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Virtual Security Guard FAQs

Virtual Security Guard1 puts your live video in the hands of trained security agents who monitor events triggered by Ring's person detection feature on enrolled devices and act on your behalf when your Ring system is armed2. 

Agents can provide proactive deterrence while you're away or asleep, send notifications about activity they observe, and request dispatch of emergency services without an alarm sensor being triggered. When an agent monitors an event on your camera, a badge is added to the Event History Timeline. 

Learn more about Virtual Security Guard.

Requirements to use Virtual Security Guard 

  1. A compatible Ring camera 
  2. A compatible Ring subscription 

Learn more about requirements for Virtual Security Guard.

To subscribe to Virtual Security Guard, go to the Plan page of your Ring account. 

How Virtual Security Guard1 differs from 24/7 Professional Monitoring3 

The following table summarizes how each service works and what actions agents can take.   

Feature
 
24/7 Professional Monitoring
 
Virtual Security Guard
 
Trigger
 
Ring Alarm sensor activation (break-in or security event) 
Person detected by Ring's person detection on enrolled cameras 
Agent access to cameras
 
During alarming event only; access ends when alarm is disarmed 
Live monitoring of motion events whenever the system is armed 
Proactive deterrence via Two-Way Talk
 
No 
Yes - agents can speak through your camera's speaker 
Can trigger camera sirens
 
No 
Yes - agents can activate the camera's siren to deter unwanted activity 
Emergency dispatch
 
Yes - when alarm sensors detect a break-in or security event 
Yes - when agents observe a dangerous crime or life-threatening situation 
Video Verification
 
Yes - agents verify alarm signals using enrolled cameras 
N/A 

How to confirm Virtual Security Guard is working 

You will receive a confirmation text and a notification on your Ring app dashboard when you activate the service. When Virtual Security Guard is active, you may receive text alerts and Active Warnings when people are detected by your enrolled devices. Active Warnings are an automated response that your enrolled devices sound while a live agent assesses the situation. Agents can also communicate through your camera's speaker when needed. Cellular message and data rates may apply. 

What to check if Virtual Security Guard is not working 

After setup, verify the following settings are enabled: 

  1. Motion Detection is turned on for your enrolled devices. 
  2. Live View is enabled in your enrolled camera's Mode settings. 
  3. Volume is turned up on your enrolled cameras. 
  4. You and your emergency contacts can receive text alerts. 

If you're still experiencing issues, call 1-866-894-8282 to speak with a Ring expert. 

Why an agent talked to you at your property 

Motion events are assigned randomly to agents, so the same agent is not guaranteed to review every event from your property. To help address unwanted activity, agents follow the same procedures for handling each event type regardless of who is in view. To avoid agent interaction, set your Ring system to Disarmed2 when you arrive home or are expecting guests. 

How to stop agents from talking to you at your property 

To prevent agents from using Two-Way Talk to engage with you, set your Ring system to Disarmed when arriving at your property. Shared Users can also disarm your Ring system. You can also adjust your Mode settings to select which cameras are monitored by Virtual Security Guard while your system is in Home and Away mode. 

How the Virtual Security Guard service works 

Camera settings required for Virtual Security Guard 

Virtual Security Guard works as expected when the following settings are enabled for your enrolled cameras: 

  1. Motion Detection is turned on. 
  2. Live View is enabled. 
  3. Motion Frequency is set to Regularly or Frequently. 

Agents are trained to unenroll devices that capture private areas such as bedrooms and bathrooms. You'll receive a text message if this happens. You can re-enroll the camera after it has been moved to a different location. 

How agents interact with a person on your property 

Agents follow clear guidelines for when and how they interact with a person on your property. After reviewing the event, agents determine if additional action is needed. If agents observe someone who remains in camera view, they are trained to intervene by using Two-Way Talk4 and, when available, can activate the camera's siren to help deter unwanted activity. In situations where an agent believes a dangerous crime or life-threatening situation is taking place, they can request dispatch of police, medical, or fire services to your property. Agents will notify you and your designated emergency contacts. 

How agents handle delivery drivers and food deliveries 

Live agents review the video feed and can use the camera's speaker to talk with anyone they see and let them know they are being monitored. 

How Active Warnings work with live agent review 

Active Warnings do not replace live agent review. Live agents still review all motion events in monitored areas. Active Warnings provide an automated response while a live agent assesses the situation. 

How to control Active Warnings 

To enable or disable Active Warnings: 

  1. Open the Ring app. 
  2. Tap Virtual Security Guard settings. 
  3. Tap Monitored Devices. 
  4. Toggle Active Warnings on or off. 

When activated, all enrolled and eligible devices will sound Active Warnings. For additional controls and configuration options, go to the Pro Features section within the Ring app and select Active Warnings. 

Devices that support Active Warnings 

Active Warnings are available on select Ring cameras. To see if your device is eligible, go to the Pro Features page within the Ring app. 

What a Watch Zone is and how to create one 

A Watch Zone lets you select a specific area within your Motion Zone for agents to monitor when Virtual Security Guard is armed. Use Watch Zones for critical areas such as your front porch or walkway. When Virtual Security Guard is armed and a person is detected inside a Watch Zone, a monitoring agent will review the event. Your camera still detects and records motion outside the Watch Zone, but agents won't monitor those areas unless motion is first detected inside a Watch Zone.  Learn more about Watch Zones for Virtual Security Guard.

Whether agents take action on triggered Ring Alarm sensors 

No. When Virtual Security Guard is active and a person is detected by Ring's person detection feature, agents only monitor and take action on camera events triggered by motion. Agents will not take action if your Ring Alarm is triggered. If a Ring Alarm sensor activates while Virtual Security Guard is active, an Alarm monitoring agent will follow the response settings you've customized in your Monitoring Settings. 

How to submit questions about how an event was handled 

Call Ring Customer Support for Virtual Security Guard at 1-866-894-8282 to provide additional event details. 

Managing communication and text preferences How to get fewer text alerts 

To reduce the number of text alerts you receive: 

  1. Manage your alert preferences in Virtual Security Guard settings. 
  2. Set up Motion Zones to control which areas agents monitor. 
  3. Set up Privacy Zones to exclude areas agents can't monitor. 
  4. Snooze events while your system is in Home or Away mode to temporarily stop events from being sent to agents for a duration you choose. 

Cellular message and data rates may apply. 

How to customize text alert preferences 

To customize your text alert preferences in the Ring app: 

  1. Tap the menu icon in the top left corner of the Ring app. 
  2. Tap Settings. 
  3. Tap Monitoring. 
  4. Tap Virtual Security Guard. 
  5. Adjust your alert preferences for each event type. 

Note: Only the Ring account owner can change text alert settings for emergency contacts. Texts include a link to the agent-monitored event. An emergency contact can only view the video recording if they are a Shared User on the Ring account. Cellular message and data rates may apply. 

Why you received a text alert 

You received a text for a non-emergency event based on your current alert settings in Virtual Security Guard settings. You can customize which alerts you receive by event type, including Delivery, Service Worker, and Unknown Person events. To stop receiving texts for certain events, update your preferences in Virtual Security Guard settings. Cellular message and data rates may apply. 

Why you didn't receive a text for a monitored event 

Certain non-emergency events do not trigger a text alert. For example, if a person is monitored walking past your property, no alert is sent. If you believe you should have received a text for an event: 

  1. Check your alert preferences in Virtual Security Guard settings. 
  2. Confirm you've opted in to text alerts by replying START to your last text from Virtual Security Guard (+1-424-300-8338). 
    Cellular message and data rates may apply.
     

How to fix stopped text messages 

If you've stopped receiving text messages from Virtual Security Guard: 

  1. Reply START to your last text received from Virtual Security Guard (+1-424-300-8338) to opt back in to text alerts. 
  2. Verify your alert preferences in Virtual Security Guard settings. 

Note: Certain non-emergency events will not trigger a text alert regardless of your settings. Cellular message and data rates may apply. 

Billing and subscription management 

How much does Virtual Security Guard cost?

Virtual Security Guard is a monthly subscription that costs $99 per month, per location. How to reduce the number of events 

To reduce the number of events reviewed by agents: 

  1. Set Motion Zones to control which areas are monitored by agents. 
  2. Set Privacy Zones to control which areas agents can't monitor. 
  3. Snooze events while your system is in Home or Away mode to temporarily stop events from being sent to agents. 
  4. Pause live monitoring altogether. 

How to cancel a Virtual Security Guard subscription 

You can cancel Virtual Security Guard for any reason for a prorated refund. When you cancel, agents stop monitoring your cameras. 

If you also cancel your Ring subscription, all of your recorded videos will be permanently deleted. Download any videos you want to keep before cancelling your Ring subscription.   Learn how to cancel Virtual Security Guard.

Last updated 2 months 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 required for digital arming/disarming and certain other in-app features.
3 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.
4 Virtual Security Guard does not support Two-Way Talk for ONVIF-compatible cameras.
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