A Virtual Security Guard reviewing a camera event on their desktop computer

Extra Events for Virtual Security Guard

When Virtual Security Guard¹ is on and a person is detected on an enrolled camera, this is called an Event. During an Event, guards from Rapid Response will monitor your device’s Live View, and the Live View from other enrolled devices at your Property, if necessary. Depending on the situation and your alert preferences, the guard may do any of the following:

  • Send you a text with a link to the Event recording
  • Initiate Two-Way Talk (when a person is observed)
  • Request dispatch of emergency services (e.g. fire, medical, or police).

Important! Rapid Response guards don’t have access to your Event History and can’t download, share, or save any videos. They can only access Live View on your enrolled devices while actively monitoring an Event when your system is Armed.

Using Virtual Security Guard with Astro for Business?

Learn important information about how the service works with Astro.


Choose the right number of Events for you

A Virtual Security Guard subscription includes 175 Events for $99/month per location. Events don’t roll over to the next month, but reset at the start of each billing cycle. You can opt in to Extra Events to keep Virtual Security Guard active beyond your included events each month. Learn about Extra Events.

If you need more Events in your billing cycle, you can opt in to Extra Events for $0.99 per additional Event. If you use all the included Events in your plan’s billing cycle and you did not opt in to Extra Events, the service will stop until your next billing cycle. At the start of your next billing cycle, the number of Events will restart and the service will resume.

You can review your Extra Events charges in your Billing History.

Tips for using fewer Events

Note: Virtual Security Guard is only active when your Ring system Mode is set to Home or Away.2

  • Refine your Motion Zones
    . Guards will only monitor motion events that occur in
    . These are the same as the Motion Zones you may have set on your cameras, and any changes will affect existing app push notifications.
  • Configure Privacy Zones
    .
    to prevent certain areas from being monitored. When a guard views video from a camera with a Privacy Zone, that zone displays as a black box on the camera’s field of view.
  • Enroll only the cameras you want monitored.
  • Point your camera only toward areas you want monitored.
    Avoid high-traffic areas like sidewalks.
  • Snooze (up to 12 hours) or turn off guard monitoring
    . This will stop events from being sent to guards for review.

Keeping track of how many Events you’ve used

The Event Summary tab within the Virtual Security Guard Control Center has a breakdown of your events used. You can also see all guard reviewed events.

¹ Virtual Security Guard is an add-on service that requires the following (each sold separately): subscription fee per enrolled location plus a compatible Ring Protect plan, Ring Alarm system, enrollment in Ring Alarm Professional Monitoring², and an eligible device. Rapid Response is the seller and provides the service and agents monitoring person detected motion events. Learn more.

Last updated 3 weeks ago