Amazon’s Ring division will begin charging users for more features available to all customers at no additional cost. Starting March 29th, you must be on a Ring Protect plan to use Home and Remote Modes for the company’s cameras and video doorbells. This feature enables users to switch Live View and recording on or off in the Ring app even when they are away or at home.
Those who purchase a system on or after March 29 will have to pay extra to access many of the new paywalled features as well. You need a subscription to arm or disarm it from the app or an Alexa-enabled device. Otherwise, you can only do it from . Other features, such as real-time app and email notifications and the ability to connect your cameras and doorbells to the system, work behind a subscription. Those without a Protect membership are also limited to 24 hours of Alarm event history, rather than 60 days.
These changes do not apply to existing Ring Alarm system owners. Ring that those who purchase a Ring Alarm before March 29 but do not activate it until or after that day will still have access to these features without a subscription fee “for the expected life of the device. “
Ring Protect plans start at $4 per month or $40 per year after . The new paywalled features are all available at the basic level, as well pointed out.
In any case, those who purchase Ring Alarm after the end of March will need to subscribe to access some basic features. Not receiving a notification when you are not at home and the system is triggered, for example, is kind of defeating the purpose of having an intelligent alarm setup.
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