Amazon’s Ring to launch neighbourhood watch app in the UK
Key Points
- Doorbell camera company Ring, owned by US tech giant Amazon, is bringing its Neighbours community app to the UK.
- Neighbours is an online community noticeboard available within the Ring app.
- It is open to anyone for free and does not require the user to have a Ring or any other type of doorbell camera.
- The first feature available in the app is a Search Party for Dogs function that makes it easier for neighbours to coordinate searches for missing pets.
Home surveillance company Ring, owned by US tech giant Amazon, is bringing its Neighbours community app to the UK.
Neighbours is Ring’s alternative to applications like Nextdoor or neighbourhood WhatsApp groups, acting as a community noticeboard where those who live in the same area can share information on everything from weather and crime warnings to lost dogs.
Neighbours is available through the Ring app but does not require the user to own a Ring camera. The application will be open to everyone and will begin rolling out in the UK this October.
Users can choose whether to participate and post in the application, as well as when and what they would like to share and see. Images and videos can be uploaded directly from the user’s Ring or other cameras to the application on an opt-in basis.
Ring said that names and addresses are never displayed or shared in the application, and users can choose whether to provide their contact details to others when posting.
One of the first features becoming available in the UK is Search Party for Dogs, which helps to find lost dogs more effectively.
If someone’s dog goes missing, they can upload a photo to Neighbours, or create a Pet Profile for their dog, and add the details of where their dog went missing. Customers with an active Ring camera can then initiate a Search Party, which will cause participating neighbours’ cameras to start looking out for their missing dog.
If their dog is spotted by a neighbour’s camera, the owner of that camera will be notified and given the option to share their footage with the dog’s owner to help them find the dog.
Ring stressed that users are always in control over what data is shared on Neighbours and that their privacy is protected at every level.
“Starting later in October, UK residents can access Neighbours directly within the Ring app. It’s free to use and available to everyone – whether you have a Ring device or not,” Ring said in a blog post.
“We also plan to make additional Neighbours community features, like Community Requests and Neighbours Verified, available in the UK in the coming months.”
