compatible Ring camera, and enrollment in Professional Monitoring2. With Virtual Security Guard, trained guards will monitor events on an enrolled device to evaluate and engage if necessary.

The setup takes approximately eight steps. 

Learn more about using Virtual Security Guard.

Before you start 

Confirm the following before you begin setup: 

  • A compatible Ring camera enrolled in your Ring account. 
  • A Ring account with Professional Monitoring enabled or available to enroll. 
  • A smartphone with the Ring app installed and signed in. 
  • A Virtual Security Guard subscription plan ($99/month per location). 
  • Emergency contact details for at least two people (yourself and one other). 
  • End-to-end encryption disabled on cameras you plan to enroll.

Setting up Virtual Security Guard

Step 1: Make sure you meet the eligibility requirements

Review the full requirements for Virtual Security Guard to confirm your camera and subscription are compatible before subscribing.  View the full requirements for Virtual Security Guard.

Step 2: Purchase a Virtual Security Guard subscription

Virtual Security Guard costs $99 per month per location. 

Virtual Security Guard subscription auto-renews monthly until cancelled. 

  1. Sign in to your Ring account.
  2. Select
    Plan
    in the main menu.
    • If you have more than one Location set up, select the one you’d like to subscribe to Virtual Security Guard.
  3. Select
    Subscribe
    or
    Upgrade
    and choose Virtual Security Guard in the list of available plans.
  4. Select
    Purchase
    and follow the remaining steps.

How you will know it worked: After purchase, the app displays next steps to finish setup. 

Step 3: Complete the set up of Virtual Security Guard

After you’ve purchased Virtual Security Guard, you’ll see the next steps to complete the setup and begin using the service.

During this process, you’ll be asked to:

  • Enroll in Professional Monitoring
    2
    if you don't already have this set up.
  • Confirm the eligible cameras you want monitored
    . You must select at least one camera to activate the service.
  • Confirm your emergency contacts and alert preferences
    . We recommend adding yourself as the first contact, then at least one other person.

How you will know it worked: You receive a welcome email in your inbox. 

Step 4: Enable Live View and Motion Detection on enrolled cameras

Virtual Security Guard requires Live View and Motion Detection to be enabled on all enrolled cameras. When these are on, agents are notified and can view activity on your camera. 

Learn more about Live View in the Ring app.

Virtual Security Guard will not work if Live View or Motion Detection is turned off on enrolled cameras. 

To turn on Live View and Motion Detection for an enrolled camera: 

  1. Open
    the Ring app to the main dashboard. 
  2. Tap the menu (☰). 
  3. Tap Settings.
     
  4. Tap Modes and Automations.
     
  5. Tap Modes.
     
  6. Select the Mode you want to check or update.
    Home
    and
    Away
    arm your Ring system and turn the service on.
    Disarmed
    turns it off. 
  7. Tap
    Cameras
    and select the camera. 
  8. Toggle on
    Live View
    for that camera. 
  9. Toggle on
    Motion Detection
    for that camera. 

Important note: Motion events are only monitored by an agent if a person is detected by Ring's person detection feature. After turning on Live View and Motion Detection, adjust your Motion frequency settings to Regularly or Frequently.   

To exclude indoor cameras in Home mode or disable Motion Detection and Live View 

Use these steps to prevent agents from receiving events from a camera when your Ring system is in Home mode: 

  1. Open
    the Ring app to the main dashboard. 
  2. Tap the menu (☰). 
  3. Tap Settings.
     
  4. Tap Modes and Automations.
     
  5. Tap Modes.
     
  6. Tap Home.
     
  7. Tap the camera you want to disable. 
  8. Tap the toggle
    On
    or
    Off
    for Motion Detection, Motion Warning, and Live View. 
  9. Tap
    Save
    in the top right corner. 
  10. Repeat these steps for each camera you want to exclude. 

How you will know it worked: Live View and Motion Detection are toggled on for each enrolled camera. 

Step 5: Turn on Video Verification (Ring Alarm owners only)

Note: Skip this step if you don't have a Ring Alarm. 

Video Verification helps ensure there are no gaps in video monitoring coverage when your Ring Alarm is triggered but your cameras didn't detect motion. 

To turn on Video Verification: 

  1. Open
    the Ring app to the main dashboard. 
  2. Tap the menu (☰). 
  3. Tap Settings.
     
  4. Tap Monitoring.
     
  5. Tap
    Video Verification
    under the settings section. 
  6. Switch on the toggle for each camera you want to activate. 
  7. Tap Authorize.
     

How you will know it worked: The toggle is on for each camera you selected. 

Step 6: Turn off end-to-end encryption 

Ring encrypts your videos by default when they are uploaded to the cloud and stored on Ring servers. End-to-end encryption disables certain Ring features, including Virtual Security Guard monitoring. You must turn off end-to-end encryption on any enrolled camera. 

To turn off end-to-end encryption for an enrolled Ring camera: 

  1. Open
    the Ring app to the main dashboard. 
  2. Tap the menu (☰). 
  3. Tap Control Center.
     
  4. Tap Video Encryption.
     
  5. Tap Advanced Video Encryption.
     
  6. Tap the enrolled camera you want to unenroll. 
  7. Unenroll the camera from end-to-end encryption. 

How you will know it worked: The camera is unenrolled from end-to-end encryption.

Learn more about end-to-end encryption.

Step 7: Check your Linked Devices 

Linked Devices are not supported for Virtual Security Guard. Confirm no linked device triggers a "records event" on your enrolled camera before activating the service. 

To check your Linked Devices settings: 

  1. Open
    the Ring app to the main dashboard. 
  2. Tap
    Devices
    .
  3. Tap the device you want to adjust.
  4. Tap the
    Linked Devices
    tile on your Device Dashboard. 
  5. Confirm no device triggers a "records event" on your enrolled device. 
  6. Tap Save.
     

How you will know it worked: All camera icons are deselected. 

Step 8: Turn on Virtual Security Guard 

Set your Mode3 to Home or Away to activate Virtual Security Guard. 

How you will know it worked: 

  1. The blue banner "Virtual Security Guard Active" appears on the Ring app's main dashboard. 
  2. You receive a text alert confirming the service is armed. 
  3. The arming takeover screen shows
    Virtual Security Guard
    with a green check mark. If the screen shows a red X, the service is not armed. Call
    . for assistance. 

Important note: You can turn off arming text alerts in Virtual Security Guard settings in the Ring app. 

What happens next 

When people are detected on your enrolled cameras by Ring's person detection feature, you receive text alerts and hear agents talking on the camera's speaker. In some situations, your emergency contacts receive a text or call from an agent. 

To give emergency contacts access to video in text alerts, add them as Shared Users on your Ring account. Confirm that emergency contacts have agreed to be listed and know they may be contacted by Virtual Security Guard. 

  

Tips for using Virtual Security Guard 

  • To use Virtual Security Guard without interruptions, continue to meet the eligibility requirements. 
  • Text alerts are sent from
    +1-424-300-8338.
    Save this number to your phone contacts. 
    • To opt out of text alerts, reply
      STOP
      to +1-424-300-8338. 
    • To opt back in to text alerts, send
      START
      as a text message to +1-424-300-8338. 
    • Both you and your emergency contacts can opt out of text alerts at any time. 
  • For help with Virtual Security Guard or to stop using the service, call
    .. This is the Ring Customer Support line dedicated to Virtual Security Guard. 

Last updated 1 day ago
1 Compatible Ring subscription and eligible device required. Service available in all 50 U.S. states (territories not included). Ring does not own its monitoring center. See Ring Alarm licenses at: ring.com/licenses. Additional fees may be required for permits, false alarms, or Alarm Verified Guard Response, depending on your local jurisdiction.
2 Compatible Ring subscription is required to enroll in Professional Monitoring. Service available in all 50 U.S. states (territories not included) and in Canada (excluding Quebec). Ring does not own its monitoring center. Smoke and carbon monoxide monitoring is not available for business or commercially zoned addresses. See Ring Alarm licenses at: ring.com/licenses. Additional fees may be required for permits, false alarms, or Alarm Verified Guard Response, depending on your local jurisdiction.
3 Compatible Ring subscription required for digital arming/disarming and certain other in-app features.
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