From upgraded color Kindle Scribes to a slew of new Echo speakers and Ring doorbells, Amazon had plenty to show off at its annual Devices and Services event in New York. But one of the most intriguing announcements wasn’t hardware at all; it was a new feature from Ring called Search Party that is designed to turn your video doorbell into a community search tool for lost pets.
That’s right, forget the “Lost Pet” posters on streetlamps, Ring’s new 2K and 4K video doorbells are packed with AI features designed to help dog owners track down their missing pet. Ring founder Jamie Siminoff told the crowd that over 1 million posts were made about lost or found pets on the Neighbors app in the past year, indicating high demand for a feature like Search Party. "We're turning individual concerns into community actions," Siminoff said.
Here's how Search Party works: Using the Ring Neighbors app, a user submits a photo of their missing dog along with any other pertinent information. A "Search Party" is initiated involving nearby outdoor Ring cameras belonging to users who have opted into the program. AI scans video footage from those participating Ring cameras for footage of any animal that resembles the missing pet. If a camera's AI detects a potential match, the owner of the camera receives an alert that includes the pet's picture and the relevant video clip.
Amazon stressed that no video from anyone’s camera is ever shared and that camera owners retain complete control of their privacy. They can choose to share the information with the pet's owner to help reunite them or ignore the alert.
It’s a clever idea built on a platform that, frankly, has some work to do. I’ve owned a Ring doorbell for almost a decade, and I turned off the Neighbors app a while ago because it became too noisy and, at times, downright frustrating. Trivial posts like “Did anyone else hear a loud bang?” often drown out the important stuff, while actual crime alerts, like package theft videos, sometimes get flagged or removed. Even though Ring stopped allowing police to request footage without a warrant in 2024, many users still have lingering questions about how data is handled.
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To be fair, the app isn’t without its bright spots. When the platform works, it’s really useful, helping to identify porch pirates, alerting neighbors to suspicious activity, and other crime or safety issues in their area. But if Ring wants Search Party to succeed, it needs to tackle the moderation problems, cut down on irrelevant noise, and rebuild trust around privacy.
I’m cautiously optimistic. As frustrating as the Neighbors app can be, there’s something powerful about technology that helps people look out for one another, and nothing brings neighbors together faster than trying to bring a lost dog home.
Read more: Why Your Video Doorbell May Stop Working in the Cold and How to Fix It
Search Party for dogs starts rolling out in November, with support for cats and other pets coming in December. The new 4K Ring Wired Doorbell Pro ($249.99) and 2K Wired Doorbell Plus ($179.99) with AI features are available for pre-order now.
[Image credit: Amazon]
