Recently, Ring ran a Super Bowl ad for its Search Party feature showing how it uses AI to scan footage from Ring cameras and video doorbells to help find lost dogs. It sounds neighborly — until you consider that the same system could theoretically search footage for anything or anyone.
Combined with longstanding concerns around Ring’s ties to law enforcement — including a recent proposed integration with law enforcement technology company Flock Safety — the ad has prompted some users to look for alternatives to Ring.
If you are uncomfortable continuing to use your Ring cameras and are wondering what to do, we’ve rounded up all your options: From how to lock down your Ring hardware if you don’t want to or can’t swap it out, to doorbell cameras that don’t rely on cloud-processing — including those that store footage locally.
Why are people looking to ditch Ring?
The core concern is that Ring footage is processed and stored in the cloud. While Ring encrypts videos in transit and at rest, the company can access footage while it’s processed for features such as AI-powered video descriptions, video search, and Search Party.
While Ring has said that it does not share data or video footage with ICE or any federal law enforcement agencies, and that only its users can share their footage with local law enforcement, many people are concerned about what might happen if Ring changes its policies.
Ring maintains that it is not conducting mass surveillance. However, Ring’s founder and CEO Jamie Siminoff continues to be vocal in his belief that more cameras and more AI can help solve crime. He was the one who brought back video sharing with law enforcement after his predecessor ended the company’s prior police-sharing feature.
Ring — like any cloud provider — can be compelled to provide footage in response to legal requests, but Ring’s cozy relationship with law enforcement is cause for concern for many users. Additionally, the recent case of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, in which Google retrieved supposedly lost Nest doorbell footage, illustrates how cloud video can persist longer than you might expect.
“I do not trust Ring not to have a deal with Flock later down the line.”
Distrust of Ring’s motives appears to be widespread, prompting an uptick of interest in its competition. Representatives for smart home security companies SimpliSafe and Reolink told me they saw a significant increase in web traffic and, in some cases, sales, in February following Ring’s Super Bowl ad.
I also spoke to some users who have decided to switch. Tim Anderson, a former IT director in the Chicago suburbs, told me that it was the Search Party ad pushed him to reconsider Ring. “I didn’t get the cameras to be a dragnet for law enforcement; I got them to protect my property.”
Another longtime customer said he removed his Ring doorbell after hearing about the Flock integration (which Ring has since cancelled) and is now considering a system that gives him full local control like Reolink. “I do not trust Ring not to have a deal with Flock later down the line,” he told me.
If you’re similarly concerned about the direction Ring is moving, this article lays out the options you have for using a video doorbell or security cameras in your home without worrying about potentially feeding a surveillance network.
Here, I go over how to opt out of Ring’s new features if you want to keep your hardware. Then I cover how to choose a new doorbell if you want to ditch Ring — including the difference between cloud versus local storage, what end-to-end encryption is, and the best options for each case.
Keep Ring, but on your terms
Removing and replacing installed security cameras can be a hassle. If you want to keep your existing hardware but opt out of features that could potentially contribute to broader surveillance networks, here are some steps you can take to lock down your doorbell and other Ring cameras:
- Angle the camera to only catch your front door or property. If that’s not possible, enable privacy zones in the app to block out any “public” areas.
- Opt out of a cloud subscription. If you don’t pay for Ring’s subscription service, the Ring doorbell will not record video, but you’ll have to be quick to answer that alert on your phone if you want to see who is at the door.
- Turn off AI features. If you want the recorded video but don’t like the idea of the AI features, including the recently added facial recognition, turn them off in the Ring app settings under Ring AI Features.
- Turn off Search Party. This feature allows Ring’s AI to search the footage of your outdoor cameras for lost dogs and wildfires (currently). This is enabled by default. Go to the Control Center in the Ring app, select Search Party, and click through to disable.
- Opt out of Community Requests. This feature allows users to share footage with local law enforcement through Ring’s technology partner Axon. (Ring cancelled its planned Flock Safety integration.) Go to the Neighbors section of the Ring app, tap the settings icon, select Neighborhood Settings, then Feed Settings, toggle off Community Requests. You can also disable the Neighbors app integration entirely through the Control Center.
- Enable end-to-end encryption. Ring already encrypts footage in transit and at rest, but many of its features require access to your footage for processing. E2EE locks it down so that only you, not Ring, can access it. You can enable this on most Ring cameras, but you do lose access to several features, including rich notifications and person alerts.
Pick a doorbell that doesn’t process video in the cloud
Internet-connected home security cameras store and process recorded footage in three ways:
Cloud first — Video is processed and stored on a company’s servers. Examples include Ring, Nest, Wyze, Arlo, and Blink. These systems typically require a subscription, and while most also offer local storage, it’s often deprecated in favor of cloud video.
Local first — Video is stored and processed locally on the device, a hub, or a local server. Examples include Eufy, Tapo, Reolink, and Aqara. Cloud storage may be available as a backup.
Hybrid — Video is processed locally and stored in the cloud with end-to-end encryption. Examples include Ecobee, Philips Hue, and cameras that support Apple HomeKit Secure Video.
Cloud first is the least private option. Alongside concerns about companies intentionally sharing your video are the worries about unintentionally doing so.
Wyze, Ring, and Anker-owned Eufy have suffered major security flaws in the past that exposed their users’ videos. While all three companies say they have resolved the issues, the concerns about the vulnerability of the cloud are real.
If you don’t want any cloud exposure, choose local storage. If you want cloud convenience with stronger protections, choose E2EE.
If you do choose to use the cloud to store your footage, look for companies that require two-factor authentication and offer a high level of encryption, ideally end-to-end, which is what the hybrid method uses. This ensures the company cannot access your videos.
Local storage is the most private, as in theory it never leaves your home. A big advantage here is that you don’t have to pay any subscription fees to store your video, though the base stations that most companies offer for expanded storage cost around $200, adding to the initial cost.
One downside of both local and hybrid systems is that local processing of footage to generate smart alerts for packages, people, etc., isn’t as effective as cloud-based solutions, which can leverage their servers’ greater computational power to analyze footage. But that may change.
You also can’t get “rich” notifications without the cloud, which includes a snapshot of what the camera saw. However, if all you want to know is who is at your front door, you might not miss these features.
Put simply, if you don’t want any cloud exposure, choose local storage. If you want cloud convenience with stronger protections, choose an end-to-end encrypted system.
Best doorbells with end-to-end encryption
The cloud isn’t inherently bad. If a service uses end-to-end encryption, no one but you can access your footage, no matter where it’s stored, so companies can’t be compelled to hand over footage to authorities.
These are the current options that support E2EE (in addition to Ring, as previously mentioned). One notable benefit of these over the local storage options mentioned later is a more polished app experience and easier setup, but you will have to pay to store your video in the cloud.
Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video (HKSV)
Power: Battery or hardwired/ Video: 1080p / Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi / Smart alerts: Person, vehicle, packages, animals, facial recognition / Cloud storage: iCloud +, starting at $1 a month
HomeKit Secure Video is Apple’s smart home video solution that processes footage from compatible cameras locally on your Apple TV or HomePod. This enables smart alerts for people, animals, vehicles, and packages, as well as facial recognition through the Apple Home app, where you can view livestreams and recorded video. It stores video in the cloud using E2EE.
HKSV has some limitations: you need to be in Apple’s ecosystem and have an iCloud + subscription. Video resolution is limited to 1080p, and the smart alerts are unreliable. Another problem is that only three brands of doorbells support HomeKit Secure Video – Aqara, Logitech, and Belkin — and Belkin’s Wemo has been discontinued.
If you go this route, consider the Aqara G410, which I cover in the local storage section, or the older (and cheaper) Aqara G4.
Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera
Power: Hardwired / Video: 1080p / Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi / Smart alerts: People and packages / Cloud storage: $5 a month or $50 a year
This doorbell from the smart thermostat maker uses end-to-end encryption to store footage in the cloud and offers free smart alerts processed on-device. It integrates neatly with the Ecobee thermostat, letting you use it as an intercom. Read my full review.
Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell
Power: Hardwired / Video: 2K / Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi, Zigbee / Smart alerts: People, animals, vehicles, and packages (with subscription) / Cloud storage: 24 hours free, $39.99 a year
I haven’t tested the Hue doorbell yet, but on paper, it’s a solid, privacy-focused option that offers end-to-end encryption, 24 hours of free video history, and locally processed alerts. But you do have to pay for smart alerts.
It’s a good option if you’re in the Hue ecosystem — it connects to the Hue bridge via Zigbee, so your lights can turn on when it detects motion.
Best doorbells with local storage
If you don’t want to store your video in anyone’s cloud, you have a few options.
If you are handy with tech and networking, you can set up your own network-attached storage system (NAS) — a local server connected to your router. This solution can also be used to stream live video via RTSP or ONVIF. We have a deep dive into this solution if you want to go that route.
A simpler option is to choose a video doorbell that offers local storage, meaning video is recorded and stored locally on a microSD card in the device or on a home base or base station. Popular options include Anker’s Eufy, TP-Link’s Tapo, Reolink, and Aqara.
If you have just one or two cameras, the microSD card route is easiest. Bear in mind, you will need to buy these separately in most cases. If you are looking to build out a larger security system, a hub lets you store video from multiple cameras in one place and offers more storage capacity.
Another benefit of a hub setup from an established security company is the ability to run local AI to provide “smart alerts” — notifications when the camera spots a person, package, animal, and vehicle — as well as more advanced features like facial recognition and video search.
Most systems let you view locally stored footage on your smartphone, both when you’re on your local network and when you’re away from home, using a peer-to-peer connection between your phone and the device. This also means you should still get recordings if the internet goes down.
I’ve been testing products from Eufy, Reolink, and Aqara for several years now, and one thing you will miss if you switch from a cloud-first brand like Ring is the app experience. While the user interfaces have improved significantly, they are still often obtuse and complicated to navigate. Eufy and Tapo have the cleanest apps, followed by Aqara, whereas Switchbot and Reolink’s are rougher around the edges.
Here’s a rundown of the best video doorbells with local storage:
Power: Battery or hardwired / Video: 2K / Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi / Smart alerts: People, packages, pets, and vehicles / Optional cloud storage: $2.79 per month
This is a great budget option that ticks most boxes. It can record to a microSD card in the device or to Tapo’s H500 Hub and offers 24/7 recording when wired. Read my full review.
Best for fully local control
Power: Battery or hardwired / Video: 2K video / Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi / Smart alerts: Person, vehicle, packages / Optional cloud storage: Reolink Cloud $5.99 a month
A good option for users looking to integrate cameras into an advanced local networking setup, Reolink supports local storage via microSD or Reolink’s Home Hub and works with FTP servers, Home Assistant, and NAS systems. It supports protocols such as RTSP and ONVIF. Read my review.
Best for smart home set ups
Power: Battery or hardwired / Video: 2K / Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi, Thread, Zigbee / Smart alerts: Person and motion (more with subscription) / Optional cloud storage: HomeKit Secure Video or Aqara’s HomeGuardian
This is a good choice if you want to use Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video or if you’re invested in Aqara’s smart home system, as it also acts as a Zigbee, Thread, and Matter smart home hub.
Along with HKSV, it has local storage via a microSD card housed in the included 95dB indoor chime/hub. It will also work with Aqara’s upcoming Home Station M410 and supports RTSP, so you can send its feed to a third-party client such as your NAS or Home Assistant.
Power: Battery or hardwired / Video: 2K / Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi / Smart alerts: Person and motion (vehicle, pet, and facial recognition with HomeBase) / Optional cloud storage: Eufy Cloud $3.99 a month
Eufy has one of the best apps and most robust smart alerts, including free local facial recognition. If you want more bells and whistles from your local cameras, this is the one to get. Eufy is also the only company that has a removable battery option — all the others listed require you to remove the doorbell to charge the battery (although you’ll need to bump up to the C31 model for $35 more).
It offers local storage via a microSD card and, when connected to the Eufy HomeBase 3, provides free vehicle and pet detection, facial recognition, and more storage. Eufy says all processing is local, except when you enable push notifications, which “temporarily” store images in the cloud.
Note: Eufy had some major security issues in 2022, including that its video streams were not natively end-to-end encrypted, as it had previously stated. The company says it has fully rearchitected its systems and hired a third-party security researcher to audit them. Today, Eufy maintains that “Our security solutions have been designed to operate locally and, wherever possible, avoid using the cloud,” according to spokesperson Brett White.
Power: Battery or hardwired / Video: 2K / Connectivity: 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi / Smart alerts: Person and motion (vehicle and pet with subscription) / Optional cloud storage: $3.99 a month/ $34.99 a year
The SwitchBot doorbell is a good solution for people who want an interior screen for viewing doorbell footage and don’t want to rely on cloud-based options like Amazon’s Echo Show or Google Nest smart displays. It comes with a separate small screen that serves as a hub, intercom, and chime, and can store up to 4GB of recorded video (upgradeable).
Switchbot just launched a $259.99 AI Hub with expandable storage up to a whopping 16TB that enables AI features such as on-device facial recognition.
It comes down to who you trust
There are a lot of options outside of Ring, and while I didn’t discuss them here, companies such as Google Nest, Arlo, and Blink (also Amazon-owned) all offer good cloud-first solutions and don’t have advertised relationships with law enforcement. You can read more about these in my guide to the Best Video Doorbells.
One thing to note when looking for the most privacy-focused video doorbell is that the local storage brands listed here are Chinese companies, while those that mostly use the cloud are based in the US or Europe.
American companies are subject to the US’s patchwork of privacy laws and regulatory scrutiny, whereas Chinese companies can be compelled to cooperate with the broad Chinese government access laws. Because of this, US lawmakers have called for investigations into several Chinese-owned companies, including TP-Link (which owns Tapo) and Anker (which owns Eufy).
This leaves you to weigh two different types of trust: trusting the technology or trusting the company behind it. My advice is to go with a company you trust.
Long-term, the smart home standard Matter could enable more secure, local networking options that work across platforms without relying on cloud services.
For now, though, when it comes to choosing a video doorbell, you still have to decide which tradeoffs make you the most comfortable, if any.
Photos by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
