Ring Doorbell Upgrades: Fire Alerts, App Store, and New Sensors
▼ Summary
– Amazon announced new Ring Sensors at CES 2026 that detect motion, smoke, carbon monoxide, and environmental changes, while also enabling smart home control.
– A new U.S.-only app store is being added to the Ring app, allowing integration with third-party apps focused on small business and household needs.
– Amazon has partnered with the Watch Duty app to provide real-time fire alerts and updates within the Ring app’s Neighbors section.
– New Ring devices support Amazon’s Sidewalk network, creating a mesh that extends device connectivity beyond standard Wi-Fi range.
– New AI features for Ring cameras learn property patterns to flag unusual events, and a Ring Car Alarm with GPS has been launched for vehicle monitoring.
Amazon is expanding the capabilities of its popular Ring smart doorbell ecosystem with a significant suite of upgrades. These enhancements focus on broader home safety, deeper smart home integration, and new ways to leverage camera hardware. The announcements, made at the recent CES event, introduce a versatile new sensor system, a dedicated app marketplace, and critical fire alert integrations, positioning Ring as a more comprehensive home management platform.
A central part of this expansion is the launch of new Ring Sensors. These compact devices are designed to be a multi-purpose sentinel for the home. They go beyond simple motion or door contact detection. The sensors are equipped to monitor for glass breakage, smoke, and dangerous carbon monoxide levels. They also keep tabs on environmental factors like water leaks, temperature fluctuations, and overall air quality. Furthermore, they can act as a bridge for home automation, allowing users to control connected smart lights and appliances directly through the Ring ecosystem.
To unlock more functionality from Ring cameras, Amazon is introducing an app store within the Ring app. This new marketplace will enable users to connect their devices with third-party applications. Initially available only in the United States, the store will offer a curated selection of apps in the coming weeks. While Amazon has not released a full catalog, it indicated the focus will be on utilities for small business operations and solutions for common household needs, effectively turning the Ring camera into a more flexible tool.
Addressing a growing concern in many regions, Ring has partnered with the fire monitoring service Watch Duty. This integration will feed real-time wildfire updates and early warnings directly into the Ring app’s Neighbors feed. Users in affected areas can stay informed of nearby threats through timely alerts. Additionally, individuals can contribute to community awareness by sharing live updates from their own Ring cameras during emergency situations.
Notably, these new devices will support Amazon Sidewalk, the company’s shared low-bandwidth network. This technology creates a community mesh network by using a small slice of bandwidth from compatible Echo and Ring devices. The benefit is extended range, allowing sensors and alarms to maintain a connection and send alerts even if they are out of direct Wi-Fi range, enhancing reliability for perimeter and outbuilding monitoring.
On the intelligence front, Ring is rolling out an AI-powered feature for its cameras that learns the typical patterns of a property. Dubbed “AI Unusual Event Alerts,” this system analyzes detected persons based on their location, actions, and even clothing against established norms. If something is deemed out of the ordinary, it surfaces a specific warning to the user. For subscribers to Ring’s premium Virtual Security Guard service, these AI-generated alerts could potentially trigger an automatic intervention from a live agent.
This follows other recent AI integrations, including features that use video recognition to trigger Alexa responses and send personalized notifications based on a database of recognized faces.
Beyond the home, Amazon has also unveiled a new Ring Car Alarm with built-in GPS. This device extends the Ring security umbrella to vehicles, offering monitoring, alerts, and location tracking to help protect against theft or unauthorized movement.
(Source: TechCrunch)
