Virtual Security Guard¹ is a monthly subscription service from Rapid Response that provides live monitoring of camera motion events for the compatible, enrolled cameras at your home or business. Trained agents will monitor events when a person is detected and act accordingly on your behalf.
A subscription includes 175 events for $99/month per location. Events don’t roll over to the next month, but instead reset each month to 175 at the start of each billing cycle.
Overview of Events
A Virtual Security Guard event happens each time a Rapid Response agent reviews your enrolled cameras (if the service is armed and a person is detected in a camera motion event):
- An agent is notified when motion is detected by a camera, and a person is detected in the motion event.
- A Rapid Response agent will view your camera’s Live View to see what is occurring on your property.
- Depending on the event type and your alert preferences, the agent may send you an SMS alert, initiate Two-Way Talk (if a person is observed), or request to dispatch emergency response.
Note: Rapid Response agents don’t have access to event recordings and can’t download, share, or save any videos. They can only access Live View motion events on your enrolled devices in real time once a camera detects motion and a person is detected in the motion event.
Optimizing How Many Events you Use
- Set your Motion Zones. If you set a Motion Zone, agents will only monitor motion events that occur in the Motion Zones. These are the same as the Motion Zones you may have already set on your cameras, and any changes will affect existing app push notifications.
- Configure Privacy Zones. Use Privacy Zones to exclude certain areas from monitoring. When a Rapid Response agent views video from a camera with a defined Privacy Zone, the Privacy Zone appears as a black box on a camera’s field of view.
- Enroll only the cameras you want monitored.
- Point your camera only toward areas you want monitored. Try to avoid high-traffic areas like sidewalks.
Note: The Virtual Security Guard subscription includes 175 events/month per location. Once you’ve used all your current billing cycle’s included 175 events, the Virtual Security Guard service will turn off unless you have opted in to Extra Events. Each additional event after the 175-event limit (Extra Event) will cost $0.99. You can try Extra Events for free for a limited time.
If you opt in to Extra Events during this trial period, you will not be billed if you exceed 175 monitored motion events. We’ll notify you 30 days before the Extra Events free trial ends. To update your Extra Event preferences, log in to your Ring account. Then select your Virtual Security Guard plan, select Manage Extra Events, and toggle your selection on or off.
Learn more about Extra Events here.
Badges for Reviewed Events in Ring App
When an Rapid Response agent monitors an event on your camera, a badge is added to the video in your Event History and Timeline. Learn more about Timeline.
Guard Reviewed: An agent has reviewed an event on your property.
Important: An agent has sent you an SMS about an event on your property that needs your attention.
Guard Intervened: An agent has intervened in an event, actions may include: using Two-Way Talk to speak to the person on your property, sounding the device siren (if available), or – during an emergency – contacting your emergency contacts and requesting dispatch of emergency services as needed.
Getting Alerted When an Event Needs Your Attention
- You will receive an SMS alert with a link to the event recording. These will always be sent from +1-424-300-8338 (we recommend saving this number to your contacts).
- The people listed as your emergency contacts for Alarm professional monitoring3 will also receive an SMS.
- SMS messages that need immediate attention will be marked with "URGENT" or "NEEDS ATTENTION". Other messages that are more informational will not be.
- If an escalation is needed, Rapid Response will call your listed emergency contact(s) and, if needed, request to dispatch emergency services.
To view your emergency contacts in the Ring app, open Settings > Monitoring > Emergency Contacts.
Note: SMS alerts only occur for certain event types and may be filtered out based on your alert preferences. You can always check your event history in the Ring app, where reviewed events are marked with a badge.
Update your preferences anytime in the Virtual Security Guard Control Center.
Customizing SMS Alerts
You can customize what type of non-emergency events you are notified about. However, emergency event alerts are always on by default.
- Customize alert preferences for non-emergency events.You can customize which SMS alerts you want to receive for each event type. This includes Delivery, Service Worker, and Person events.
- Customize who will receive SMS alerts for non-emergency events. Simply open the Ring app, tap the three lines (☰), tap Control Center then Virtual Security Guard to customize alerts. At this time, only the account owner can change SMS settings for emergency contacts.
Both you (the account owner) and your emergency contacts can opt out of SMS alerts anytime:
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Simply reply STOP to the alert sent from +1-424-300-8338. This is the Virtual Security Guard number from which SMS alerts are sent.
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To opt back in, send an SMS text with START to the same number.
Event Examples
Here are standard agent responses to events that may occur on your property when Virtual Security Guard is armed.
| Event Type | Description | Monitoring Agent Response |
| Common Event | A passerby, vehicle, animal, or other motion is captured on the property. | Agent resolves the event without contacting the property owner. No SMS alert will be sent. |
| Delivery or Service Worker on Property |
A service worker or delivery person is on the property. | Agent sends property owner an SMS alert with a link to a video recording of the event. |
| Person on Property |
A person is on the property that is not a service worker or delivery person. | Agent uses Two-Way Talk to announce that the property is being monitored and sends an SMS alert with a link to a video recording of the event. |
| Person on Property Escalation | A person is still on the property after the agent engaged in Two-Way Talk. | Agent uses Two-Way Talk to announce that the property is being monitored. Agent sends property owner an SMS alert indicating that an event needs attention. |
| Urgent Events | Package Theft or Property Damage is taking place. | Agent uses Two-Way Talk to announce that the property is being monitored and activates the device siren (if available). Agent sends an SMS alert to property owner and emergency contacts with a link to video recording of the event. If necessary, the agent will call the first emergency contact. |
| Emergency Events | A life threatening or violent situation is taking place. | Agent activates the device siren (if available) and requests to dispatch emergency services to the property. Agent calls the property owner and emergency contacts. Agent sends an SMS alert to property owner and emergency contacts, indicating that emergency services have been alerted with a link to a video recording of the event. |
Event Resolutions
If you have questions about event resolutions, submit a request to Rapid Response (the provider of the Virtual Security Guard service and agents):
- Click here to submit all event details on an online form.
- Once Rapid Response gets the request, it will review your submission and look into your event.
- After the event is reviewed, Rapid Response will call you within 3 business days to discuss its findings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are motion events and when are they reviewed by Virtual Guards?
Motion events occur when your Ring device detects motion within its defined Motion Zones, triggering motion alerts and video recordings. When Virtual Security Guard is on and your device detects motion triggered by a person, the event is sent to Guards for review so they can monitor the event and take action if needed.
How can I tell which events were reviewed by Virtual Security Guard?
You can identify which camera motion events were monitored by a Rapid Response agent by reviewing your Event History timeline in the Ring app. Whenever an agent monitors an event on your camera, a badge is added to your Event History Timeline video, letting you know which videos were reviewed. Learn more about Events here
How can I reduce the number of events I’m using?
There are a few ways for you to limit your monitored events while the service is on. As a reminder, Virtual Security Guard only active when your Alarm Mode is set to Home or Away.
- Snooze Motion: With the Snooze feature, you can pause Virtual Security Guard monitoring for your property (up to 12 hours) without disarming your Ring Alarm. When Snooze is turned on, Guards will not receive or review motion events triggered on the snoozed devices. You will also stop receiving motion alert notifications while Snooze is on. Learn more here.
- Set your Motion Zones: If you set a Motion Zone, Guards will only monitor motion events that occur in the Motion Zones. These are the same as the Motion Zones you may have already set on your cameras.
- Camera Placement: Enroll only the cameras placed in areas you want monitored by Virtual Guards.
¹Virtual Security Guard is available only within the U.S. (all 50 states, but not U.S. territories), and is an add-on service that requires enrollment, and the following (all sold separately): a subscription fee per enrolled location in addition to a compatible Ring Protect plan, a Ring Alarm system, enrollment in Ring Alarm Professional monitoring, and at least 1 eligible device. Rapid Response is the seller and provider of the camera motion person detection monitoring service and agents. Ring bills your Ring account for this service. Virtual Security Guard subscription fee includes 175 monitored camera motion person detection events per month. Opt in to Extra Events for an additional cost. Ring Alarm sensors are not monitored by Virtual Security Guard (Alarm sensors only trigger Alarm professional monitoring). Learn more here.
A compatible Ring Protect subscription is required to enroll in the Ring Alarm professional monitoring service. Professional monitoring service is available only within the U.S. (all 50 states, but not U.S. territories) and in Canada (excluding Quebec). Ring does not own its own professional monitoring center. Smoke and carbon monoxide monitoring is not available for a business or commercially zoned address. See Ring alarm licenses at: https://www.ring.com/licenses. Additional permit or false alarm fees may apply depending on your local jurisdiction. Additional charges may apply in areas that require permits or guard response service for alarm verification.
