How the Ring Search Party feature works (and how to turn it off, if it’s too creepy)

You may have heard about the recent backlash to a new Ring feature called Search Party, which is now live and works with compatible outdoor cameras and video doorbells. The basic idea is that if someone’s dog goes missing, all the cameras in the neighborhood can search for the lost dog.

But is it a useful neighborhood watch function or an unnecessary invasion of privacy? Critics worry that mass surveillance isn’t too far away (or may already be here). Here’s what you need to know about how Search Party works, which Ring devices support it, and how you can turn it off if you want.

What is the Ring Search Party?

As you can see in the commercial that aired during the recent Super Bowl, if a dog goes missing, local cameras are called upon to help find him. AI is used to try to spot the dog in question, using an image and details provided by the dog’s owner, and if there is a match then the stray animal can hopefully be reunited with its family.

It’s not completely different from how Apple AirTags work, with a vast network of other people’s iPhones called into action to help locate the lost item your AirTag is attached to. However, AirTags cannot record video, only track location. So it’s understandable that there are more privacy concerns around this.

Ring says more than one dog per day has been found since Search Party launched. Its rollout began last September, but its Super Bowl publicity – and increased public awareness of surveillance technologies – has drawn widespread new criticism. The problem isn’t with the missing dogs, but with how this setup could be misused or reused in the future.

The feature has been described as a “mass surveillance” system, in combination with the familiar faces features also available on Ring cameras. Although Familiar Faces is slightly different: it’s meant to let your cameras tell the difference between strangers and people you actually know, and that data stays private to your account. (This is also something other cameras do, including Google’s Nest Cams.)

Ultimately, it comes down to trusting (or not trusting) Ring. Will this feature only be used to find lost dogs? Could law enforcement force Ring to share footage to also track down suspected criminals? Could malicious actors access the system without Ring’s knowledge or express permission? These are people’s main concerns.

How do I disable Ring Search Party?

This is a feature enabled by default, so if you are unhappy with your images being used in this way, you should disable it. It works with all Ring outdoor cameras, including video doorbells: Any camera you have installed outside or set to outdoor mode in the Ring app is part of the dog search network.

However, you also need to have cloud storage enabled for your videos: it’s these recorded, motion-triggered clips that Ring analyzes. Your camera’s live feed isn’t suddenly exploited by Ring or anyone else. In addition, if a lost dog is located on one of your cameras, you have the choice of whether or not to share images with the owner: this part is not done automatically.

Turning off Search Party is pretty simple: from the Ring app on your phone, tap the menu button (top left), then choose Control center. Select Research group in the next menu, and you will see all the options available in your region. You can then deactivate the Search for lost pets setting.

Once this is done, your video clips will not be used to locate missing animals and you will not receive any notifications about this. However, it seems you can still ask for help finding a lost dog. In fact, anyone can do this, whether or not they have their own Ring outdoor camera, through the Ring mobile app or the accompanying Neighbors app also created by Ring.

There’s no doubt that debates about surveillance will continue, not only around Ring cameras, but around similar technologies as we all make choices between privacy and convenience.

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