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.
Frequently Asked Questions
General Information
What is Virtual Security Guard?
Virtual Security Guard is a subscription service from Ring that allows you to have professional, trained agents from Rapid Response monitor person detection motion events for the compatible and enrolled cameras that you designate. If needed, Rapid Response agents can request to dispatch emergency services and use Two-Way Talk on your enrolled cameras (if supported) to help deter unwanted visitors.
Why should I use Virtual Security Guard?
You may not be able to review every camera motion alert on your property. With Virtual Security Guard, trained Rapid Response agents can view real-time motion camera events taking place on your property when a person is detected, to help keep your property or business protected so you can focus on what's important.
How can I tell which camera motion events were monitored by an agent?
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.
What are the differences between Virtual Security Guard, Ring Protect Pro, and Alarm Professional Monitoring?
Ring Protect Pro and Ring Protect Plus (1st Gen) are subscription services that allow you to review, share, and save videos and photos captured by your Ring device.
You can enroll in Alarm Professional Monitoring, which is a feature of the Ring Protect Pro and Ring Protect Plus (1st Gen) subscriptions, that enables you to request dispatch of real-time emergency responders upon break-ins or security threats that may be detected by your Ring Alarm.
Virtual Security Guard is a subscription service that can be added to your Ring Protect Pro Plan and provides live camera motion person detection event monitoring by Rapid Response for enrolled and compatible cameras at your home or business.
While Alarm Professional Monitoring provides monitoring for your Ring Alarm sensors, Virtual Security Guard enables Rapid Response agents to see what's actually happening on your eligible and enrolled cameras and take action if needed.
When Virtual Security Guard is active and a person is detected, Rapid Response agents will monitor and take action on that event. If a Ring Alarm sensor is triggered while Virtual Security Guard is active (meaning your Alarm is in Home or Away Mode), the Alarm monitoring agent will follow the response settings you've customized in your Monitoring Settings for Ring Alarm.
To enroll in Virtual Security Guard, you need a compatible Ring Protect subscription that allows you to enroll in Alarm Professional Monitoring, which is a requirement for operating the service.
What do I need to use Virtual Security Guard?
To purchase a Virtual Security Guard subscription, you will need the following (all sold separately): a Ring Alarm, a compatible camera, a compatible Ring Protect subscription, and be enrolled in Professional Monitoring.
I'm interested in Virtual Security Guard, how do I get started?
To get started, you'll need a Ring Alarm, a compatible camera, a compatible Ring Protect subscription, and be enrolled in Professional Monitoring (all sold separately).
You can add Virtual Security Guard to a compatible Ring Protect subscription by logging into the Protect Plan page of your Ring Account and clicking Purchase Virtual Security Guard.
How the Service Works
How do I know that Virtual Security Guard is working?
When you activate the service by arming your Ring Alarm in Home or Away modes, you will receive an SMS alert and you will see notifications in the dashboard and Ring Alarm arming screen of your Ring app. When Virtual Security Guard is active, you may receive SMS alerts or hear agents communicating through your camera’s speaker (if available) when people are detected on your enrolled cameras, depending on the situation. Cellular message and data rates may apply.
I've purchased a Virtual Security Guard subscription and completed setup. Why isn't the service working as expected?
If Virtual Security Guard isn't working, please check the following settings:
- Motion Detection is turned on for your enrolled devices.
- Live View is enabled in your enrolled cameras' Modes settings.
- Volume is turned up on your enrolled cameras.
- You and your emergency contacts are able to receive SMS alerts.
If you're still experiencing issues, please call 1-866-894-8282 to speak with an expert.
Do I need to adjust any camera settings for Virtual Security Guard to work?
Virtual Security Guard should work as expected if Motion Detection and Live View are enabled for your enrolled cameras.
Why did Virtual Security Guard stop working on my indoor camera?
Indoor cameras are not currently supported by Virtual Security Guard. To help protect your privacy, Rapid Response agents are trained to unenroll devices that face indoor spaces.
Why did an agent talk to me at my property?
Motion events are assigned randomly to Rapid Response agents, so it is not guaranteed that the same agent reviews each event from your property. To help address unwanted activity, agents will follow the same procedures for handling each event type regardless of the person in view. To avoid this scenario, disarm Virtual Security by disarming your Ring Alarm when you arrive home or are expecting guests.
How can I avoid Rapid Response agents talking to me at my property?
To avoid Rapid Response agents using Two-Way Talk to engage with you, disarm Virtual Security Guard by disarming your Ring Alarm when you're approaching or arriving at your property. Shared Users can also be added to your account and have the ability to disarm your Ring Alarm. You can also adjust your Modes settings to designate which enrolled cameras are being monitored by Virtual Security Guard while your Ring Alarm is armed in Home and Away modes.
How do Rapid Response agents interact with a person on property?
Rapid Response agents follow clear guidelines for whether and how they interact with a person on your property. For example, agents are trained not to intervene if delivery or service personnel are detected.
An agent is trained to intervene if they observe a person who is not just a passerby by interacting via Two-Way Talk and/or activating the device siren (if available on the device they're monitoring) to help deter unwanted activity.
In cases where an agent believes a dangerous crime or life-threatening situation is taking place, they can request to dispatch police, medical, or fire services to your property. Agents will promptly notify you and/or your designated emergency contacts.
Do agents interact with delivery drivers and food deliveries?
Agents will monitor the delivery, but do not interact if it’s clear that the person seen in the video is dropping something off, such as a package, mail, or food.
How do I customize my SMS alert preferences?
You can adjust your alert preferences from your Ring app by going to Account > Control Center. From there, select Virtual Security Guard to customize your preferences. At this time, only the Ring account owner can change SMS alert settings for emergency contacts.
SMS alerts will include a link to the monitored motion event. An emergency contact can only view the video recording if they are a Shared User on the Ring account. Cellular message and data rates may apply.
Why did I receive an SMS alert?
You received an SMS alert for a non-emergency event due to your alert settings in the Control Center. You have the ability to customize which SMS alerts you want to receive for each event type. This includes Delivery, Service Worker, and Unknown Person events.
Note: If you no longer wish to receive SMS alerts for certain events, you can update your preferences in the Control Center. Cellular message and data rates may apply.
Why didn't I receive an SMS alert for a monitored motion event?
Certain non-emergency events do not trigger an SMS alert. For example, if a passerby is monitored walking past your property, you won't receive an alert. If you believe you should have received an SMS alert for an event, please check your alert preferences in the Control Center. Additionally, make sure you've opted for SMS alerts by replying START to your last SMS from Virtual Security Guard. Cellular message and data rates may apply.
I've stopped receiving SMS alerts. How do I fix this?
You can reply START to your last SMS received for Virtual Security Guard to opt into SMS alerts. Note that certain non-emergency events will not trigger an SMS alert. Cellular message and data rates may apply.
Will agents take any action on my Ring Alarm sensors being triggered while Virtual Security Guard is active?
When Virtual Security Guard is active and a person is detected, Rapid Response agents will only monitor and take action on camera events triggered by motion. Agents will not take action if your Ring Alarm goes off. Instead, if a Ring Alarm sensor is triggered while Virtual Security Guard is active, an Alarm monitoring agent will follow the response settings you've customized in your Monitoring Settings.
How do I reduce the number of SMS alerts I'm receiving when the service is active?
You can manage your SMS alert preferences in the Control Center and set up motion and privacy zones to exclude motion events from high traffic areas being monitored. Cellular message and data rates may apply.
How can I submit questions about how an event was handled by a Rapid Response agent?
Visit this Rapid Response link and submit all event details and information in the form fields. Once Rapid Response receives the request, they will review the form submission and look into your event. After the event has been reviewed, Rapid Response will contact you by phone within three business days to discuss their findings.
How do I get in touch if I have any questions?
For additional questions about your devices or Virtual Security Guard subscription, please call Ring customer service at 1-866-894-8282.
Billing and Managing Subscription
How much does Virtual Security Guard cost?
You can add Virtual Security Guard to compatible device(s) and a compatible Ring Protect subscription for an additional $99/month per location. Virtual Security Guard is only available as a monthly subscription and you can cancel any time. Rapid Response is the provider of the camera motion monitoring service, and Ring bills your Ring account for this service on Rapid Response's behalf.
How many monitored events are included in my subscription?
The Virtual Security Guard subscription includes 175 monitored events for $99/month per location. If you need Extra Events, see below.
How do I cancel my Virtual Security Guard subscription?
To cancel your Virtual Security Guard subscription, please follow these steps:
- Log in to your account on Ring.com.
- Select Protect Plan on the top menu.
- Select Virtual Security Guard. On the bottom of the page, select Cancel Plan, and a reason for cancellation.
- Select when to cancel your plan (now or at the end of your billing cycle).
- Then, confirm cancellation.
Visit (How to Cancel your Virtual Security Guard Subscription) for more information.
Why was my Virtual Security Guard subscription cancelled?
Your subscription to Virtual Security Guard may have been cancelled if you ended your subscription to Ring Protect Pro or Protect Plus (1st Gen).
A Protect Pro subscription is required to use Virtual Security Guard. If you ended your subscription to Ring Protect Pro or Protect Plus (1st Gen), your Virtual Security Guard subscription will automatically be cancelled. Learn how to subscribe to Protect Pro.
What are Extra Events?
After you've reached 175 monitored events in one month of your billing cycle, Virtual Security Guard will either be suspended until your next billing period begins, or you can opt into Extra Events to continue using the service. Extra Events cost $.99 per event and you are automatically opted out upon purchasing a Virtual Security Guard subscription. You can change your Extra Events preference at any time. To update your preference, log in to your Ring account. Then select your Virtual Security Guard plan, select Manage Extra Events, and toggle your selection on or off.
How can I reduce the volume of events being monitored by Rapid Response agents?
You can reduce your number of Virtual Security Guard monitored events by setting up motion and privacy zones in the Control Center to exclude motion events from high traffic areas.
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.
