Amazon-owned Ring has rolled out Familiar Faces, an optional facial-recognition feature that can add the names of recurring visitors to alerts—for example, “Chris at Front Door.” It is not documented as a system that automatically identifies every stranger: the account owner creates and labels a library of familiar people, with a maximum of 50 profiles.
As of August 16, 2026, Familiar Faces is available in the United States and Canada on selected Ring devices, but not in Illinois, Texas, Portland, Oregon, or Quebec. It requires an eligible subscription or add-on, stores facial-recognition information in the cloud, and is incompatible with Ring’s end-to-end video-encryption configuration and Ring Edge.
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The convenience comes with a significant privacy trade-off. The account holder opts in, but delivery workers, neighbors, visitors, contractors, household staff, and passersby may be captured without directly consenting to biometric analysis. Ring recommends notifying people whose faces are saved and warns that some jurisdictions may require consent.
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What Ring’s Familiar Faces feature does
Ring announced Familiar Faces in 2025, with its U.S. rollout reported on December 9, 2025. Ring’s current documentation describes it as facial recognition, not merely generic artificial-intelligence image classification.
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- Get real-time alerts — Receive real-time notifications on your phone when motion is detected.
- Easily recharge — Simply insert the included removal tool to detach your doorbell from the wall, then recharge the built-in battery via USB-C. (Cable not included.)
The feature combines three different steps:
- Face detection: the camera or service detects that a face appears in an event.
- Face recognition: the captured face is compared with a stored profile.
- Identification: Ring attaches the name supplied by the account owner when the profile matches.
Users create a Familiar Faces library by labeling people they know. When Ring recognizes one of those profiles, it can include that person’s name in an alert. The system is therefore different from a general-purpose search engine or a documented nationwide database that identifies every person in view.
Ring’s support documentation currently labels Familiar Faces as a Beta feature in plan listings. App labels may also vary: Ring says “Pro Features” replaced “AI Features,” so some accounts may still show the older menu name.
Who can use it?
Compatible devices
Ring says Familiar Faces works with 2K and 4K cameras and selected 1080p models. Listed 1080p-compatible devices include:
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Compatibility is model-specific and may change. Check Ring’s current support page for the exact camera rather than assuming every Ring doorbell qualifies.
Subscription requirement and price
Familiar Faces is listed with Ring Protect Pro and may also be available through a trial, Virtual Security Guard, or the Pro Intelligence Add-on. Prices below were seen on August 16, 2026, and may change:
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- Connect to who’s there — See, hear, and speak in real time with Live View and Two-Way Talk.
- Get real-time alerts — Receive real-time notifications on your phone when motion is detected.
- Easily recharge — Simply insert the included removal tool to detach your doorbell from the wall, then recharge the built-in battery via USB-C. (Cable not included.)
| Plan | Price shown | Familiar Faces |
|---|---|---|
| Ring Solo | $4.99/month or $49.99/year | Not listed |
| Ring Multi | $9.99/month or $99.99/year | Not listed |
| Ring Pro | $19.99/month or $199.99/year | Included and listed as Beta |
| Virtual Security Guard | $99/month | May provide access |
That creates an important distinction for existing Ring owners: a compatible camera is not enough. Someone already paying for recording through Solo or Multi may need to move to the roughly $20-per-month Pro tier to receive named-person alerts. See Ring’s official plan page for current terms.
Geographic restrictions
Ring currently says Familiar Faces is unavailable in Illinois, Texas, Portland, Oregon, and Quebec because of applicable legislation. That does not establish that facial recognition is categorically illegal throughout those places, or everywhere biometric-privacy laws exist. It means Ring has not made this particular feature available there under the current restrictions.
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Ring says profiles and related facial-recognition information are encrypted and stored in the cloud, not on the camera. The available documentation confirms cloud storage but does not establish a more detailed processing architecture than that.
The library can contain up to 50 profiles. Ring says unnamed profiles are removed after 30 days without recognition, while all profiles and facial-recognition information are deleted after 180 days without recognition. These are different rules: the 30-day policy concerns unnamed profiles; it should not be described as automatic deletion of every face after 30 days.
Ring’s stated operating guidance is limited and conditions-dependent:
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- See, hear and speak to visitors on camera — With Live View & Two-Way Talk with Audio+, you’ll be able to interact with who’s there in real time, right from your phone.
- Tailored detection for more exact alerts — 3D Motion Detection pinpoints motion on your property so you’ll receive more precise alerts and fewer interruptions.
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- 2K and 4K cameras may generally recognize people at approximately 9–13 feet.
- 1080p devices have an estimated range of approximately 6 feet.
- Ring recommends mounting a doorbell about 4 feet, or 1.2 meters, above the ground.
- Recognition works best when a person approaches the camera rather than moving across its field of view.
- Face coverings, sunglasses, helmets, poor lighting, high contrast, distance, and fast movement can reduce accuracy.
Those figures are Ring’s manufacturer guidance, not independent performance benchmarks. A recognized name should never be treated as conclusive proof of identity, particularly for security, employment, tenancy, or law-enforcement decisions.
How to turn Familiar Faces on or off
Only the Ring account owner can set up and manage the feature. Shared users may see names in alerts, but they cannot administer the face library.
- Open the Ring app.
- Open the main menu.
- Tap Pro Features. Some accounts may still show AI Features.
- Review the disclosures and consent prompts.
- Turn Familiar Faces on or off.
- Use Manage Devices to control it for individual cameras.
When a face is captured, the account owner can add a name in the Familiar Faces library and configure alerts for that saved person. To stop the feature itself, turn off Familiar Faces—not merely the notifications.
Notifications are not the same as recognition
Ring’s related Smart Alerts settings can create confusion:
- If Smart Alerts Person Recording is disabled, Familiar Faces cannot identify people or send people-related alerts.
- If Smart Alerts Person Alerts is disabled, Ring may still recognize faces in video events, but it will not send person-detection alerts.
- Recognized faces may still appear in Event History or Timeline under some settings.
Someone trying to stop face analysis should disable Familiar Faces itself and review Smart Alerts Person Recording, rather than relying only on muted notifications.
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- Capture it all with Retinal 2K video — From wide views to tighter focus, it’s easy to see your home or business in crisp clarity with Retinal 2K.
- Zoom in up to 6x — Catch details at a distance, inspect faces, and more with up to 6x Enhanced Zoom.
- Connect to who’s there — See, hear, and speak in real time with Live View and Two-Way Talk.
- Get real-time alerts — Receive real-time notifications on your phone when motion is detected.
- Easily recharge — Simply insert the included removal tool to detach your doorbell from the wall, then recharge the built-in battery via USB-C. (Cable not included.)
What happens after cancellation or a reset?
If a subscription is canceled, the device stops recognizing people and users cannot add new profiles. Existing profiles may still be viewed and deleted. If the subscription is later restored, recognition may resume using existing saved profiles.
Profiles do not transfer when a device is reset or transferred. Familiar Faces is also unavailable when Ring’s end-to-end video-encryption configuration or Ring Edge is enabled.
Why privacy advocates object
The central concern is the consent gap. The account owner chooses to enable the feature, but the people in front of the camera generally do not make that choice. A camera pointed toward a porch, shared hallway, apartment entrance, driveway, sidewalk, or storefront may capture:
- Family members and friends
- Neighbors and visitors
- Delivery workers and contractors
- Household staff
- Passersby within the camera’s field of view
Three questions should be kept separate:
- Consent: Did the people being analyzed agree to biometric processing?
- Accuracy: Could the system attach the wrong name to a person?
- Secondary use: How might face-related information be retained, shared, or repurposed beyond the immediate alert?
Ring recommends informing people whose faces are saved and acknowledges that some laws may require explicit consent. That guidance does not resolve whether everyone captured by an enabled camera has consented. Nor do the reviewed sources establish that Ring is building a universal database of every passerby or that it shares Familiar Faces data with police.
Ring’s privacy and security history
The feature’s rollout is being judged against Ring’s previous privacy and security record. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission said Ring had allowed employees and contractors broad access to customer videos, failed to implement basic privacy and security safeguards, and enabled hackers to take control of accounts, cameras, and videos. The settlement required Ring to pay $5.8 million and take specified corrective measures, including deletion of certain pre-2018 customer videos and face embeddings.
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In 2024, the FTC said it had distributed more than $5.6 million to consumers under that settlement. Those are documented findings and enforcement actions concerning earlier conduct; they do not prove that Familiar Faces is currently being mishandled. Ring’s present-day encryption and retention statements should likewise be understood as the company’s stated controls, not as the result of an independent audit.
Sen. Edward Markey questioned Amazon’s planned rollout in a letter dated October 31, 2025. In a February 11, 2026 follow-up, he said Amazon had rolled out facial-recognition technology in Ring doorbells and continued to question the company’s privacy practices. In June 2026, TechCrunch reported that Amazon faced a class-action lawsuit alleging that Familiar Faces could collect biometric data from people who did not consent. Those remain allegations; the available sources do not establish that a court has found the feature unlawful or that Ring is liable.
Do not confuse Familiar Faces with Ring’s other AI tools
Ring markets several AI features with different functions and privacy implications:
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- Video Search helps users search recorded events.
- Familiar Faces compares captured faces with user-labeled profiles and can attach names to alerts.
- Search Party uses Ring footage and AI to help search for lost pets and has prompted a separate surveillance debate.
Calling all of these “AI-powered” does not make them interchangeable. Familiar Faces is the feature that creates the biometric identification issue.
Should you enable it?
Familiar Faces may make sense for an owner who wants fewer ambiguous alerts, has a clear close-up camera view, can inform the people whose profiles are saved, accepts cloud storage of face-related information, and is comfortable paying for Ring Pro.
It is a poor fit when a camera covers a public sidewalk, shared entrance, neighbor’s property, or apartment hallway; when household members object; when consent cannot be obtained reliably; or when the owner uses Ring Edge or end-to-end video encryption. If the goal is recording and ordinary person alerts, Solo or Multi may be sufficient without adding Familiar Faces.
Practical guidance by situation
- Single-family homeowners: Narrow the camera’s field of view, save only people who understand the feature, and treat names as indications rather than proof.
- Apartment residents: Be especially cautious with shared hallways and entrances, where many people may be recorded without a practical way to consent.
- Landlords and property managers: Obtain legal advice before enabling biometric analysis around tenants, workers, or shared spaces; Ring’s geographic list is not a complete legal guide.
- Small businesses: Consider workplace notice, customer notice, retention, and local biometric-privacy requirements before creating profiles.
- Privacy-sensitive households: Leave Familiar Faces off and review Smart Alerts, encryption, storage, and account-sharing settings.
Alternatives based on privacy architecture
The relevant comparison is not only image resolution. It is where footage and biometric information are processed, how long they are retained, whether a subscription is required, and who controls the system.
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- Google Nest offers strong Google Home integration and familiar-person alerts on supported products, but remains tied to Google’s account and cloud ecosystem.
- Eufy Security may appeal to buyers prioritizing local storage or reduced subscription dependence. Privacy and cloud behavior vary by model.
- Reolink is worth considering for local recording and avoiding mandatory cloud subscriptions, although smart-home integration and facial-recognition features vary.
- Arlo provides a broad camera lineup and polished alerting, but advanced detection and subscription costs should be compared directly with Ring Pro.
- Local/NVR systems offer the greatest control over storage and retention, at the cost of more installation, maintenance, remote-access, and security responsibility.
Competitor pricing and model capabilities change frequently, so check each manufacturer’s current product pages before buying. No current alternative prices are stated here.
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